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i have got Vango nitestar sleeping bags and was wondering on how to clean them. is it as simple as putting them in the washing machine or could this shorten the life of my sleeping bags?

Looking forward to your advice

Chris

Check the label re washing/dry cleaning instructions first.

i would say wash as little as possible to prolong the life of the sleeping bag. Think about how often your duvet gets washed . Then think how little your sleeping bag gets used compared to this.

when one of my kids was small and was a frequent bed wetter,  the duvets were always washed on a regular basis maybe twice a week. They didn't last long , they lose their fullness with frequent washing. i was forever buying new ones. But it was unavoidable.

I'd say only wash the sleeping bag if absolutely neccesary.I have bought new sleeping bags this year and I hope to use them all season and just wash at the end before storing for the winter.

Obviously you will have to wash them if you get sick or wee on them , but other than that I won't be bothering.

A friend of mine started camping with us a month ago, and said she was going to wash her new sleeping bags as the kids had spilt juice on them. They had only been used for 2 weekends. She would have to do this at laundrette as they won't fit in her machine, I told her not to bother, they aren't smelly , and the kids(2 babies under 3 , bottles at bedtime) will still spill juice , Well weak squash really, on them next time. It's not exactly a health hazard is it? I told her to hang on and wait until they really need a wash, kids that age will probably soil them worse than a bit of juice soon enough.

she looked horrified , she said, but it's stained, I said wow a water mark , probably thinks I'm a right minger!!

Another thing to consider is sleeping bag liners, they would help keep the inside cleaner, like a duvet cover does. If you have smelly feet , this would be a good idea.

We used febreeze to freshen them up in between washes.

I hang them up inside out in the sunshine for a few hours. They don't seem to smell. The kids are past the bedwetting stagem thank goodness, so their current Nitestars should last them several years.

Hubby has a pure down sleeping bag that he's had for 30 years now. And it's never been washed at all, just aired and hung up for storage. It's still as good as new and it doesn't smell.

Liners, (silk, fleece or cotton) will keep your sleeping bags clean & fresh. The liners are easy to wash after each trip. Another advantage of using a liner is that if, a BIG IF, we have a lovely hot summer, you can use the liner on it's own on a warm, sticky night  

Just my OH that smells then....

forgot to say I air ours regularly as well!

thank you for all your comments they have been really helpful.

Chris

Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 18/6/2008

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I hang them up inside out in the sunshine for a few hours. They don't seem to smell. The kids are past the bedwetting stagem thank goodness, so their current Nitestars should last them several years.

Hubby has a pure down sleeping bag that he's had for 30 years now. And it's never been washed at all, just aired and hung up for storage. It's still as good as new and it doesn't smell.

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