No streaks or lumps: how to wash a padding polyester jacket in a washing machine and by hand

Outerwear with padding polyester filling is very popular in the cold season due to its ability to retain heat for a long time and its relatively low price.

However, owners of such jackets and down jackets often have questions about washing such products. Is it possible and how to wash a jacket on padding polyester in an automatic washing machine?

What are the rules and precautions? Are there any special nuances? These and many other questions can be answered in this article.

Is it possible to wash a winter synthetic down jacket?

First you need to figure out what technology was used to produce the filling for the jacket. There are 3 different ways in which padding polyester fibers can be connected to each other:

1. Glued. To fasten synthetic fibers using this technology, PVA glue is used. But in order to give it elasticity, manufacturers often add more glue than necessary. Because of this, the product deteriorates when machine washed; The synthetic winterizer clumps into clumps, as the glue simply melts due to high temperatures.

   In this case, even washing at low temperatures will not help. Such jackets and down jackets can be cleaned only superficially, carefully passing a damp cloth over the top layer of the product.

2. Needlepunched. This method is more acceptable. The technology consists in the fact that many multidirectional synthetic fibers are chaotically fastened together, and then secured with special needles with jagged tips. Clothes with such synthetic padding can be washed by hand, but do it very carefully.
3. Thermally bonded. Synthetic winterizer produced using this technology is usually called “Euro synthetic winterizer.” It is of the highest quality, which is reflected in the price of the product. The insulation fibers are combined using modern heat treatment using polyester. Jackets filled with thermally bonded synthetic padding last the longest and can easily be washed at low temperatures.

Jackets with needle-punched padding should be carefully washed by hand, and to clean clothes with thermally bonded filling, you can use a washing machine, following a certain technology, which will be discussed below.

It is important to always check the label on the product. The first icon always indicates the temperature at which the jacket or down jacket can be washed. The number on them never exceeds 40°.

Next comes a sign informing you whether the product can be bleached and dry-cleaned - the prohibition is indicated by a crossed out triangle.

The third sign - a crossed out circle in a square - means that you cannot dry or wring out clothes in a washing machine.

The picture of the iron shows that it can be used for ironing, but on products with padding polyester filling the icon is crossed out or an iron with one dot, which indicates a ban on ironing the product or only the possibility of steaming at low temperatures.

Instructions for washing the product in an automatic washing machine

The choice of a washing machine for cleaning products with padding polyester filling is determined by the fact that the insulation cannot be kept in water for a long time; It also needs a thorough spin, which is not always convenient to do when washing by hand.

In general, the whole process should not cause any special problems or difficulties if you carefully follow the instructions:

1. Empty all jacket pockets, turn them inside out, fasten zippers and buttons. Place in a special laundry bag, if available.
2. Pour liquid detergent into the powder compartment. Start the washing machine in the “delicate” or “synthetic” mode with the water temperature not exceeding 40°. Turn off the automatic spin-dry functions, turn on the “extra rinse”. Place a washing ball in the machine.
3. After the end of the session, remove the product from the machine and gently wring it out with a towel, then place it horizontally on a flat surface and leave to dry at room temperature without direct sunlight.

Preparatory work

Before directly placing the jacket or down jacket in the washing machine, It is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory actions:

1. Carefully check the contents of all pockets on your clothing. Remove all foreign objects from them, clean them of small pellets and debris.
2. Turn the product inside out. Fasten all pockets, fasteners, zippers, buttons. Unfasten the fur or down collar (if any) from the jacket.
3. If there are ingrained, difficult-to-remove stains on clothes, they must first be rubbed with laundry soap or a special stain remover applied for 30-40 minutes. After this, place the jacket in the washing machine.

At what temperature, in what mode?

The optimal temperature for washing padding polyester jackets and down jackets is 40°. Mode – “delicate” or “synthetic”.

It is worth activating the “extra rinse” for better leaching of cleaning products from clothes and preventing the appearance of stains on the upper layers.

Additional accessories

When washing outerwear, it is recommended to use additional products that help to better clean the product, maintain its shape, or increase the safety of the process for the clothing itself:

1. Laundry balls. The principle of their operation is that when the drum actively rotates, the balls hit the walls and fly off from them to the down jacket, thereby churning its insides. They help the padding polyester not to form clumps, and also make washing more efficient and minimize the risk of leaving streaks.
2. Washing bag. This is a special device that is used mainly when washing outerwear. It prevents external damage and protects against loss of shape. Another important quality is the ability to protect fabric fibers from stretching.

   At washing jackets or down jackets on padding polyester, it is advisable to use a similar bag in order to minimize the risk of damage to clothes, as well as to protect the washing machine itself, since massive locks or buttons can come off and damage the internal mechanisms, which will inevitably lead to equipment breakdown.

Detergents

To wash synthetic outerwear you need to choose gentle, non-aggressive detergents. It is not recommended to use the powder: it may leave divorces.

How to properly wash an item by hand so that the filling does not get lost?

If it is not possible to use a machine for washing, then here is the procedure for cleaning the jacket manually:

1. Draw a bath with water at a temperature no higher than 50°. Pour in liquid and dilute. Do not use powder, bleaches, fresheners or other additional detergents. It is worth using a bathtub, since the basin is too small for large outerwear. When washed, the padding polyester inside will inevitably form clumps and the appearance of the product will be ruined.
2. Place the jacket in water and rinse gently. You need to wrinkle clothes very gently, without sudden movements. After this, it is worth draining the water several times and rinsing the product in it. If there are stains that are difficult to remove (for example, greasy), then it is better to wash them in advance with laundry soap or dishwashing detergent.
3. After washing, you need to wring out the product as carefully as possible and hang it over the bathtub to drain the remaining water. Next, lay the jacket horizontally on a straightened towel or leave it to dry in a vertical position.

Drying rules: do's and don'ts?

You can wring out a product after machine washing as follows: lay it on a towel, roll it up and gently press, thereby absorbing water from the jacket into the towel.

The temperature of the room where the product is dried should not fall below 10°. You should not use the iron at all or use the “steam” mode at low temperatures. Dry the product on the battery is strictly prohibited.

Helpful Tips and Precautions

Often, if washing rules are not followed, the padding polyester gets into clumps, and it becomes necessary straighten it out. To do this, you can use the following tips:

1. Clean the product again in the machine, but using a tennis ball or laundry balls.
2. Hang the jacket on a hanger and hit it with a special cracker or bamboo stick, fluffing up the inner material.
3. If the product is still wet, then the padding polyester can be straightened with the bare nozzle of a vacuum cleaner, applying it to the knotted areas.

Conclusion

The most important thing in washing jackets and down jackets with padding polyester filling is use gentle detergents and set the correct mode on the washing machine.

The best advice regarding the final cleaning processes of the product is to dry it in an upright position, this will keep it in shape and will not require ironing.