How to Wash Your North Face Down Jacket in the Washing Machine

I love wearing my bright yellow North Face down jacket, but when it came time to wash it I was so nervous and thought if I washed it I would end up having to get rid of it. In the past, anytime my mom tried washing a down jacket, it never ended well and the coat was lost forever.

While visiting my family in December, one morning I went out with Max – one of my family’s German Shepherds who saw a squirrel running up the tree and what happened next was a bit of a blur for me. After slipping on the muddy ground, it was as if I was skiing in the Olympics through slaloms before the inevitable wipeout, leaving me to lay in the mud. It wasn’t the fall that I was upset about, I actually found the whole ordeal to be quite comedic, but I immediately thought there was no hope for my jacket.

My parents immediately told me to get it dry cleaned, but unfortunately down jackets cannot be dry cleaned as the chemicals used in dry-cleaning are too harsh for the down. So without any other options, I followed the wash instructions on the tag of the jacket. My first attempt to wash and dry the jacket as per the instructions was a complete bust. In each section of the jacket, the down was clumped in a ball and I had no idea how to fix it without making things worse but I knew there had to be a way to fix it.

I contacted North Face Customer Support and they ensured me that I would be able to wash and dry my down jacket to its original puffiness. Although I was skeptical, I followed their instructions – which differed from that of the jacket’s tag – in an attempt to get my jacket back. After putting the jacket through the rinse cycle multiple times before going through multiple dry cycles, I was able to successfully get my jacket back and puffier than ever!

Below, I have outlined the steps to wash your North Face down jacket in the washing machine as per North Face Customer Support and the added details of what I did to restore my jacket.

wash instructions

prepare down jacket

Pre-treat any stains and heavy dirt by spot cleaning with delicate soap and water. Close all zippers and velcro closures, washing the jacket inside out. Remove any fur trim before washing.

• 

• 

Wash down jacket

Wash the down jacket by itself, using a small amount of mild soap (powder or liquid) with the settings below. I use Tide liquid laundry detergent, click here for the exact one.

• Water Temperature: coldest possible setting
• Spin: low
• Soil Level: normal

After one wash cycle, put the down jacket through a rinse cycle – do not add any soap to the rinse cycles. You will want to repeat the rinse cycle two times total and make sure you use cold water every time. The rinse cycles are important as they will remove any soap residue that can interfere with the down’s drying performance.

Dry down jacket

Put the jacket in the dryer, for 25-30 minutes maximum on medium heat (do not put it in for longer). Remove jacket from dryer and fluff by hand to help remove clumps.

Not sure how to fluff? You will need to separate the clumps with your hands and distribute the down equally within its section. This will help the down jacket dry while filling the section proportionately.

Repeat the dry process at least two times, fluffing each section between cycles. I put my down jacket through 4 dry cycles. Always ensure to keep the temperature on Low or Medium heat. As your jacket gets dryer you will notice it starts to get easier to fluff.

Notes

• Laundromat dryers are notorious for hot temperatures. Therefore check your jacket frequently to be sure that it does not overheat.
• Never dry-clean your down item. To have your item professionally cleaned, take it to a service that specializes in cleaning down products.  
• If your down jacket has soap residue left or if you don’t dry it thoroughly, the down will clump. These effects are not permanent however, and can be remedied by another washing.