January 5, 2001


Can I fix a down jacket that was improperly washed?

My daughter's goose down jacket was washed by someone that did not read the label ("dry clean only by a dry cleaner knowledgeable about cleaning down garments"). Of course the down has lost its loft. Is there anything that we can do now? My daughter is very fond of this jacket.

— Ken Marks Reston, Virginia

That's a shame. But don't give up —- it might not be ruined. I suggest you take it to a Laundromat with commercial-style, front-loading washers (you don't want an agitator in the machine). Wash the jacket in warm water with a little bit of powdered detergent. Run it through at least two rinse cycles. Then, dry it on warm. Put a few tennis balls in the drier, as they may help break up the clumps of down that probably formed during the washing. I think that procedure offers you a pretty good chance of restoring the jacket to something like its original state. And in the future, don't dry-clean any down gear, as the dry-cleaning chemicals strip natural, beneficial oils from the down.

Alternatively, you can ship it to a company that specializes in down garments and repair of the same. One good one is Feathered Friends here in Seattle. I think their charge for laundering a parka or sleeping bag is $25. Feathered Friends also could perhaps add some down to the parka, if that's required. And of course, the Feathered Friends folks will happily sell you one of their own jackets. Their Volant ($245) is an outstanding, very light, very warm down jacket.

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