Cleaning & Drying Your Wool Sleeping Bag
Ironing and dry cleaning can damage your sleeping bag’s shell and insulation. The chemical compounds used in dry cleaning can strip away the natural oils in wool and hot ironing may damage the shell.
Spot Cleaning
Your best option for keeping the sleeping bag clean and in perfect condition is spot cleaning.
- Use a DIY paste-like mixture of non-detergent soap and water
- Spread the paste on a small soft brush or sponge and clean the shell of the sleeping bag with gentle moves
- Rinse the treated area of the fabric with lukewarm water
- Let it air-dry completely
Machine-washing
- Make sure to zip up all the zippers
- Wash on the wool setting (usually gentle action at 30°C / 90°F). If your washing machine does not have a wool cycle, use the cold water wash or wash cycle for delicates.
- Use a detergent for wool or silk.
Do not bleach. Do not add fabric softeners or stain removers – they might damage the mulberry silk shell and the wool filling. - Let it air-dry completely
Handwashing
- Fill your tub with lukewarm water
- Use wool detergent, but avoid using too much of it since it will be harder to rinse it out
- Put the sleeping bag in the tub and gently rub together the most heavily dirt-affected areas
- Use a soft sponge to go through the whole shell of the sleeping bag
- Let it soak for up to an hour and drain the water
- Gently press out any remaining water on the sleeping bag
- Fill the tub with lukewarm water to rinse. Gently work out the soap and drain
- Repeat the rinsing procedure until there is no soap left
Drying
- The sleeping bag will be heavy when wet so you might need a little help handling it
- Air-dry it on a flat surface
- Avoid twisting the sleeping bag to remove excess water but if you need to, squeeze it out lightly
Storing Your Wool Sleeping Bag
Store your wool sleeping bag carefully to make it last longer.
- Coming back from a trip, unzip the bag and let it air out to make sure it is completely dry
- Do not put it back in its sack – storing it compressed will damage the filling over time
- Store your sleeping bag in a cool, dry place, uncompressed in a box or by hanging it up – this helps to keep the filling spread out evenly and maintain its fluffiness
- Keep a lavender sachet close to your wool sleeping bag to repel moths
Stuffing Your Wool Sleeping Bag in the Sack
Avoid storing your bag compressed in its sack. Compression for extended periods of time will reduce its fluffiness and texture.
- Before stuffing your sleeping bag into its sack, make sure to fully close the zippers
- Fold the widest part at the shoulders in and start rolling up from the feet
Additional Tips
- Keep away from open flames
- Always sleep in clean clothes
- Remove any sunscreen or other heavy cosmetics from your face and neck so that they do not soak into your sleeping bag
- A textile cap will keep oily hair off the hood
- Consider using an additional sleeping bag liner that will act as a barrier between your skin and the bag. We offer lightweight pure silk liners that will add to your sleeping bag’s temperature rating and are also machine washable and extremely easy to maintain.
- Protect your bag from the ground by putting a pad down on first and make sure to remove any sharp objects from the ground that might damage the sleeping bag
- Be careful with zippers to avoid snagging
- Every morning air out your sleeping bag in fresh air and sunlight – to dry out any moisture accumulated during the night, turn it inside out and let it dry out completely
- Hot objects such as cooking pots can damage the fabric
- Insect repellents that contain DEET will damage the sleeping bag – do not spray directly on it
Repairs
If a small tear occurs in the shell while you’re camping sew it up by hand. Always keep a needle and thread in your repair kit. You can also use a wound bandage from your first-aid kit. When home, you can carefully remove the hand stitches or the bandage and sew the fabric with a sewing machine or take it to a seamstress.
If the damage is more serious, have it repaired by a professional.