[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.