To hand-wash, a windbreaker, begin by immersing it in a bath or sink filled with water and detergent. If you have to wash your windbreaker, use a gentle detergent, and avoid those with bleach or fabric softeners. If you do wish to wash the windbreaker, the best way is to turn the jacket inside-out, use gentle detergent, and use a low setting on the washing machine.
When in doubt, err on the side of gentler care; you can always wash the windbreaker again if it is not quite clean. If possible, flatten your windbreaker flat on the counter while it is being washed. Put your windbreaker in a dressing gown bag so that it does not get dirty while being washed.
Place the windbreaker jacket in the lingerie bag, and then put it inside a washing machine (use the detergent to wash it). For your washing machine settings, choose knitted and gentle, and simply allow this type of garment to pass through a Cold Water/Warm Water Rinse cycle. Now that step is done, your windbreaker jacket should come out of this completely free from impurities. If you would like to dry-dry your Windbreaker jacket, all you have to do is simply allow it to dry in the air for a couple of hours.
Allowing a windbreaker to dry naturally, possibly using a fan, is the best way to prevent damage from the dryer. You can air-dry a down jacket, but the tumble dryer is guaranteed to produce better results. If you do not have a dryer at hand, you can air-dry a down jacket by hanging it out somewhere with lots of fresh air, gently breaking the lumps apart with your fingers while they dry.
Most down jackets are machine-washable, but if you prefer the gentler feel of hand-washing, that is also an option. Clean out your washer’s detergent compartment, because the residue left behind by regular soaps will harm your down jacket. You might find your down jacket is washable in the machine, but some jackets need a specific detergent that does not break the waterproofing.
If the jacket is water-resistant, you will want to put on the waterproofing solution before you throw the jacket into the dryer. If your jacket is still performing fine and the water is bouncing off it, then you may be fine to throw it into the dryer here. When applied properly, water should bead off of your jacket instead of getting trapped inside.
You will want to wash your jacket in either a persistent pressing or a gentle cycle in the laundry machine, using cold water. Once you have finished the wash, while your down jacket is still damp, add a recommended quantity of a down-proofing product to it and repeat the washing cycle. Gently pat a cloth over your detergent mixture, then spread over stains in the jacket.
I used a direct-downwash by Nikwax Rinse the trays you would normally add your detergent into, to avoid any residuals mixing in with your jacket. As I normally would, I did not add any detergent, instead using a product called Nikwax Tech Wash. The next thing that we are going to do is put back in our Windbreaker jackets, and we are going to add Nikwax Tech Wash Solution into our washer.
Put the Down Jacket in cold wash and choose the Delicates or Handwash settings, if you have them. The best advice on washing settings is to assume your down jacket is going to have to be washed in cold water, with a gentle or handwashing cycle. It is best to stay away from hot or warm water when washing the jacket.
Turning the jacket inside out is another good idea, to avoid anything getting trapped in during the washing cycle. If you do not have any other options, you can wash a jacket in the top-loading washer, simply place it into the mesh bag for protection.
Any kind of down clothing, whether a vest, jacket, coat, or sleeping bag, can be washed at home, as long as you know how. If you do not have access to machine washing a down jacket on a front-loading machine, you can always wash a down jacket by hand. Just be sure to dry it in the recommended manner to ensure that it returns to its optimal fluffiness, and never wring it after washing. Put the quilted jacket into a washing machine by itself to avoid getting caught in anything, then refill the bin with the cleaning product of your choice.
If your jacket is super-dirty, you may want to stop your washing machine midway to allow it to soak for an hour or so. Then, allow it to soak for 10-15 minutes–this helps remove all of the extra soil, particles, and soap that came out of the spot-cleaning. Next, gently brush the windbreaker with a soft brush or sponge to get rid of any mud or spots.
Alternatively, you could cover the windbreaker in one of your bath towels instead, or even try blowing out wrinkles using your low-temperature hair dryer. Depending on the material, you might even be able to get the rain jacket into a drying rack. To clean the bloodstains off of a windbreaker, you simply need to do all of what I mentioned above, except that instead of using detergent to remove the stain, you will be using hydrogen peroxide.
Once you finish your TX Direct Wash-In Cycle, you will want to throw your jacket into your dryer on a low gentle heat and let it sit there for five or eight minutes to allow the product to cure.