How to clean and waterproof your down jacket with Nikwax Down Wash Direct and Down Proof

We know that cleaning and drying down gear is a bit of a pain, however it really is worth the effort and Nikwax are here to help make the process as painless and effective as possible.

Nikwax Down Wash Direct is the easy to use, safe, high performance technical cleaner for down filled clothing and gear. Nikwax Down Proof adds Durable Water Repellency; reducing weight gain, maintaining the insulation and breathability of down filled items in cold and damp conditions. Both products have been specifically designed and optimised for down filled gear.

Why it's important to clean your Down clothing and gear.

Through use, dirt and body oils build up on down items. This affects both the fabric and the down fill. Dirt attracts water; if the fabric absorbs water, rain and condensation can easily transfer into the down. If down gets wet it clumps together. This causes it to lose loft and insulation as it can’t trap air effectively. When wet, down loses all of its insulating properties, it will also gain weight and its breathability will be significantly reduced; leaving you feeling cold, wet and uncomfortable.

Down filled items are most likely to get sweaty and wet inside when used in damp or wet conditions. Therefore it is important to stop down filled gear from getting wet by maintaining Durable Water Repellency (DWR). The outer fabric of your down filled item, as well as the down inside, must be maintained to ensure comfort. Nikwax Down Wash Direct and Down Proof will revitalise the insulation and restore DWR.

Nikwax Down Wash Direct prolongs the effective life of your down gear. It is the safe way to thoroughly clean your down clothing and equipment. Application in a washing machine is quick, easy, and ensures that the whole item is thoroughly cleaned.

Conventional laundry detergents leave behind a water attractive (hydrophilic) residue on both the outer fabric and the down fill which masks Durable Water Repellency (DWR). This causes the fabric and down to absorb water and ‘wet out’ in damp or wet conditions, leading to loss of insulation.

Cleaning products that are not designed specifically for the treatment of down items may also compromise the loft properties of down. If you choose the wrong cleaner, you might cause the dirt from the outer fabric to be re-deposited onto the down, which would reduce its loft and insulation. Therefore, they need to be avoided when cleaning down items.

Nikwax Down Wash Direct and Down Proof have been specifically designed and optimised for down items. Use Nikwax Down Wash Direct to thoroughly clean your down items safely, revitalising insulation, breathability and to restore DWR.

If your down items are relatively new, or have been recently treated with Nikwax Down Proof™, then cleaning with Nikwax Down Wash Direct® will not only remove contaminants, such as dirt and residues left behind by household detergents, but also revitalise insulation and restore DWR.

However, once the gear has been thoroughly used, you will need to add DWR, using Nikwax Down Proof™, after cleaning first with Nikwax Down Wash Direct. This will add DWR to the outer fabric of the gear and also the down fill.

After washing and proofing of required ,it is important that down items are thoroughly rinsed and very thoroughly dried. Even if you treat your items by hand, spin drying is recommended using a slow spin to get the maximum amount of water out of your down. It’s best to spin dry multiple times, each time incrementally increasing the speed of the spin cycle. If items are spun too quickly while still holding a large amount of water it is possible that internal baffles may be broken.

Tumble drying is recommended to ensure that the down is dried thoroughly and as quickly as possible. Leaving down wet or damp can ruin it completely. Ensure that there is sufficient room in the tumble drier to house the item once dry, as items will return to their original size during the drying process. Teasing apart clumps repeatedly during the drying process will help restore loft to the down.

Nikwax takes great care to minimise the effect of Nikwax products on the environment and on you, the consumer. Nikwax avoids materials in its cleaners like palm oil, which may be sourced from unsustainable plantations.

Nikwax Down Wash Direct and Down proof are environmentally friendly; non-hazardous, water-based and biodegradable.