Down jackets win the prize for most confusing piece of clothing to wash. It’s an intimidating prospect: what if you ruin it? What if it isn’t fluffy anymore? They’re expensive, and no one wants a laundry catastrophe.
Here’s how to properly wash a puffer jacket so you can keep it clean, fluffy, and warm for years to come.
Step 1: always wash on cold + delicate setting
Best case scenario: you have a washing machine that doesn’t have a center agitator, like a front-loading machine. No agitator is best for a down jacket, since there’s no agitator to tear at the delicate fabric.
But, if you have a plain top-loading machine with the regular agitator, don’t fret! With the right precautions, you can still wash your jacket safely. A washer with an agitator is what I’ve always used for jackets and I’ve never had an issue.
No matter what machine you use, set your washing machine to a cold wash on the most delicate setting. The delicate setting will reduce the odds of any tearing.
One last washing option: hand washing. If you have a very special jacket and you’re very paranoid, or if your washing machine has a habit of eating your clothes, this will protect your jacket from aggressive washing machines. Obviously, you just have to be willing to take the time and you have to have a large enough sink for your jacket. That said, after hand washing, I recommend putting it in your washing machine for a spin cycle only to remove the bulk of the water. This will help it dry faster, which is important for reasons I’ll talk about in the drying section.
Step 2: use a mesh bag
This step is optional, but can be very helpful!
As an extra precaution to protect the delicate fabric, put your jacket inside a mesh laundry bag to protect it from rubbing against the agitator and other items in the wash. These laundry bags are large enough for big, bulky jackets. If you’re washing other things, the bag will also help protect the jacket from zippers.
Step 3: use specialty detergent (if you can)
For best results and the longest lifespan, look for a down-specific detergent to maintain maximum fluff and to prevent clumping. Another advantage of using these detergents is that they will not degrade any water-repellent coating your jacket might have. I use and recommend Nikwax down wash direct. You can find plenty of other options on Amazon that are a bit cheaper.
But don’t worry, regular laundry detergent won’t instantly kill your jacket! I’ve washed mine with regular detergent in the past, and they’re still going strong. But if you want your jackets to last as long as possible, spending a few bucks on a specialized detergent is a good idea, especially since you don’t need to wash them frequently.
The detergent you use won’t make or break your jacket, but a specialized detergent may help it to last a little longer and perform its best.
Step 4: how to dry down jackets
After you pull your jacket out of the wash, it will look flat and deflated. Don’t panic! This is normal. It will be back to its original fluffiness soon.
Most puffy jacket experts recommend putting your jacket in the dryer instead of air dry.
Why’s that? Well, the trouble with air drying is that it can lead to clumping and moisture retention inside the jacket. Moisture retention is bad, since it can lead to mildew growth inside your jacket, which is impossible to clean. In other words, you want your jacket to dry as fast as possible to prevent this.
With that in mind, be sure to take your jacket out of the washing machine as soon as possible and begin drying.
When you do put your jackets in the dryer, set it to the low heat or delicate setting. If you used a mesh laundry bag, take the jacket out of the mesh bag so it can tumble freely. For best results, use a couple of dryer balls. They will agitate the jacket as it tumbles, which helps restore the down’s fluffy loft. If you don’t have dryer balls, you can use tennis balls instead.
When should you air dry down jackets?
If your jacket has special design elements that are heat-sensitive, you may need to air dry. Generally speaking, air drying is a more viable option for thinner jackets in a low-humidity environment. In other words, these two factors mean the jacket will dry very quickly, which is good for minimizing moisture retention in the down clusters. If your house is quite humid and/or your jacket is heavy and thick, it might take too long to dry. In that case, you’re better off with the dryer.
If you do air dry, my preferred method is to gently drape the jacket over a drying rack or a shower curtain rod, spreading it out as much as possible. I don’t lay it flat, since this can lead to wet spots that dry too slowly. The advantage of using a drying rack or rod is that the air circulates on all sides of the jacket. This will speed up the drying process.
Air dried jackets tend to look flat and sad. To restore the fluff, just put it in the dryer for about 10 minutes on the no heat setting with dryer balls. Tumbling with no heat shouldn’t damage even the most delicate jackets.
Quick summary: 4 steps to wash down jackets
To boil all this down, here are the steps you need to remember for washing your puffers:
- Wash on cold water using the delicate cycle.
- Use a mesh laundry bag. (optional, but can be helpful)
- Use a down-specific detergent, if you have it.
- Immediately after washing, tumble dry on low heat with dryer balls.
Very helpful recommendations! I did not buy a beautiful Mackage puff jacket because I was worried about washing it. By the way, any suggestion on dryer balls? I have been using tennis balls.
I don’t have dryer ball suggestions, no. I use them so rarely that tennis balls are good enough for me. I did see some *adorable* hedgehog dryer balls on Amazon the other day that were pretty tempting though. :)
Hi! A few years late but I wanted to recommend the brand of dryer balls I use – Friendsheep wool balls. You can purchase them on the direct website or even Amazon.
Thanks for the tip! I have some already, but if I need more I will keep those in mind and maybe others will find it helpful too. :)
I try to avoid washing down where I can but earlier this season I had to wash my beloved down to make it look a little bit more acceptable again. I used Nikwax too and tumble dried with a drier ball and it worked perfectly. Afterwards I just sat down for a half an hour to pull apart individual clumps that were stuck in some odd places. Great summary!
Yes, I generally keep washing to a minimum too, but sometimes it’s inescapable! I’m glad Nikwax worked for you too. I haven’t used it for long but it’s gotten me great results so far, and I’m hoping it helps maintain the water-repellant surface!
Love this!
My preferred method of keeping my jackets perfect is to just never ever wash them. Lol.
preach
Hahaha so true!!! I dropped a piece of breakfast sausage on my silver city puffer when I was on the plane and that’s when I was like OKAY TIME TO WASH.
We have a silver puffer, almost new, with a grease stain from barbecuing – probably similar to your stain. Would you suggest or have you tried spot cleaning?
Oh no! :( My stain came out in the regular wash, but if I remember correctly I spot-treated it just prior to washing. It needed washing anyway, but if it hadn’t, I probably would’ve tried spot treating only. A tiny bit of dish soap is my favorite method for getting rid of grease. Good luck!!
Thanks ?
How about dry cleaning?
I’ve actually never seen dry cleaning specifically recommended for any of the jackets I own personally, or in any of the articles I found. That said, if I had an ankle length coat that didn’t fit in my washing machine, that might be a different story.
Hi AA, I own several Moncler jackets short and long and Canada Goose jackets. They recommend DRY CLEAN so I’ve been doing that for the last 10+ years I’ve owned them. However, I wash my Other brands like lululemon ,j crew, and Patagonia. I wash in cold gentle hand wash cycle and dry them with 4-6 tennis balls on medium heat for about an hour. They look good as new.
Huh, that’s interesting. Perhaps the ultra high-end brands don’t want you taking any chances with their gear. :)
I think so. I looked at my Burberry long down trench coat and it says DRY CLEAN ONLY as well.
Thank you for your wonderful tips. I have a moncler down coat and I would like to clean it. It says machine wash OK, but do not tumble dry. Instead dry flat. I read at multiple sites that tumble dry with low heat is okay for down coat, including yours. Would you suggest that I follow their recommendation of drying flat or tumble dry with low heat?
Yeah, that’s tough because you don’t want to ruin such an expensive coat! If there are any features on the jacket that might melt or be damaged by heat, definitely don’t put it in the dryer. You could also contact Moncler’s customer service to ask if there’s any particular reason they don’t recommend the dryer for their specific products. Otherwise, I don’t think you’ll run into any issues on the lowest possible setting. Also, if you live in an area that’s not very humid (I live in Arizona), I think air drying is for sure a safe bet. If you do air dry, I would definitely recommend draping it gently over a drying rack so the air can flow all around it. If you lay it on a flat surface like a table, the underside won’t dry as well. I hope that helps! Good luck. :)
Thank you so much for all of your tips!! I contacted Moncler customer service and they were not really very helpful, told me to follow the jacket’s wash and care instructions…although I did not ask specifically why they don’t recommend tumble dry for that jacket.
I cleaned the jacket with a cashmere shampoo and alternated between extra low heat tumble dry and air drying. It took forever (over 6 hours I would say…) to dry, but it’s nice and puffy and so clean now!
I live in Southern California and only use moncler coat when I travel overseas, it’s pretty dry here so hopefully no mildew worries…
I have a down jacket and it keeps lowing its down on one side of the collar. I even took it into the store and they filled it with some more down and I was hoping it was fixed. I just washed the jacket again and the one side of the collar is completely deflated and looks odd. I had it on clod, gentle cycle and put it in the dryer. I tried to move the down from one side of the collar and even it out with my hands but no luck. Do you have any other suggestions as to what to do? It is a really nice jacket that I love and spent a lot of money on but I am getting annoyed with having issues with it every time I pull it out of the washer… Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Hmmm that’s a good question. That’s never happened to me, so unfortunately I don’t really have ideas–everything you’ve done is exactly what I would’ve tried. I hope you find a way to fix it, sorry I can’t be of more help. :\
I washed my Michael Kors puffer coat that had food stain in front, on cold cycle with All detergent,on hand washing cycle, put in dryer on low.
It is now stained throughout the coat, I am sick about it ! Love this coat! Help !
Oh no!! I’m sorry to hear the stain spread. At this point, I think your best bet would be to take it to a professional cleaner and see what they can do for you. I hope you find a way to get it looking new again.
I have a Michael Kors packable coat and it leaves feathers all over my clothes. What can I do to stop this.
A tiny bit of feather leakage is normal for new jackets, but if it continues or if the amount of feather loss is very high, that’s not normal at all. There’s no fix that I know of, so I would contact the manufacturer and see if they have a solution for you.
i have a down jacket that i haven’t washed for a long time, but im too scared to use the washing machine, can i wash it by hand and just hang it to dry?
I would not recommend hand washing, because you really need the spin cycle in the washing machine to pull all the water out. Otherwise, it will stay wet too long and could mold. If you’re worried about the washing machine, a large mesh laundry bag will really help protect the jacket. Or if you’re really paranoid, professional cleaners are always an option, too!
Can I store my down puffer jacket with a plastic bag over it?
I think you could, sure. I don’t think it would make a significant difference in the lifespan of the jacket, as far as I know, so probably just a matter of personal preference!
I have to air dry I don’t own a tumble dryer
I’m guessing I’m doing the right thing by just seperating the clumps as its drying hung up
Anything that helps it dry faster will definitely be a plus! I imagine separating the clumps would do just that to let air flow through the material better.
Hi I have a Nike Nike Sportswear Down-Fill Windrunner Men’s Jacket that I’ve washed for the first time. Taking it out the washing machine my heart sunk as it so flat and looks like there just balls of material in all the sections.
HELP
Hi Rox! It is normal for puffers to look really flat and sad when they are wet from the washer. If you put it in a dryer on low heat with dryer balls (if you don’t have dryer balls, you can use a tennis ball or two if you have them), that should re-fluff it and redistribute the material back to normal! Good luck. :)
Hey!
I washed my Aritzia puffer jacket recently! I followed the washing instructions! I feel as though the front of my jacket is super puffy but the back isn’t. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can even out the fluff?
Good question. If you haven’t already done this, you can tumble it in the dryer (just on the air fluff cycle, no heat) with a couple tennis balls or dryer balls and that should help distribute the fluff a bit. Other than that, I don’t have any other suggestions, unfortunately. Good luck!