Sleeping Bags--storage and cleaning

Storage

So your sleeping bag comes with a stuff sack. It seems like it should make it easy to slide it into the closet and keep it clean for the next trip, right?

Well, turns out, to get the maximum life out of your sleeping bag, store it loosely, after you have aired it out and it's dry. This goes for a down or a synthetic sleeping bag. This doesn't mean you have to take up a whole closet for your bag. You can:

• Use a large pillow case, if the bag fits loosely inside, and hang it in the closet.
• Hang it loosely in a closet or storage room.
• Fold it loosely on a closet shelf.
• Purchase a loose fitting cotton stuff sack from a sporting goods or camping store that will not compress the bag.

Care

I always air out my sleeping bags after a camping trip. Some people air them out every day of their camping trip. But when it comes to washing, once a year or less, unless I've soiled it heavily or had a serious spill.

Washing your bag too often will wear it out more quickly.

Avoid the home washing machine and take it to a front-loading commercial washer at the laundromat. Read the tagged cleaning instructions (unless you've cut them off).

1. Unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer, use liquid detergent.
2. Use a gentle stain remover, like Shout, before you wash.
3. Cold water!
4. Slightly less detergent works best.
5. Zip the zipper closed.
6. No dry cleaning! Too many horror stories about melting bags and toxic fumes. Dry cleaning will ruin Gore-Tex. Dry cleaning removes the natural oil from the downy feathers.
7. If you are concerned about your down bags, wash them on gentle or by hand with a down soap product, Ivory or Woolite, but rinse really well to get all the soap out. Soap causes clumping of the feathers or synthetics.
8. Never a HOT drier! If you are sure it will stay warm, okay. Otherwise take it home and hang it up to dry on the patio, porch or in the garage. In the drier with a down bag, throw a clean tennis shoe or several tennis balls to help fluff it up. If you hang a down sleeping bag to dry, you can still fluff it up in the drier with a shoe, but use the air-only cycle.