How to clean a down-filled coat at home (no dry-cleaning)

Here is a great trick for cleaning a down-filled puffer coat at home. I actually recommend this for older coats, as the dry-cleaning bill ends up being more than what the coat is worth. If the coat is relatively new (within 3 years), it's probably better to just pay the dry-cleaner.

Machine wash cold in gentle cycle with either woolite, Orvus paste-just a tablespoon, as it's super concentrated (you'll have to search hard to find this stuff) or a really gentle shampoo.

Spin dry as much as possible. Also maybe an extra rinse cycle, you need to make sure all the soap is removed. Then stuff it in the dryer on low with a couple of clean sneakers or tennis balls to break up the clumps. You can do it without the tennis balls or sneakers as it gets really noisy but throw in a couple of towels to give it something to rub up against. It will probably take a little over 1 cycle to get dry.

Cleaning down-filled items is difficult, and I recommend that you do not leave the machines unattended while washing/drying.

Have you tried this ? My coat is 4 years old this winter but it cost me a little over $1000 and is still good, well it has to be, so I'm not buying a new one, not for now plus I love how it feels and fits me, should I risk it ?

mmmm ....... maybe not

In your case, no, I wouldn't recommend this. This trick is for old coats that are on their final season of wearing. This trick works to tide you over during the final wearing season until you get a new coat next season. This is useful when the dry-cleaning bill exceeds 50% of what the coat's current value is. I'd recommend dry-cleaning for you.

I have not tried the trick, but my old boss has done it many times with successful results. Her down coats always looked nice. I had asked her for this trick, as (I live in NYC) and a pigeon "decorated" my coat recently, after I had gotten it dry-cleaned. We both work in the apparel industry (in technical design), so this is one of those industry wisdoms.

Thanks, that's what I thought. I can do it in a future when I decide that is time to get a new one though :icon_smil