How to clean your sleeping bag and store it for the winter.

Sleeping bags are a lot like any other bedding you use. They should always be fresh and clean. Sleeping bags are made from down or a synthetic-fiber fill. Therefore, there are special ways to clean keep them and keep them in good condition. Before you start, always check the instructions on the sleeping bag or the tag that came with the sleeping bag. The manufacturer will always know the best way to care for their particular sleeping bag.
If you have a synthetic fill sleeping bag, pre-treat any stains before washing. Then zip up the sleeping bag. This will help keep the zipper working and the save the inside of the sleeping bag. Now you are ready to wash the sleeping bag. The sleeping bag should be washed in a large washing machine or by hand. I have found that it is best to go to a laundry mat and use their front load super large commercial washing machines. These are larger than most home washing machines. A top load washing machine can be hard on sleeping bags because of the way it agitates. It can also be hard on a washing machine. So why not wash it by hand? Washing the sleeping bag by hand can be tough because it takes a lot of rinsing to get the soap out. Wash in warm water with regular laundry detergent, and fabric softener may be used. After the wash cycle has finished, run the washer through another complete wash cycle without soap t to ensure that all the soap has been rinsed out completely. When taking the bag out, handle it carefully. Don't wring the water out, just press it down. Wrap it up in a ball and put it in the dryer. Thoroughly dry the bag before storing. This may take some extra dyer time. A synthetic-fill sleeping bag can be laid out flat and dried outside or on low heat in a dryer. Last but not least, the best way to store sleeping bags is to store them as loosely as possible in a large cotton bag. Very large pillow cases work great for this.
If your sleeping bag is down fill sleeping bag, zip up the sleeping bag before washing. Then wash the sleeping bag in a front load super large commercial washing machine. Use warm water with a mild soap like Woolite or Ivory Snow, not detergent, without any fabric softener or bleach when washing your down sleeping bag. After the wash cycle has finished, run the washer through another complete wash cycle without soap t to ensure that all the soap has been rinsed out completely. When taking the bag out, handle it carefully. Don't wring the water out, just press it down. Wrap it up in a ball and put it in the dryer. When drying a down bag sleeping bag, do it on very low heat. Add in a couple of clean tennis balls to the dryer. By adding tennis balls to the dryer, the down clumps will break up and fluff the down batting back up. Thoroughly dry the bag before storing, though this may take some extra dyer time. Then, like with a synthetic sleeping bag, store your down sleeping bag as loosely as possible in a large cotton bag.
Hopefully you will find a few tips to help you put your sleeping bag up for the winter. By following the instruction, you should have a clean sleeping bag in the spring when you are ready to hit the outdoors and create the great memories. For more information on sleeping bags, visit www.sleepingbagstation.com