The winter coat should be used, but has a slight closet smell or stains? This is how down and wool can be cleaned.
The last beautiful autumn days seem to be over, and winter is coming with falling temperatures. High time to get the warming coat out of the closet. With the right washing, it will be ready for use in no time for the upcoming cold months.
Down is sensitive
Down jackets and coats require careful cleaning. If the laundry does not necessarily have to be, it is advisable to first air the garment on a hanger. If cleaning with water is unavoidable, the manufacturer's instructions on the label must be observed. Basically, however, the following applies: Before washing, close all buttons and zippers and turn the coat or jacket inside out.
Parts made of down should always be cleaned individually in a sufficiently large washing machine. So that the jacket can spread out in the drum, it should have a minimum capacity of six kilograms. The winter coat must now be cleaned in a gentle cycle or wool wash, at a maximum of 30 degrees and the lowest possible number of revolutions per minute. A special down detergent is compulsory, as is not using fabric softener. This ensures that the down does not stick together.
After an additional rinse wash, it's time to dry. Down jackets can be dried in the dryer or in the air at a low temperature. If you choose the machine, you should put three to four clean tennis or washing balls in the machine. These ensure that the down is fluffed up while drying and does not clump together. Anyone who opts for air drying has to do this work manually. Down jackets dry best if you spread them out on a clothes horse and shake them up at regular intervals.
Wool likes it gentle
Winter coats made of wool – just like down jackets – have special requirements. They should also be ventilated in the fresh air before considering cleaning with water. A positive side effect: Not only do unpleasant rumors evaporate, but also small areas of dirt harden, which means that they can then simply be knocked out or brushed with a clothes brush. Mief can also be removed from your coat by hanging it up in the bathroom with the door closed after a shower or bath.
There is a great risk that wool coats will felt and break in the washing machine. Therefore, the manufacturer's cleaning instructions should always be observed or, if in doubt, the jacket should be brought to the cleaning department. In any case, nothing works without a wool wash cycle and a special wool detergent. Again, the temperature of 30 degrees should not be exceeded and a low spin speed should be selected. Fabric softener is a taboo.
Wool coats do not belong in the dryer – and also not on the hanger, as otherwise there is a risk of unsightly deformation. The winter jacket is best to air dry flat and spread out.