How To Dry A Down Jacket Without A Dryer?
A down jacket is such an amazing piece of clothing. Down jackets are light and warm, and they may endure for years if properly cared for. However, the washing process and the drying process of a down jacket can be tricky business. In most cases, a down jacket clumps after washing, which can be quite irritating. That is why the drying process of a down jacket is a critical process that demands care. Knowing how to wash a down jacket the right way is also equally important.
To prevent germs from developing and generating a bad scent, the soft and smooth-down material must be completely dried. It takes a long time to dry a down jacket properly, so you need to follow carefully, but it is really simple to do.
In this guide, we will be your torchbearers when it comes to drying down jackets. We will explore different ways of drying down jackets that are quite effective. This way, you will master the art of drying your down jacket in the best ways possible.
Beginning right away!
Now, essentially, there are two ways of drying a wet down jacket. You can either opt for air drying after the washing cycle, or you can use a tumble dryer. Both these ways are great after a machine wash or a hand wash.
First, we will talk about air-drying a down jacket.
Air Dry Your Down Jacket
Let us walk you through the effective steps to air dry your down jacket.
Squeeze The Down Jacket To Clear Any Excess Water
Air drying the down jacket will remove any remaining water. Before you air dry it, press the down material with your hands to squeeze out any extra moisture. Do not wring out the down jacket or it will damage the cloth.
Hang Your Down Jacket Using A Hanger
After you’ve removed the extra water, hang your down jacket on a hanger and hang it somewhere that’s cool and dry, like a closet or bedroom. It’s possible that if you hang it in a humid location, the down will emit an odour.
Hang the jacket on a clean radiator to speed up the drying process, but make sure the radiator isn’t turned all the way up and check it every 30 minutes to ensure that the cloth hasn’t begun to smoulder. The direct heat from a boiler won’t produce mould or mildew as fast as a heated room would.
Fluff Your Down Jacket After Every Thirty Minutes
Every time the timer goes off, take the jacket off of the hanger and shake it gently. Remove any clumps by massaging the down with your fingertips. Gently massage the down; don’t squash it.
Leave Your Down Jacket To Dry for 5 Hours
Air-drying your down jacket can take a long time, but you need to let it fully dry before you pack it away or wear it because the damp down can start to smell. Continue fluffing the jacket every half hour and let the jacket dry until the down is light and fluffy and the down stops clumping together.
See! That is now simple and easy to air dry is. Air dry is an ideal option if you want to save the electric cost and cut hassle.
Next up, we have the steps for drying down the jacket after machine washing using a tumble dryer.
Tumble Dry Your Down Jacket
One can easily go for tumble drying a down jacket after a hand wash. Let us learn how to do it.
Place Your Down Jacket In The Machine Dryer
Take your damp down jacket and place it in a machine dryer on its own. The down jacket should be able to tumble-dry as much space as possible without crushing the fluffy down. Remove any excess water from the garment without wringing it out, since this may damage the down.
Adjust The Dryer Temperature At Low
It will take several hours for the jacket to dry on a high-heat setting, but if done correctly, it can be safely aired on a low-temperature setting. Set the temperature control to its lowest position.
If too much moisture is retained in the down, mould or mildew may grow on it.
Add Three Tennis Balls In The Dryer
The tennis balls will bounce about in the jacket, fluffing the down within it. The bouncing movement of the tennis balls will also shatter and break apart to prevent any clumps from appearing in the down and speed up its drying cycle.
In case, you don’t have any tennis balls, clean socks may be used instead. Use dry and very clean tennis balls to avoid stains, dampness, or unpleasant smells from infiltrating the down jacket.
Switch On The Dryer
Now that you’ve added the down jacket, and tennis balls, and set the dryer to low, turn it on to start tumble-drying. The banging sound of the tennis balls as they tumbled is normal.
As the tennis balls hit against the jacket to break up clumps, it also allows the fabric to dry more effectively, which helps prevent mold and mildew from forming in pockets of dampness.
Take Out The Jacket To Fluff It After Every 30 Minutes
Set a timer for every 30 minutes and fluff the jacket while it’s in the dryer to break up any clumps that may have developed in the down. Shake the coat and run your fingers through it to remove clumps.
Push any loosening feathers back into the jacket rather than pulling them out. This also gives you a chance to check whether your coat is dry. When down stops clumping together and the garment feels light and fluffy, it has completed drying.
Machine Dry The Down Coat For Three Hour
Drying time will be lengthy due to the low temperature, but it is the only method to air-dry your down jacket without damaging the fabric or leaving moisture that may turn into mould and give off a foul odour. Fluff up your down jacket every 30 minutes for 3 hours to fully dry it.
If your jacket isn’t completely dry after three hours, continue drying it in 30-minute increments until it is.
Conclusion
There you have it! Using these two techniques, you can easily dry your down jacket. However, the air dry period might vary depending on the region and weather.
