Washing a winter jacket by hand is a tedious task and requires a lot of time and effort. But why wash it manually if there is an automatic machine? A neighbor says that you can’t wash the down jacket in a typewriter? Yes you can! The main thing is to know what and how to wash.
Preliminary preparation
Before washing the winter jacket in the washing machine, preparation should be made. First of all, it is necessary to remove all decorative elements from the product: fur collars, sleeve edge. It is better not to wash such parts in the machine, otherwise they may lose their fluffy appearance. Also, if there are any metal jewelry on the jacket, it is better to remove them if possible so that in the process they do not leave puffs and damage the upper fabric. All non-removable elements: zippers, buttons, rivets, must be fastened. Turn the thing to the wrong side. And you should pay attention to such a trifle that everyone knows, but many forget to check their pockets. If suddenly something strange appears in your pocket, leaving stains, it is likely to get the opposite effect from washing. And the most important point, which is again neglected, is the instruction for a particular thing. To understand how to wash a winter jacket in a washing machine, it is important to study the data indicated on the label. There is information on a specific product that must be considered when washing.
Before sending the jacket to the drum, you need to inspect it for the nature of contamination. If there are stains, they must first be cleaned, as in the car they are most likely not to be removed.
The collar, pockets and sleeves tend to become more dirty. Therefore, before starting the machine, it is better to manually wash them. The simplest thing is to use household soap: thoroughly soap and rub. You can not wash off the foam, but send the thing directly to the machine. If there is a special soap for stain removal, you can use it. The main thing is that its composition does not harm the color of the surface tissue.
In no case should chlorine-containing substances be used to remove stains on the jacket. Otherwise, the probability is high that the original color of the fabric will change at the site of the former spot. In order to clean greasy places, you can use the usual dishwashing detergent. You can put a couple of drops on a sponge, walk it through the dirt in places and wash it off, the spots should go away.
Before washing the winter jacket in the washing machine, it is advisable to place it in a special mesh bag for washing.
Recommendations depending on the type of product
In order to figure out how to wash the jacket in the washing machine, you should study the composition of the filler. Information should be indicated on the product label. The nature of the filling is the main feature that should be considered when washing. As a filler for winter jackets, synthetic and natural fibers are used. Often used: synthetic winterizer, holofiber, natural bird fluff. Since such materials have special properties, the rules for washing products from them will vary.
Sintepon jacket
The synthetic winterizer is often used as an artificial insulation for the manufacture of outerwear. A sintepon jacket in a washing machine is usually easy to wash. But you still need to follow a number of recommendations:
- The temperature regime of water. It is recommended to wash products from sintepon at 30-40 degrees. To prevent the jacket from losing shape, this rule should be observed.
- Machine washing mode. So that the washing process leads to the desired result, choose a gentle mode, delicate washing. If the options have a hand wash, it is better to use it.
- Spin. If there is a square with three stripes on the tag, auto-spinning is prohibited for such a thing, since the synthetic winterizer may crumple. If there is no prohibition, set the spin speed to low.
- Drying. The advantage of syntepon is that it dries quickly. Through the lining, the contents of the jacket must be spread out with your hands, hung to dry on the shoulders or laid out neatly on some horizontal surface. You can use a beater for carpets. The jacket must be hung vertically and knocked out in this position. Use a vacuum cleaner to evenly distribute a stray padding pad over a wet jacket. Such a simple way will help to give things their original form.
Hollofiber jacket
Recently, most commonly used as a filler for winter clothing hollofiber. The material is warm and not too whimsical. You can wash the winter jacket both in the washing machine and manually.
- The temperature regime of water. Hollofiber due to a certain method of producing fibers can be washed at sufficiently high temperatures - from 45 to 90 degrees. At the same time, it is important to take into account the coating material of the down jacket so that it does not shrink.
- Machine washing mode. When choosing a mode, it is also worth considering the surface material of the product. You can choose delicate or “outerwear” mode. Rinses should be at least two. If the detergent particles are not thoroughly rinsed, there is a risk that, if water drops get on the surface of the jacket, light spots and stains may appear.
- Spin. Since the holofiber is practically not deformed during washing, you can squeeze it at maximum speed.
- Drying. After washing, the item can be placed above the bathtub to allow excess water to escape. Then the jacket should be hung outdoors, avoiding direct sunlight. Things from the holofiber dry quickly, so the process will only take a couple of hours.
Natural down jacket
Probably the most moody of all fillers is natural fluff. Some people even doubt that a down jacket can be washed in a washing machine. In fact, you can wash the down jacket in the machine, you should only follow the rules:
- The temperature regime of water. Wash the jacket down to a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees.
- Machine washing mode. Fluff is quite delicate material. Therefore, it is better to choose a delicate or “hand wash” mode. It should be noted that jackets made of natural fluff cannot be soaked.
- A little trick: so that the fluff does not crumple during the washing process, put a couple of tennis balls in the drum. Throughout the washing cycle, they will whip down the fibers of the down jacket, preventing them from caking.
- Rinsing. To prevent soap stains and white spots on the jacket after drying, set several rinse cycles.
- Drying. You can dry the down jacket only vertically. It is necessary to shake the jacket, straighten it so that it takes its original shape, and hang it on the shoulders. It is better to dry the down jacket in the open air or in a well-ventilated area. Good air ventilation is necessary for quick and even drying, so that the fluff does not cake and there is no unpleasant odor. It is not recommended to place a down jacket near a source of fire and heat, as well as in the open sun. During drying, you need to periodically beat the jacket and straighten the fluff so that it does not crumple and does not lose its volume.
What to wash
How to wash a winter jacket in a washing machine is understandable, but what is better to wash? On the shelves of stores a large number of various means. But here you need to be careful what is suitable for one type of product, it can harm another. So, for example, washing jackets with ordinary detergent is not recommended. Powder particles do not dissolve well in low temperature water. They get into the filler fibers and into the dense coating fabric, because of this, rinsing the powder from the product becomes problematic. Subsequently, stains and spots can be found on a clean and dried down jacket. Therefore, for washing winter jackets it is better to use liquid products: gel, capsules, shampoos, balms.
A liquid gel is perfect for washing a winter jacket. It has a water base, so it quickly dissolves in water. This allows you to completely remove it with a rinse. The amount of washing gel should be added taking into account the hardness of the water, the required amount should be indicated on the back. The gel can be applied to the most contaminated areas of the jacket and placed in a drum, or added to a special powder tank.
Among imported ones, Heitmann became one of the most popular products in this category. This tool has in its composition the substance lanolin, which restores the waterproof shell of the fluff and allows you to save its properties. There are several types of this gel for products from natural and artificial fluff, which is indicated on the label.
From the domestic line of products for down products can be distinguished liquid gel "Weasel". From the presented assortment of this product for down jackets, “Magic of balm for wool” is best suited. The gel retains the properties of the insulation and carefully removes dirt from the surface of the fabric.
Housewives also use Profhim from Russian funds. Its composition, although it has a specific chemical odor, but fights pollution perfectly, without damaging the fabric and filler.
The chemical industry has tried - now the down jacket has even its own shampoo and balm. These products do not allow fluffs to stick together, so the fluff does not clump after washing. The most popular of them are Domal SPORT FEIN FASHION and Eco Nordland Sport. With their help, you can gently and effectively wash clothes based on natural fluff.
Down jackets can be washed using special washing capsules. It is an analogue of a liquid detergent placed in a polymer package. For washing, just put one capsule in the drum. During the supply of water, the capsule shell will dissolve and the substance will begin to act. Gel capsules are presented on shelves of household chemicals by such manufacturers as Tide, Persil, Ariel.
Using these tools and observing all the recommendations for choosing a mode, you can wash your favorite down jacket without fear.