With care, your insulated clothing should last many years, but all insulated clothing (down or synthetic) will last longer and perform better if cared for correctly.
This guide will give you all the information you need to wash, dry and care for your down and synthetic insulated clothing.
How to wash your insulated jacket (down or synthetic)
This part of the guide will give you step-by-step instructions on how to wash your down jacket. You can follow the same instructions for synthetic-filled insulated jackets, as well as other down and insulated garments. For sleeping bags, please refer to our Sleeping Bag Care Guide.
Step 1 | Get your jacket ready
Before you do anything, you need to get your jacket ready:
- Empty all pockets.
- Release any drawcords under tension.
- Fasten Velcro adjusters.
- Do up all zips fully, including pocket zips.
- Check the care label to understand if your jacket is down or synthetic filled.
Step 2 | Wash your jacket
Before you begin
- Run a short rinse cycle on your machine to clear any remaining detergent.
- Only use a specialist detergent. For down jackets, we would recommend Grangers Down Wash, and for synthetic jackets, Grangers Performance Wash.
- Try to avoid washing multiple garments at once.
Time to wash
- Put your jacket in the washing machine and add your specialist detergent in the normal detergent drawer.
- Set the machine to 30 degrees Celsius with a low to medium spin cycle and hit start.
When removing your garment from the machine, do so carefully. The extra weight of any wet filling could damage internal stitching.
Step 3 | Dry & restore loft
If your jacket is down-filled:
- Dry extremely thoroughly, using a tumble dryer on the lowest heat setting.
- This can take several hours, particularly for heavier items.
- Periodically check that the garment isn’t getting too hot.
- Occasionally tease apart any clumps of down with your hands so the filling regains its natural loft: lumps won’t dry properly and will make the jacket look underfilled and flat.
- Adding a couple of tennis balls to the drum can help to restore loft.
If your jacket is synthetic-filled:
- Most lightweight synthetic garments are easily air-dried. However, the Oreus and Superflux jackets would benefit from a tumble dry due to their construction.
- For heavier-weight garments, use a tumble dryer set to the lowest heat setting. No fluffing or clump-checking needed.
Once thoroughly dried, check all components, such as cord locks, and thoroughly lube the zips. We recommend using Gear Aid Zipper Lubricant.
How to wash an insulated waterproof jacket
If you do not have immediate access to a tumble dryer, we would recommend not attempting to wash an insulated waterproof jacket yourself and instead using our Wash & Repair Service.
Steps 1 & 2
To begin, follow the same steps for preparing and washing as any other insulated jacket (see above). For an insulated waterproof jacket, we recommend using a specialist cleaning product, such as Grangers Performance Wash.
Step 3 | Reproof
While the garment is still damp, apply a spray-on DWR treatment evenly across the outer fabric. We recommend Grangers Performance Repel Plus.
Step 4: Reactivate the DWR & restore loft
If your jacket is down-filled:
- Dry extremely thoroughly, using a tumble dryer on the lowest heat setting.
- This can take several hours, particularly for heavier items.
- Periodically check that the garment isn’t getting too hot.
- Occasionally tease apart any clumps of down with your hands so the filling regains its natural loft: lumps won’t dry properly and will make the jacket look underfilled and flat.
- Adding a couple of tennis balls to the drum can help to restore loft.
If your jacket is synthetic-filled:
- Most lightweight synthetic garments are easily air-dried. Then carefully iron the outer fabric on a warm setting with a thin cloth between the garment and the iron, or use a hairdryer to reactivate the DWR.
- For heavier-weight garments, use a tumble dryer set to the lowest heat setting. No fluffing or clump-checking needed.
Once thoroughly dried, check all components, such as cord locks, and thoroughly lube the zips. We recommend using Gear Aid Zipper Lubricant.
More on caring for your insulated clothing
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How often should I wash my down jacket?
This really depends on how much you're using your jacket, how much you sweat and the conditions you are using it in.
Essentially, the more you use your insulated jacket, the more regularly you will need to wash it. You should wash it if it is visibly dirty on either the outside or the inside of the jacket or if the down fill is flat or clumpy.
As a rough guide, if you're getting out in the mountains every weekend and using your jacket each time, we'd suggest washing it once a season.
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I have a small tear in my insulated jacket, what should I do?
A lot of small tears can easily be repaired at home. Specialist repair tapes such as Tenacious Tape™ can be very effective at repairing small tears, but they do have a somewhat distinctive aesthetic. Please be aware that if you take the tape off, it can leave residual marks that are nearly impossible to remove.
Check out our collection of Care Products.
For any other repairs or bigger tears, check out our Wash & Repair Service.
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Can I get my jacket professionally repaired or washed?
Yes, our Wash & Repair service offers a variety of services, from baffle repair to washing. Learn more.
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A feather or quill is poking through the fabric, what should I do?
If you do notice the occasional fibre poking through, this isn’t a fault. Do not be tempted to pull the down out of the garment and make a tiny hole that little bit bigger. Instead, reach behind the fabric and gently pinch the down cluster and pull it back inside the jacket.
The fabrics we use on our down garments are densely woven to ensure that fibre migration (down or fibres passing through them) is minimised. However, down barbs or barbules will occasionally find their way through a fabric or, more likely, through the seams.
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How should I store my insulated jacket?
When not in use, store your insulated clothing uncompressed, either hung inside a wardrobe or loosely stuffed into a large storage sack or pillowcase. If possible, avoid storing inside its stuff-sack or pack pocket for long periods of time.
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Is there a way to keep the zippers working smoothly on my insulated jacket?
Zips should be kept clean and regularly lubed. We recommend using a product such as Gear Aid Zipper Lubricant.
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What washing products would you recommend?
For down-filled jackets, we would recommend Grangers Down Wash.
For synthetic-filled jackets, we would recommend Grangers Performance Wash.
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Could I wash my jacket too much?
It's a fine balance, because you need to wash your jacket regularly to get the most out of it, but if you wash your jacket too often, you could cause damage to its construction or eventually its fill and fabrics.
However, we see almost no jackets that have been washed too much, but we see far too many that have been ruined by not being washed enough.
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Can you wash a down jacket?
Yes. Not only yes you can, but yes you should. Proper wash and care will keep your down jacket working at its best for longer.
Check out the steps laid out in this guide, or our Wash & Repair Service can handle it for you.
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Insulation Collection
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Insulation Guide
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Wash & Repair Service
