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KC8QVO 
Group: Members
Posts: 588
Joined: Mar. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 5:23 pm |
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I have some sleeping bags and a coat that need washed. I know the general consensus is to go to a laundromat and use a front loading machine.
My question is: Is there any way to make a top loading machine work? Such as putting it on as delicate of an agitation cycle as it goes, or perhaps letting the machine fill up, agitate for a few minutes, and stop it to let everything soak for say an hour, then resume?
Or should I stay away from a top-loader at all costs?
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Steve
KC8QVO.com
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| Post Number: 2
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High_Sierra_Fan
Group: Members
Posts: 39795
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 5:52 pm |
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You might blow out the interior baffles. Or you might not.
Taking the chance is usually not worth it. I'd probably hand wash before using a twisting central spindle machine. That way I'd control the force and abuse level on the items.
Spot cleaning has served me well over the years.
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| Post Number: 3
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Franco
Group: Members
Posts: 2708
Joined: Feb. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 6:11 pm |
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I use my bathtub.
To drain and transport to the clothes line I use the cotton bag my bags come with.
So you shift the sb into the cotton bag, do not lift it in .
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| Post Number: 4
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rayestrella
Group: Members
Posts: 6418
Joined: Nov. 2004
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 7:07 pm |
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I second the tub if no front loader. Even on gentle cycle the nylon can slide into the agitator and toast the baffles and maybe even tear the shell open.
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I measure happiness with an altimeter
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| Post Number: 5
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Tigger
Woods Pouncer
Group: Members
Posts: 10624
Joined: Apr. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 9:33 pm |
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I will echo the comments above...No top loader, period. Bathtub, then drain...take sleeping bag out and then dry. I recommend letting it dry on a sweater rack or something to that effect before putting in a dryer. I've put mine in my own dryer with a bunch of dry towels.
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If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
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| Post Number: 7
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OldGuyWalkin
Group: Members
Posts: 158
Joined: Nov. 2012
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 10:02 pm |
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I use the laundrymat's washers. I blew out a gasket on my front loader that cost me $50 in parts and an afternoon to replace. Washer guy says that is what happens when you wash heavy blankets or *cough* sleeping bags *cough*.
So I block out the time and take them to the laundry and blow out their gaskets instead of mine.
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Walkinman
A rainbow
Group: Members
Posts: 6629
Joined: Nov. 2002
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 11:21 pm |
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I don't recommend hand washing a down bag .. it's more difficult than you think, and most people end up worse off than not washing the bag at all. part of what happens is its difficult to fully rinse the bag, get all the soap out of the down, and whatnot - ending up with down that never fully restores correctly. Go to a laundromat and wash it properly.
Similarly, and related, it's much harder to fully wet down that people expect .. which means the bag doesn't get cleaned properly anyway.
Unless the bag is awfully dirty, not washing it almost always a better option than handwashing.
Same thing with drying it. Hanging to dry doesn't work well on a down bag .. dry it on low heat, for a long, long, long time.
I think a top loader is best avoided, though if you use is "manually", like suggested in the OP, you might be OK. I'd avoid actually letting the agitator run though .. just fill it up, let the bag soak up some water, and "agitate" by hand. Fill it up again and soak and rinse and soak and rinse and repeat. A few times.
Just go to a laundromat.
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Guided Alaska backpacking and hiking trips
"What good is a used up world and how can it be worth having?" -- Sting, All This Time.
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AlmostThere
I must not be there yet, I keep hiking...
Group: Members
Posts: 4964
Joined: Apr. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 21 2013, 11:30 am |
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Spot cleaning, and the front loader at the laundromat when needed.
To get an idea of what it's like to hand wash a bag, imagine wrestling with a large recalcitrant seal. Wet, slippery, and heavier than heck. The down is hard to get wet but it will soak up huge amounts of water once it's there.
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All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.
Friedrich Nietzsche
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SmokeyBear
I know shoe-fu
Group: Members
Posts: 3702
Joined: Mar. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 27 2013, 11:34 am |
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Probably best to also put it in a commercial dryer that is much larger than the one at home, the extra room to unfurl helps the down spread out better too.
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| Post Number: 13
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leadbelly2550
Group: Members
Posts: 1047
Joined: Apr. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 27 2013, 7:30 pm |
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a couple of thoughts....
-i rarely wash sleeping bags, as in i'll go several years before doing so unless the bag gets dumped in the mud or bled on (have had both). however, i regularly use a light bag liner so any body oils end up in the liner rather than the insulation; cocoon liners are a heck of a lot easer to wash. VBL liners are even better, just clean them in the shower and hang dry.
-on those rare occasions, i have been able to do 'normal' (+ zero degree) down bags in our regular front-loading washer set on delicate, meaning low velocity final spin, with down wash, and our home dryer, set on low heat, with a couple of clean sneakers or a bunch of clean tennis balls. just washed a down sweater that was quite soiled with great results.
-some of the nicer top loaders don't have central agitators, they 'might' be OK. check first.
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michelclarke234
Group: Members
Posts: 2
Joined: Feb. 2013
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Posted on: Feb. 20 2013, 12:26 am |
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(michelclarke234 @ Feb. 19 2013, 11:51 am)
QUOTE
(High_Sierra_Fan @ Jan. 13 2013, 5:52 pm)
QUOTE You might blow out the interior baffles. Or you might not. Taking the chance is usually not worth it. I'd probably hand wash before using a twisting central spindle machine. That way I'd control the force and abuse level on the items. Spot end of lease cleaning brisbane has served me well over the years. hello I do not have much information about cleaning process but my friends say steam cleaning is effective. What is your views guys?
Still waiting for some replies
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| Post Number: 16
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Tigger
Woods Pouncer
Group: Members
Posts: 10624
Joined: Apr. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 20 2013, 10:30 am |
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In regards to steam cleaning, I have always hand washed so I can't guess other than to state I'd pay attention to your shell's material. Steam on down itself would not be a concern. I'm a bit paranoid about sending my equipment out to someone not used to working with it.
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If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
