How to Care for Your Sleeping Bag

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A sleeping bag is an important piece of gear for any camper or backpacker. It's all you've got between yourself and the cold ground. Taking proper care of your sleeping bag, from cleaning to storing it, will greatly extend its life. It will also guarantee you have a clean, comfortable bed to crawl into at night that will also keep you warm.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Ground cloth Woolite Mild laundry detergent Commercial front loading washing machine Commercial dryer Pillow case Cotton storage bag
Ground cloth
Woolite
Mild laundry detergent
Commercial front loading washing machine
Commercial dryer
Pillow case
Cotton storage bag

Step 1

Place a ground cloth between your sleeping bag and the ground before using it to keep it cleaner.

Step 2

Zip the zippers closed and turn the sleeping bag inside out before washing it. This will help remove any body oils or dirt accumulated inside of the bag.

Step 3

Wash your sleeping bag in a front-loading, commercial-grade washer. Don't use a machine with a center agitator, which can ruin the filling of the sleeping bag.

Step 4

Use Woolite to wash your sleeping bag if it's made of down. Use a mild laundry detergent if your sleeping bag is synthetic. Wash on the cold water cycle.

Step 5

Dry the washed sleeping bag in a large commercial dryer and on low heat. Open the dryer occasionally to move the sleeping bag around to keep the filling from clumping together.

Step 6

Store your sleeping bag in the cotton storage bag that came with it or a pillow case, to allow for proper ventilation, and hang it up in the closet.

Tips & Warnings

Never store your sleeping bag wet or in a plastic bag. Never dry clean your sleeping bag, as the cleaning process can damage the insulation in the bag. You can also hand wash your sleeping bag in a bathtub. This process is more labor intensive, though.

Never store your sleeping bag wet or in a plastic bag.

Never dry clean your sleeping bag, as the cleaning process can damage the insulation in the bag.

You can also hand wash your sleeping bag in a bathtub. This process is more labor intensive, though.

Article Written By Joyce Starr

Joyce Starr is a professional writer from Florida and owns a landscaping company and garden center. She has published articles about camping in Florida, lawn care and gardening and writes for a local gardening newsletter. She shares her love and knowledge of the outdoors and nature through her writing.

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