Down feathers

[nancy bee]

I have a 40 year old down mummy bag which is kind of yucky. The nylon fabric is oily and smelly, the down is clumped and not warm.

Maybe the sleeping bag can be cleaned and restored and I’m open to that idea.

If not, I thought about offering those feathers to nesting birds. I’ve dropped feathers off a balcony and watched swallows swooping to catch them.

I’ve dropped feathers just don’t know how to capture and contain the feathers if I cut the sleeping bag open.

Any experience with this, either keeping and restoring or cutting it up for the feathers?


Nancy Bee

[Mary Garrard]

IMO, I would put it in the trash, Nancy. Birds are able to find plenty of nesting material and as you say the feathers would be hard to contain.

A friend told me about trying to compost the feathers from a pillow. It did not go well😜.

Mary

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[Susan Dornfeld]

Nancy, a down sleeping bag can be soaked and hand washed in a large laundry sink or bathtub.  Use mild laundry soap and let it soak overnight because it's oily.  The next day, you can gently scrub the nylon with a soft brush if it's really dirty, but this may not be necessary. 
Then drain and rinse at least twice.  Now you can transfer it to your washing machine and spin it as dry as possible.  You can dry it on low heat in a clothes drier, along with a clean pair of tennis shoes to fluff up the down.  The whole process is a lot of work, but I have done it.  The downside is, if the nylon is so old that it tears, you will have a mess of down to clean up.
I hope this helps.
Susan