Not all clothes after washing in automatic washing mashine able to return to its former form. Often, in jackets and coats, fluff clumps together, causing the item to lose its shape and look unattractive. You can restore a down jacket after washing manually or using improvised means. Below are ways to help fluff up the inside of your jacket and return it to its original appearance.
Down gathers into a ball: reasons
Down is an excellent heat insulator. But it protects from the cold when all the fluff is straightened. In this case, a layer of air is created between the external environment and the human body. During washing the filler absorbs moisture and forms a lump, losing its thermal insulation qualities.
To prevent the fluffs from getting wet, a special impregnation is used. In expensive products, its water-repellent properties are better than in cheap ones. In low-quality down jackets, lumps form not only after washing, but also when wet in the rain. If you wash an expensive item frequently, the impregnation will gradually come off, and the inner filling will begin to roll off.
The main reason why fluff clumps together is failure to follow the washing instructions specified by the manufacturer on the label.
Some down jackets are not washed at all. They are impregnated with a special composition, which, once in the water, comes off the item.As a result, the product loses its shape and attractiveness. On such a jacket there is a label with a bathroom crossed out with a red cross. In this situation, the clothes are dry cleaned.
Another reason for the formation of lumps is wearing clothes for a long time. Down, over time, absorbs a person’s sweat and becomes heavier, slides down the jacket and sticks together.
Is it possible to restore a down jacket? The answer is yes. This can be done in several ways.
Manual method
The simplest method is manual. Gradually, with your hands, straighten one lump after another, consistently moving across the entire surface of the jacket. The fluffs are broken with the fingers of both palms. Pinching movements are applied on both sides of the product. After separating the coma, each cassette is additionally rubbed between the palms. At the end, the item is shaken vigorously.
You can straighten the insulation by fluffing the jacket like a pillow for five minutes.
The manual method is used on dry and slightly damp items after machine washing.
In an automatic washing mashine
Down filling is possible straighten in the automatic machine. To do this, place the dry jacket in the drum of the washing machine. Balls for washing down jackets are also placed there. 3-4 are enough and 2 are placed in pockets. Turn on the equipment and start the drying or spinning mode (800 rpm). If after one cycle all the tubercles and seals have not broken, then the procedure is repeated.
Fluff balls can be replaced with tennis balls, plastic balls, and similar smooth objects.
As the drum rotates, it hits the clothes with balls, thereby breaking the crumpled insulation. At the end of the procedure, the down jacket is taken out of the washing machine. Once again, beat by hand and distribute the fluffs evenly over the entire surface of the jacket.
Knockout
If the fluff is crumpled, then use a carpet beater or any strong stick without sharp corners. The specified objects are applied to the down jacket in the following sequence:
- After washing, the item is taken out of the machine, straightened and shaken.
- They hang it on hangers in such a way that it can be approached from all sides.
- The product is struck with medium force blows from all sides.
The item can be knocked out by placing it on a horizontal surface and covering it with a sheet on top. This minimizes the risk of damage to the product.
Air methods
After washing in the washing machine, you can fluff up the down jacket with a vacuum cleaner. To do this, take a plastic bag, preferably a vacuum one, and pump out the air from it. The vacuum cleaner is set to blowing mode and the bag is filled with air. The procedure is repeated several times. Then they take out the thing, shake it and beat it a little. This method is very effective; it makes it possible to restore a down jacket both after washing and after long-term storage.
To use the following method, you will need a furniture cleaning attachment. It is put on a vacuum cleaner and passed along the lining of the down jacket, evenly distributing the down among the cassettes.
A regular hairdryer will help bring the product back to life. The device is set to cold air supply.They turn it on and direct the air stream inside the jacket, while simultaneously straightening the filler with your free hand. Afterwards the down jacket is shaken and fluffed a little.
Temperature change
Suitable if the fluff gets lost during the cold season. The washed item is hung on hangers and taken out into the cold. Then, after 60 minutes, they bring it into the house and shake it vigorously, let the product warm up and send it back into the cold. It is believed that in the cold, fluffs huddled together in a ball easily disintegrate as they lose their cohesion. The procedure is carried out until the product is completely dry. To completely fluff the down jacket, beat it some more with your hands.
Steam recovery
You can break down the down filling in your jacket using an iron and a carpet beater. To carry out the event, the jacket is first beaten with a beater. Then it is ironed from the inside out in the steam mode and allowed to cool.
A steam generator will help straighten the insulation. Winter clothes are hung on a hanger and treated with steam on all sides, moving from top to bottom at a distance of 15-20 cm. Treatment begins from the back and gradually moves to the shoulders and sleeve area. Under the influence of steam, the filler is restored.
Shaking method
It is used when the product has been washed according to all the rules. A clean item is taken out of the washing machine drum. Lay horizontally. Carefully straighten all parts. Hang on hangers and dry, and to prevent the fluff from being compressed, the product is shaken once every two hours.
How to prevent the formation of lumps?
Straightening the down in a down jacket is not so difficult, but in order not to have to deal with this procedure all the time, you need to wash and dry the item correctly. The tips below will make caring for your winter clothes easier:
- Washing is carried out at a temperature of 30-40⁰С. Select a gentle spin, 600-800 rpm.
- Rinse the down jacket 2-3 times.
- Used for washing products liquid products, intended for such things.
- Dry clothes by hanging them on hangers. In this case, care should be taken to ensure free circulation of air around the item.
- Down jackets should not be dried on a radiator or in bright sun.
- To prevent the filler from collecting during drying, shake the product every two hours.
- When washing it is advisable to use special balls for downy things.
- Iron the down jacket only when necessary, at a temperature of no more than 110˚C.
- Care for the product according to the instructions indicated on the tag.
