Help! Smelly sleeping bag
Mary Malmros
Hey, y'all. A friend of mine had her sleeping bag trashed by idiot
housemates. It is a Sierra Designs 20 degree bag, nylon exterior, down
filled. It had just been washed in Seventh Generations soap and dried.
Some pinhead took it out of the dryer and put it on top, and some
other pinhead (or possibly the first one) knocked it partly down between
the washer and dryer, onto a table, where it got soaked (clean water)
and also stuck in an area that was probably too hot for it. It was
probably there for maybe as long as 12 hours. When my friend found it,
it was smelling in a most nasty way, more or less like funky old milk.
She washed and dried it again, and the nasty smell is still there, but
rather reduced. Right now she has it hanging up, but not in open air,
so that probably won't help much.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I can think of a few possibilities, but
I'm not wise in the ways of cleaning sleeping bags. Would any of the
following work?
- Washing it again, same soap
- Using a stronger soap or different laundry prep
- Hanging it outside (probably not a realistic possibility,
given where she lives)
- Other???
Any help is most appreciated.
--
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Mary Malmros Very Small Being mal...@shore.net
"They write books that contradict the rocks..."
Penny Schwyn
Mary Malmros wrote in message <6p5jlv$6...@northshore.shore.net>...
>I'm posting this for a friend...
>
>Hey, y'all. A friend of mine had her sleeping bag trashed by idiot
>housemates. It is a Sierra Designs 20 degree bag, nylon exterior, down
milk.
>She washed and dried it again, and the nasty smell is still there, but
>rather reduced>
>I'm not wise in the ways of cleaning sleeping bags.
Mary,
try washing it "properly" first
Use Down wash ( a Nikwax product)
either use a front loading, non-agitator machine at the local washomat or
use the tub. The disadvantage to using the tub is wet down bags weigh a TON
and will tear easily, ruining your bag and the baffle. IF you do it by
hand, do not wring or twist or even lift it until you have squeezed all the
water out. ( this is why the machine is preferable)
To dry, use a low temp setting at the Laundromat, and put sneakers or tennis
balls in the dryer to help break up the clumps. This process will take
forever! Do not be tempted to go short on time, it is really important that
you dry the bag slowly and thoroly. Also if the dryer temp is too high it
will ruin you nylon, too.
Consider dry cleaning as a last resort, or possibly contact a down
specialist or the manufacturer.
Penny
Tom
>
>
> Consider dry cleaning as a last resort, or possibly contact a down
> specialist or the manufacturer.
>
> Penny
Penny--
Do you suggest dry cleaning only as a "last resort" because of the
danger of residual toxic fumes left in the bag or because of the
liklihood of success in removing the offending odor? Tom.
Penny Schwyn
Tom wrote in message <35B753...@hdscorp.com>...
>Penny--
>
>Do you suggest dry cleaning only as a "last resort" because of the
>danger of residual toxic fumes left in the bag or because of the
>liklihood of success in removing the offending odor? Tom.
My understanding ( and I am not a down specialist) is that the chemicals of
dry cleaning reduce the life/loft of the down. Plus they do stink, and who
knows how the chemical affect your skin and other cells. I was thinking of
a "last ditch" effort for getting the this bag usable. According to the
Joe at North Face Warranty Dept, a properly cared for down bag should last
your entire lifetime.
P.
Will Jennings
Any cleaning agent with detergents, surfactants, solvents, and other
chemical properties (including perfuming agents in some cases), can
act to break down the down's surface oils which act as a natural
repellent to dirt, moisture, etc.
People burn some dry cleaning fluids in their camp stoves as a sub for
white gas....not something I'd want to crawl into night after night.
They might try damp wiping the bag's cover material, much in the way
you would clean a tent which has mildewed, and then air the thing in
the sun for an extended period of time. The usual dry methods of odor
absorbing might also be employed....baking soda, charcoal powder...you
could even try stuffing some Dr. Scholl's Odor Eater shoe liners into
the bag when you store it to see if they diminish the smell over time.
-will
juan serrano
citric acid. citric acid is very strong and will cover almost any smell.
it will not hurt the bag itself
"UNCOMMON VALOR WAS A COMMON VIRTUE"-CHESTER NIMITZ
R. Saylor
disinfectant. Putting it out in the sun for awhile (not too long)
usually eradicates any residual odor.
Now I'm expecting someone to post that Lysol destroys down and nylon
and makes you impotent. :)
Richard S.
david mann
: Some pinhead took it out of the dryer and put it on top, and some
: the washer and dryer, onto a table, where it got soaked (clean water)
: and also stuck in an area that was probably too hot for it. It was
Pinheads!?!? No, no. Pinheads (aka Pinners) understand
the importance of good down bags and would never do such
things.
: probably there for maybe as long as 12 hours. When my friend found it,
: it was smelling in a most nasty way, more or less like funky old milk.
: She washed and dried it again, and the nasty smell is still there, but
: rather reduced. Right now she has it hanging up, but not in open air,
AHas your friend ever smelled wet down before? I think
it is pretty gamey to begin with. It might be that the down
is just wet and ultra funky because of the heat.
I would:
1) toss it ina commercial dryer with low heat and a tennis
ball or two.
2) Failing that, call SD at 800 635 - 0461 and ask for
their recomendation. I'll bet they will recomend washing
again and if so, as for recomendations on soap.
3) Go to REI or EMS fo rdown soap. I would becareful
about the Nikwax down wash though as it (or some if it)
is designed to keep down lofting when damp and rumors
I've heard is that it slighly decreases loft.
Edward Hughes
a sneaker in with the wash.
Luv Frm Mountains LS
Simon Elliott
>about the Nikwax down wash though as it (or some if it)
>is designed to keep down lofting when damp and rumors
>I've heard is that it slighly decreases loft.
You are thinking of Nikwak Down PROOF not Nikwax Down WASH and yes, the
Down proof does reduce loft slightly.
Cheers,
Simon, Sunderland. UK
F. Craig Callahan
No one has mentioned this yet, but it seems like the obvious answer is
to require the idiot housemate to buy her a new one. Also, I've read
conflicting advice regarding tennis balls, sneakers, etc. in the dryer.
Some folks argue that this could damage the baffles.
In "The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual," Annie Getchell recomends:
--"Use a gentle, non-detergent soap. Feathered Friends . . . recommends
using a soap especially formulated for cleaning and restoring down. . .