How To Wash Your Down Jacket | Reviews By Wirecutter

All of our down jacket picks are machine-washable, so if you prefer to use a machine, it’s an option. However, we prefer the gentleness of hand-washing to keep our jackets looking good for multiple seasons.

Fill up the tub

To start, pour a couple capfuls of mild soap into the water as it runs in the tub. If your jacket is especially soiled, you can let it soak in the soapy water for a few minutes before scrubbing it. Once you’ve sudsed away the season’s grime, rinse the jacket until the water runs clear.

Dry it off

First drain your tub, and press out as much water from the jacket as possible. Then employ the towel-rolling method, which anyone who has washed clothes in a hotel sink knows: Lay a bath towel flat, lay the garment on top of said flat towel, and then roll both together, squeezing to get more water out.

To eliminate the rest of the dampness, set up your drying rack and drape the jacket on top of it. If you have a wood stove or radiator, you might want to move your rack next to it.

Finish with a light dryer cycle on low heat, especially if your jacket’s shell has a DWR (durable water repellent) coating—heat can restore such treatments.

Store it the right way

Many jackets come with a stuff sack, but you don’t want to use it for long-term storage—you want your jacket to breathe. This is especially true right after you wash your jacket because any lingering dampness (for instance, in the insulation) could cause it to mildew inside the stuff sack.

And even after your jacket is completely dry, long-term, packed-down storage is still discouraged because it could hurt the jacket’s ability to return to loft—and your jacket can’t insulate without that ability. Instead, simply hang your jacket in a closet for its summer hibernation.