Spring Cleaning: Easy DIY Guide for Washing Your Padded Jacket

It was snowing and very cold just a while ago, but now it’s already March; it’s time to welcome spring.

Last week, I washed the bulkiest duck-down and goose-down padded jackets. I usually dry clean my long padded jacket in the first year of purchase. The following year, I washed it at home.

In particular, I mostly hand wash lightweight and short padded jackets at home, and even after washing, the filling is still intact. Let me share my tips on quickly washing and storing padded jackets at home without going to the laundry.

# How to launder a Padded Jacket

I’ll tell you how to launder padded jackets at home. ​

It’s common to think that dry cleaning is best for down garments like goose down padded jackets, but it can damage the fat inside the duck or goose feathers and reduce the jackets’ resilience.

📌 TIP
1. Wet cleaning is effective for wearing padded jackets for a long time.
2. When washing, avoiding fabric softeners and bleach is desirable to protect the essential fat of down garments. So, using a neutral detergent is good, especially for clothes.
3. “Wool shampoo” is particularly suitable. Alkaline soap is not good!

1. Preparation

[Materials needed for each padded jacket]
Enough water to soak the padded jacket, 1 tablespoon of a neutral detergent (wool shampoo), 1 tablespoon of baking soda, a toothbrush, and (if necessary) a large-size plastic bag.

2. Using a Washing Machine​

For those who want to save time, put the long padded jacket in a laundry net, run the washing machine on the wool course, and then hang it on a laundry drying rack to dry.

3-1. Hand Wash

I prefer hand washing because it feels refreshing and less damaging to the filling. I’ve included pictures and videos for reference!

1) Put the parka in the bathtub and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of laundry soap and 1 tablespoon of baking soda.​

2) Turn on the shower and fill the water enough to soak the parka.​

3) Rub the padded jacket with your hands and let it soak for about 1~2 hours.​

This garment has been worn all winter, so there’s a lot of dirt. Enough time to soak it is needed.

The method of washing winter duck down long padded jackets is simpler than you think, right?

I took a picture after an hour. The water turned yellow. The picture came out a bit bright. The water is actually darker.

3-2. Hand Wash Using a Plastic Bag

1) Put the padded jacket in a large plastic bag and add 1 tablespoon of detergent and 1 tablespoon of baking soda for each garment.

2) Fill the plastic bag with water.

You only need to add enough to soak the clothes.

When I don’t have a bag, I just wash it directly in the bathtub, but then a lot more water goes in. If you do it in a bag like this, you can save water, and the absorption of the detergent is better, so the dirt accumulated over the winter comes off better.

3) Tie the bag’s opening and shake it, then leave it for about an hour. ​

The detergent and baking soda penetrate well into the clothes by shaking it several times with your hands. This way, you don’t have to scrub with a brush, and the dirt on the sleeves and collar is wholly removed.​

After an hour, I opened it, and a lot of water came out.

From here, it’s a standard process!

4) Scrub heavily stained sleeves or a collar with a toothbrush.

From what I saw, the padded jacket I washed that day didn’t seem to have any stubborn stains, so I skipped this step. Only scrub when it’s severe.

5) Drain the soaked water, step on it with your foot to squeeze it out, and then receive fresh water and step on it again. Repeat this until clear water comes out.

Step on it with your foot because it’s painful for your shoulders to do it with your hands. It’s much easier to rinse it with your foot like a quilt.​ Our youngest helped a lot with this. Kids think it’s a laundry play, and they like it.

It’s only once a year, so it’s better to make sure it’s clean. I don’t trust how much rinsing is done when using a washing machine.

6) Once the rinsing is done, put the padded jacket in the washing machine and dry it in delicate mode.

7) Lay it on a laundry drying rack and dry it thoroughly after hand washing the goose down.

If you dry the clothes standing up, the feathers will clump at the bottom, so it’s better to lay it down and dry it.

Please dry it thoroughly for 1~2 days in a well-ventilated place.