My mother in law has just bough us extra large sleeping bags for our birthdays as we always complain we are too squashed in our king size one. Cannot remember the make now - maybe coleman - but was very expensive (£50 each)and biggest singles we could find that zip together to make a great big double(other half is ex rugby player so not a small chap)
Trouble is I've unpacked them & they look lovely and snug & cozy but say to hand wash only! Find this very scary as usually just come back from camping and shove everything in machine & then on line or visit laundrette.
Just how do you hand wash something so big? I know you could do it in the bath but then it would have to drip dry over several days, not a pleasent thought, especially with 2 to do.
I thought I'd got my daughter a bargain sleeping bag from Argos a month ago but took it back when I realized it was hand wash.
Has anyone tried using a machine on a short spin cycle instead or will that wreck the bags? they were so expensive that i don't want to ruin them and they are the only big ones I can find but bit scarred to use them coz of the washing after. Don't like liners either so bit of a dilemma.
Any thoughts as my gut instinct is to just send them back quickly.
chuck it in the bath ,rinse them a couple of times then remove the plug to drain and then dry them flat over a strange frame thing my mrs has for drying (a minkey or something?)
if you hang them wet over a line the filling can sag ,once their almost dry its fine on a line.
you can stand on them to help them drain in the bath but they dont take long anyway.
if you can get them in a washing machine in the first place perhaps they are not as good as the price suggests?
or perhaps you have a very large washing machine
Why do you feel the need to wash them at all? Even with machine washable sleeping bags, repeated washing ruins them over time. It's not generally recommended to wash sleeping bags any more than absolutely necessary. Use a liner and you almost never have to do it, not unless something gets spilled on them or (kids only!) someone has an accident. Otherwise they do perfectly well if you hang them up to air between trips.
I would strongly emphasise Vals comments above. I have wasted lots of money over the years on sleeping bags. Mainly because I have been too tight to buy liners. Some bags wash better than others but I have never had one that was as good after a wash.
I now have liners from cotton through fleece to the warmest silk. I find with these and a light 2 season and/or a good 3 season bag, there is not a weather condition in England I couldn't comfortably sleep in provided I had wind and rain shelter from a tarp. Trouble is... It's cost me more in liners than for both bags!
Can only agree with Val and Rozinante, sleeping bag liners are a must. We made our own cotton liners from bed sheets as we have Vango large envelope sleeping bags. I cant recall ever washing our sleeping bags, only the liners.
------------- Nigel
March 2012 - Dove Meadows
6th July Moving to Hayle
Any are good, the main things are breathability and ease of washing. I am partial to a flannelette sheet myself. :) They can get as expensive as a bag itself but if your bag is warm enough for the conditions you face the old YHA style cotton sheet ones are as good as anything. For the space they take up though, a warm fleece one can be a blessing if needed on those unexpectedly cold nights.Easy to make from a cheep fleece throw I should think.I never use heating in a tent unless someone else J insists. I consider camping an outdoor activity and if I felt the need for heating during the night, I would not have got the right sleeping bag setup.
btw, I didn't mean to suggest that washing a bag was out of the question, just that, as Val said, absolutely minimum and as gentle as you can.
i made my sleeping bag lines from fleece blankets from ikea cost me £1.60 for each blanket.
also if you bag is dirty putting it into a washing machine on a delicate wash or hand wash if you machine has that cycle and a slow spin should suffice. my lightweight bag is a hand wash only and was fine on a slow hand wash in the machine.
------------- Rachael xxxx
A balanced life is a glass of wine in each hand :O)
I have never washed our current sleeping bags in three years! I washed a previous one ( a Vango Nitestar) and it was never as good afterwards, so I learned the hard way that washing of sleeping bags needs to be kept to an absolute minimum. I air the bags thoroughly both whilst camping, and afterwards ( nothing beats sunshine and fresh air to kill bacteria and odours!) We both use washable liners (home made ones, cotton for summe and fleece for autumn) and this works fine.
I have often washed items labelled hand wash on a short cold wash cycle with short spin. Always use liquid detergent or hair shampoo (best for wooly jumpers) for cold wash as powder doesn't disolve.
When you've got a smelly dog sharing your van, the dog hairs become overwhelming after a while. My sleeping bag recommends only washing once a year, thought to get a liner made then thought, when it needs washing, it needs washing and that's that. I'm not fussing about with liners or the like, that's why I bought a sleeping bag! If I wanted to fuss about with liners I could just get a sheet and duvet.
Giving them a good shake and an air outside on good days helps a lot - make sure it's not going to rain before you fling them over the bonnet!