Nikwax Down Wash Specialist Technical Cleaner - 1lt

Product Information

Use undiluted Nikwax Down Wash Direct to treat stubborn stains before washing. Remove all non-washable parts. Shake well before use. Follow care label instructions. Do not use conventional detergents. After the washing cycle has finished run multiple spin cycles, each time incrementally increasing the spin speed, to remove excess water. Rinse & Spin: So long as there isn’t a center-mount agitator, a special washing machine isn’t required for down gear. If the washer is large enough to handle the load, it’s good to go. The hard and fast rule is rinse, spin, then spin again. Get as much water out before drying as possible. Water, whether it is rain or condensation from sweat, compromises the insulating properties of down. If down gets wet it loses all of its insulating capacity and also causes weight gain. This reduces the comfort of the user, causing them to feel cold and wet, but more importantly the reduction in insulation is dangerous and in severe cases can lead to hypothermia. When wet, down loses all of its insulating properties, as water conducts heat away from the body up to 25 times faster than air. Hand wash sleeping bags or wash in a professional machine). Nikwax Down Wash Direct can also be applied by hand...

Through use, dirt and body oils build up on down items. This effects both the fabric and the down fill. Dirt attracts water; if the fabric absorbs water, rain and condensation can easily transfer into the down. If down gets wet it clumps together. This causes it to lose loft and insulation as it can’t trap air effectively. When wet, down loses all of its insulating properties, as water conducts heat away from the body up to 25 times faster than air. It will also gain weight and its breathability will be significantly reduced; leaving you feeling cold, wet and uncomfortable. Also by Nikwax, Down Wash Direct is a down cleaner formulated for all types of down that comes as a one-step cleaner. It not only cleans the feathers, but also helps restore their water-repellency, therefore it is suitable to be used with hydrophobic down as well as regular down. Use neat Nikwax Down Wash Direct to treat stubborn stains before washing. Remove all non-washable parts. Shake well before use. Follow care label instructions. Do not use conventional detergents.Wash: Gear performs better when closest to its original, pristine state. Case in point: the birdbath. Birds know that their down will best protect them when it is clean. Down, specifically, requires a gentle, detergent-free cleaner. We recommend our very own, Nikwax Down Wash.Direct, which is specially formulated to launder down feathers without weighing down the loft (also see Down Proof, below). Make sure the detergent compartment of your washing machine is clean of any detergent or softener (for the reasons described above). You may wish to run your washing machine on a hot wash with nothing in it to clear any residues from detergent or softeners. Conventional laundry detergents leave behind a water attractive (hydrophilic) residue on both the outer fabric and the down fill which masks Durable Water Repellency (DWR). This causes the fabric and down to absorb water and ‘wet out’ in damp or wet conditions, leading to loss of insulation.

Your down items could be soaking up water because the Durable Water Repellency (DWR) has been compromised by dirt, or because it has been cleaned with a conventional laundry detergent. Dirt attracts water and household detergents leave water attracting (hydrophilic) residues, leading to fabric and down 'wetting out' in wet or damp conditions. There’s only so many adventures your sleeping bag can handle before it needs to be refreshed. When it’s time to give it a clean, make sure you use Down Wash from Nikwax. Nikwax’s Down Wash and Down Proof products are two of the typically recommended products when it comes to washing down garments. They are, of course, suitable to be used with down garments as well, as they help break up the down clumps and fluff up the feathers. Smart Sheep Reusable Wool Dryer Balls

4. Pour the Cleaner into the Machine

Now, onto today’s selection, which is that of down cleaners. Why down-specific cleaners are important you can find out in the aforementioned guide, now it’s time to take a look at some of the best and essential products needed to properly wash a down-insulated coat. Green Meadows by Le Blanc® is a universal down cleaner, meaning that you can use it in all types of down and all down garments, including duvets, comforters, quilts and sleeping bags.

Next, make sure you have detergent or wash made for down products. Nikwax Down Wash Direct is the gold standard in the outdoors, but you can find great alternatives at Gear Aid and Allied Feather and Down. This cleaner is environmentally-friendly and free of VOC and Fluorocarbon, and it is also Bluesign Certified. If your down items are relatively new, or have been recently treated with Nikwax Down Proof, then cleaning with Nikwax Down Wash Direct® will not only remove contaminants, such as dirt and residues left behind by household detergents, but also revitalise insulation and restore DWR.It comes with a very light and pleasant fragrance, which is not irritating to either skin or lungs. Nikwax Down Wash Direct It contains no bleach or other chemicals that might damage down, like sulfates or enzymes, and thus it is 100% biodegradable and safe for the environment. However, once the gear has been thoroughly used, you will need to add DWR, using Nikwax Down Proof>, after cleaning first with Nikwax Down Wash Direct. This will add DWR to the outer fabric of the gear and also the down fill. Down needs Nikwax Down Wash Direct; a specialist cleaner...