[Fj]

Anyone got any info on how or where to get a down jacket clean.
I heard a rumour you could do it at home and tumble it with a couple of tennis balls, but I'd rather not ruin it.
Are there and Sheffield cleaners which can do the job?
cheers.

[BB]

I'm sorry, i can't help myself!

http://tinyurl.com/dblah9

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

I've always cleaned mine at home, a small amount of delicates soap like Lux (or proper down cleaner) and rinse very thoroughly. Tumble drying with a tennis ball works well, although a regular good shake whilst it's drying on a radiator also works ok.

If you want someone else to do it Franklins are your people. Recommended by RAB. Just off Ecclesall Road in Sheffield.

http://www.franklinsgroup.co.uk/duckdown_feather.html

[Plattsy]

Not Sheffield based but an alternative. I haven't tried them so can't comment on them. Will also clean down sleeping bags and refurbish/upgrade your down equipment.

http://www.mountaineering-designs.co.uk/services.shtml

[dave]

i'd be taking it to franklins, infact I will be doing that with mine once I am convinced there'll be no more cold snaps till next winter. costs about £22 i think.

I have various people over the years tell me the tales of machine washing them at home and just sticking them in the tumbledryer with a tennis ball, and how great it is, and never having any problems. However they seem to generally seem to be the people wearing flat knackered looking jackets with no loft......

[Johnny Brown]

All the stuff I have taken to Franklin's has come back like new, proper rejuvenation scene like.

[Fj]

I'm sorry, i can't help myself!

http://tinyurl.com/dblah9

that's a bit harsh, I was more after personal opinions on good cleaning services in Sheffield as opposed to how to wash clothing garments.

[Rabies]

Out of interest any advice on what to clean soft shells with? Mine is looking a bit worse for wear these days.  We could even set up a permanent cleaning thread.......

[cofe]

i'd recommend franklins. last time i had a down jacket done there they also replaced a few bits of gaffa tape with proper pertex-type tape, free of charge. as JB says, they come back feeling like new.

[Jim]

every down jacket I've washed at home has come out like new,
bit of soap and tumble dry

[BB]

that's a bit harsh, I was more after personal opinions on good cleaning services in Sheffield as opposed to how to wash clothing garments.

Yeah Sorry, but the first hit does recommend Franklins.

[slackline]

that's a bit harsh, I was more after personal opinions on good cleaning services in Sheffield as opposed to how to wash clothing garments.

Yeah Sorry, but the first hit does recommend Franklins.

That tinyURL didn't work at all for me  (not that it matters, but I'm guessing it was a link to Let me Google That For You).

[Fj]

that's a bit harsh, I was more after personal opinions on good cleaning services in Sheffield as opposed to how to wash clothing garments.

Yeah Sorry, but the first hit does recommend Franklins.

That tinyURL didn't work at all for me   (not that it matters, but I'm guessing it was a link to Let me Google That For You).

didnt work for me either which almost made me post this.

[slackline]

didnt work for me either which almost made me post this.

Ahh, the hours of fun that can be had patronising people with LMGTFY

[BB]

Fair cop! I deserve it!

it did work though, scouts honour!

[GCW]

every down jacket I've washed at home has come out like new,
bit of soap and tumble dry

I agree with Jim here.  All I'd add is to put it in the tumble drier with a couple of tennis balls (or those plastic knobbly balls the wife has got for the same purpose) to puff it up again.  Works fine.

[SA Chris]

Does your wife play tennis with plastic knobbly balls?

Sorry. Had to be done.

[butters]

Just to save someone else a wasted trip Franklins is not at the address on Onslow Road anymore - the site is just a large cleared area for new buildings or somesuch thing.

Can anyone advise whether they have moved to somewhere else or closed down? I suspect that they are no more as Rab now have the following on their website:

Professional Cleaning

We recommend that all Rab® down filled products are professionally cleaned at:

Elite Cleaning & Aftercare Services, Unit 2D, Thornhill Industrial Estate, Hope Street, Rotherham, S60 1LH.

www.elitecleaningandaftercare.co.uk/duck.html

+44 (0)1709 833 189

[Johnny Brown]

I had cuase to research this a while back and Franklins still exist, they've moved to Abbeydale road somewhere. Not been but I believe they still do down cleaning.

[Steamboat Stello]

They are on abbeydale road now next door to Tesco metro. Took a jacket in last week, £25, good as new 

[dave]

Franklins are great - glad they're still going.

[Dolly]

£25 seems a lot to clean a duvet.
I've had the same Rab duvet for 16/17 years and the first time it was cleaned I took it to Franklins. Second time I took it to a local cleaners and the last time did it myself in the washing machine.
Its still going strong and I couldn't really tell the difference between the 3 cleans TBH.

[Oldmanmatt]

Had mine since '95 ish...
I just wash it in the machine at home, normal powder and softener and tumble dry on cool. Still as puffy as the day I bought it.

[Probes]

I've done 3 or 4 jackets and washed a rab and an ME 4 season bag probably twice on my own. Natural soap flakes is supposed to be nice to the natural oils... and probably £5-10 for elecy down the laundrete. It can be done yourself as long as you properly dry it out.. a good hour n half in a proper laundrete tumble dryer. My ME bag came out like new.

[dave]

£25 for essentially a new down jacket seems cheap to me. Especially considering they also patch up any rips etc.

[Ru]

Here's a tip for washing down jackets at home that I learnt after I decided to surprise my wife by machine washing both our downs the day before we flew to Switzerland in February. The tip is, don't boil wash them. It sounds as if it will get the jacket super clean, but in fact it destroys the jacket and gets it super clean.

A related tip, whilst I'm at it, also learnt from experience: don't boil wash trainers, however mucky they are. It sounds as if it will get the trainers super clean, but in fact it destroys the trainers and gets them super clean.

The upside is that I'm no longer allowed to use the washing machine, so it's not all bad.

[nik at work]

Just to add to Ru's top tips, if your down is mostly held together with gaffer tape don't put it in your washing machine unless you want feathers all over the next six hundred loads of washing you do.

I too am not allowed to use the washing machine...

[SA Chris]

Great tips from Nik and Ru on how not to do it.

[GCW]

Those are just methods of avoiding doing the washing.

[rc]

I recently got a couple of down sleeping bags cleaned at the Chevin View laundrette in Otley.
I was a bit sceptical, but had a chat to the laundry guy over the phone he clearly knew what he was doing.
Included in the price he provided the nikwax down wash and also did that other nikwax tech-proofing stuff, then left it drying in their huge dryer on super low heat for 8 hours (or whatever). Whole thing done in 24hrs.
I realise this is basically what you'd do yourself at home - but using big washing/drying machines that can take the load. Sleeping bag was totally rejuvenated.

[tomtom]

I recently got a couple of down sleeping bags cleaned at the Chevin View laundrette in Otley.
I was a bit sceptical, but had a chat to the laundry guy over the phone he clearly knew what he was doing.
Included in the price he provided the nikwax down wash and also did that other nikwax tech-proofing stuff, then left it drying in their huge dryer on super low heat for 8 hours (or whatever). Whole thing done in 24hrs.
I realise this is basically what you'd do yourself at home - but using big washing/drying machines that can take the load. Sleeping bag was totally rejuvenated.

How much was it?

[SA Chris]

Those are just methods of avoiding doing the washing.

Precisely? Wonder if it can be applied to other household chores, or indeed the workplace.

[tomtom]

Those are just methods of avoiding doing the washing.

Precisely? Wonder if it can be applied to other household chores, or indeed the workplace.

I found the best way to avoid laundry was to inadvertently include a rag that had been used to T cut a red car in with (ex)FrauTT's whites wash... I tried to persuade her that off pink underwear was all the rage but my argument didnt wash (or hold water..)... 

[rc]

I recently got a couple of down sleeping bags cleaned at the Chevin View laundrette in Otley.
...

How much was it?

[See the link] Sleeping bag £14.50. Jacket £12.50. Gilet £10.
Don't know if they do a post service.

[tomtom]

I recently got a couple of down sleeping bags cleaned at the Chevin View laundrette in Otley.
...

How much was it?

[See the link] Sleeping bag £14.50. Jacket £12.50. Gilet £10.
Don't know if they do a post service.

Thanks, good knowledge..

[OffshoreAndy]

Just for info they do post and use post office special delivery which works out at about £10 each way.

[boulderingbacon]

on the fell running forum someone had put up a link to a test someone had down on a few waterproofing products and it was scientifically proven that fabric conditioner was more effective than nik wax or the other products they tested. ill try to find it it made some interesting reading.

[boulderingbacon]

http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?13847-Washing-Waterproofs-reproofing&highlight=reproofing
click on the link in alexandras thread and it should take you to a pdf file about water proofing which is quite interesting.

[slackline]

http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?13847-Washing-Waterproofs-reproofing&highlight=reproofing
click on the link in alexandras thread and it should take you to a pdf file about water proofing which is quite interesting.

Direct link to the PDF

[sidewinder]

Think the consensus is that the test was a bit flawed and that fabric conditioner does make the jacket more water repellent, in the same way it stops towels being as absorbent, but kills any breathability.

[boulderingbacon]

yeah definitely a bit flawed but quite interesting i thought. shows that just giving something a good wash and some heat does virtually as good a job as the water proofing stuff thats not usually that cheap. thanks slackline dont know how to do shizzle like that.

[slackline]

thanks slackline dont know how to do shizzle like that.

HowTo Embed Links to UKBoudlering

[Drew]

Not too sure about the fabric softener thing. Apparently this came out about 3 years ago, and ever since people have been destroying their jackets by using fabric softener. I think it clogs the pores, and only a detergent will actually clean them out, which in turn strips the DWR from the face fabric. This is what I hear anyway.

My stance on waterproof jackets is that cleaning then tumble drying usually reactivates the DWR which is already on the face of any waterproof, or windproof material. Even ironing on a cool setting should be enough. Its just the heat.

After you've done that a few times and it becomes less and less effective, get some Grangers 2-in-1, wash as per the instructions, and let it dry naturally. Then tumble dry, and it should be back to normal. You can then tumble dry it again and again.

Obviously if you're cleaning down products, you are welcome to wash it whatever you want, but if you want a guarantee that you won't harm the down, then Nikwax's Down Wash is officially certified for it. Then spray the outside, and tumble dry for good measure.

[ShortRound]

Sorry to resurect this thread again but is anyone aware of somewhere that offers a down cleaning service in manchester/Lancashire/bolton?

A google search has only turned up lancashire sports repairs in Burnley who have a turn around a bit longer than I need....

[BB]

Top Tip on cleaning down jackets...

Take it to a dry cleaners, hand it over. Pick it up few days later. Simples.

[benpritch]

http://www.chevinwash.co.uk/Laundry.aspx

another vote for chevin view laundry in otley - two sleeping bags for 20 quid same day, very clean,  like new. makes a trip to caley basically free if you were thinking of getting them done anywhere else

[ShortRound]

Thanks for that.

Top Tip on cleaning down jackets...

Take it to a dry cleaners, hand it over. Pick it up few days later. Simples.

I'd read somewhere that the chemicals they use can be bad for the down or something (clogging it up or what not) but if you've had it done successfully I'm happy to be convinced otherwise.