TL;DR
Wash a down jacket in a front load machine on a gentle cold cycle using a detergent made specifically for down, then dry it on low heat for two to four hours with clean dryer balls, pausing every thirty minutes to break up clumps. Ordinary detergent strips the natural oils from the down and fabric softener coats the clusters, and both destroy loft permanently.
Why does down need special treatment?
Down is not fabric. It is thousands of three-dimensional feather clusters that trap air, and the trapped air is what keeps you warm. Anything that flattens, coats, or strips those clusters reduces warmth directly. Ordinary detergent removes the natural oils that let down spring back, and fabric softener glues the fibers together.
What kills loft, and why
Regular laundry detergent. It is built to strip oil. Down clusters carry a small amount of natural oil that keeps the fine barbules flexible and springy. Strip it and the clusters go brittle and stay compressed. Down-specific washes are formulated to clean without defatting the fill.
Fabric softener and dryer sheets. These deposit a conditioning coating. On down that coating mats the barbules together into flat clumps that never re-expand. This damage is not reversible by rewashing. What fabric softener does to fibers covers the mechanism in general terms; on down it is worse than on anything else.
Bleach. Weakens both the down and the shell fabric.
Top load washers with a center agitator. The post tears baffles and internal stitching and can shred a down garment. Use a front loader or a top loader with no agitator.
Insufficient drying. This is the most common failure. Down that is not dried completely stays clumped, and residual moisture inside a sealed baffle produces mildew that is very difficult to remove.
Before you wash: is this a wash or a repair?
Check the jacket over first. Wash it only if the shell is intact.
Repair small tears and open seams before washing, since a wet wash will push down out through any opening and turn the machine into a feather storm. Fabric repair tape works well on nylon shells.
Empty every pocket, close every zipper and every hook-and-loop closure, and loosen drawcords.
Check the label. Some down garments, particularly those with leather trim or a specialized membrane, are dry clean only. How to read a care label covers the symbols. Note that ordinary dry cleaning solvents can also strip down, so a cleaner should be one that specifically handles down.
The wash
Pre-treat dirty areas. Cuffs, collars, and the chin area of the hood carry the most body oil. Rub a small amount of down wash directly into those spots and let it sit a few minutes.
Use a front load machine. A large-capacity machine at a laundromat is often a better choice than a home unit, because down needs room.
Use a down-specific wash, following the dose on the bottle. Do not substitute regular detergent, and do not use more than directed, since down is very hard to rinse.
Run a gentle cycle in cold or lukewarm water. Cold is safest. Add an extra rinse, or run a second rinse manually, because detergent trapped in the fill is a common cause of persistent clumping.
Use a low or medium spin. Some spin is helpful, because it removes water the dryer would otherwise have to evaporate. Very high spin can stress the baffles.
Handle the wet jacket carefully. A saturated down jacket is heavy and the wet fill puts strain on internal seams. Support it from underneath with both hands. Do not lift it by a sleeve or a hood.
The drying stage is where loft comes back
This is the part people cut short, and it is the part that matters most.
Put the jacket in a dryer on low heat. High heat can melt or damage the shell fabric, which is usually a lightweight nylon or polyester.
Add three or four clean dryer balls, or clean tennis balls. Their job is mechanical: they beat the fill as it tumbles and break the wet clumps apart so air can get between the clusters again. Without agitation, down dries as a mat. Dryer sheets versus wool dryer balls covers dryer balls in general use; here they are not optional.
Plan on two to four hours. Stop the dryer every thirty minutes, take the jacket out, and pull apart any clumps you can feel through the shell with your fingers. Then put it back in.
Keep going until the jacket is completely dry and evenly lofted. Feel for cold or dense spots -- those are damp. A jacket that feels dry on the outside can still hold moisture in the middle of a baffle, and that moisture becomes mildew inside a chamber you cannot reach.
If you have no dryer, air drying is possible but takes days and requires you to fluff the jacket by hand every few hours. It is a poor substitute.
How often should a down jacket be washed?
Once or twice a season for regular use, or when it visibly loses loft, feels heavy, or smells. Body oil accumulating in the down is what gradually reduces performance, so periodic washing actually restores warmth rather than costing it.
Source: American Down and Feather Council
Between washes, spot clean the collar and cuffs with a damp cloth and a drop of down wash, and store the jacket loose rather than compressed. Long-term compression in a stuff sack permanently reduces loft. Hang it in a closet or keep it in a large breathable bag.
Down pillows and comforters follow the same rules
Everything above applies to down bedding, with two additions. Use the largest machine you can find, since a comforter needs space to circulate, and expect drying to take even longer -- often four hours or more for a full-size comforter. How to wash pillows by fill type covers pillows including down, foam, and synthetic fills.
FAQ
Can you wash a down jacket in a regular washing machine?
Yes, if it is a front loader or a top loader without a center agitator, on a gentle cold cycle. An agitator post can tear internal baffles and shred the shell. A large front load machine at a laundromat is often the better option for a bulky coat.
What detergent should I use on down?
A wash made specifically for down. Regular detergent strips the natural oils that let down clusters spring back, leaving the fill flat and lifeless. Never use fabric softener, dryer sheets, or bleach on down.
Why is my down jacket clumpy after washing?
Almost always incomplete drying, or detergent still trapped in the fill. Put it back in the dryer on low with dryer balls and keep going, breaking up clumps by hand every thirty minutes. If it was washed with ordinary detergent, an extra rinse cycle first will help.
How long does it take to dry a down jacket?
Two to four hours on low heat for a jacket, and longer for a comforter. There is no shortcut. Stopping early leaves moisture inside the baffles, which causes clumping and eventually mildew.
Is dry cleaning safe for down?
Only at a cleaner that specifically handles down, because standard solvents can strip the natural oils just as regular detergent does. If the label says dry clean only, ask the cleaner directly whether they process down.
If this keeps landing on one person, regular house cleaning services cover the whole-home version of the job.
Down rewards patience at the dryer more than anything else in the process. If keeping up with the laundry is one part of a house that has gotten ahead of you, help is available. Every home is different, so the real number depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote and we will walk you through it.