Great Ways To Clean Sleeping Bags

Fix the funk and sleep soundly.

There is nothing worse than crawling into a sleeping bag covered with spaghetti sauce, orange Tang, or the contents of Johnny’s stomach after a few too many Blue Raspberry Shocker Slush Puppies. But when your bag gets dirty, the first question is, well now what?

Your sleeping bag isn’t like your bedroom sheets. The materials are durable and prepared for a bit of grime “if properly cared for a bag can be used for many seasons without needing to be washed. Therefore, only wash if soiled.”

If something nasty does happen to your bag, though, or you get food on it in bear country, you’re going to need to wash it. Here are the best ways how:

Cleaning in the Backcountry

A nightmare scenario, you’re deep in bear country and a package of food explodes in your backpack, or maybe your freeze-dried meal falls out of your bowl and onto your bag. This can attract wildlife who might nibble on your equipment, so it's important to work quickly. Here are Nel's steps:

1. “Remove all food debris ASAP.”

2. “Gently separate the fabric from the insulation and clean the soiled surface fabric with a small amount of freshwater while avoiding getting the insulation wet.” Some biodegradable backpackers soaps can break down the synthetic material of your bag, so just use water.

3. “Drape the bag over your tent and allow it to air dry in mild sun. Even a few minutes in the sun can make a difference.” Just be careful that your bag doesn't blow away.

4. When you get home, do another pass over, spot washing with “water and gentle non-detergent soap (specific to down or synthetic insulation) with a toothbrush.”

Here are some good soap options that are great for sleeping bags.

Great for Synthetic Downs and Insulations.

Great for natural downs.

When You're at Home

Sometimes you open your closet and the smell punches you right between your eyes. You can’t be sure what it is, but as you work through, it’s the worst-case scenario. Your sleeping bag has that nasty, sweaty, ourdoorsy, cheddar cheesy funk. Now what?

First, stay calm, you’ve got time, there is no race. Then:

1. “Fill your tub with warm (not hot) water. Use a very small amount of insulation specific cleaner"”

2. “Gently lay the bag in the water and slowly work the water and cleaner into the bag, allow bag to sit for 30 min or so.”

3. “Do not pick up the bag when wet. Instead, allow the water to drain from the tub and gently press the excess water out of the bag”

4. “Refill the tub with warm water (not hot) and gently work in the fresh water to rinse the bag. Repeat this process until all the cleaner is removed.”

5. When you’ve pressed out as much water as you can it’s time to pick up the bag. But be careful! "Do not pick the bag up from above by the fabric, instead gather up the bag and lift from below. You will get a little wet.” Lifting from the top can damage the bags seams and construction”

6. “Carry the bag to a full size dryer and tumble dry on low heat. Check the bag frequently to avoid overheating.” Near the end of the cycle, you can add tennis balls or dryer balls to help fluff the bag, just don’t add anything too hard or heavy, like shoes. If you don’t have access to a dryer "simply lay the bag out on a cool dry surface and allow it to dry. If you put it in your backyard, partial sun is best and avoid placing the item in extreme heat.”

7. Make sure your bag is absolutely dry before storing it.

If your bag is down, you may have to slowly and gently massage clumps out like you’re fluffing a pillow

At the Laundromat

Sometimes you don’t have a tub, maybe you’re road tripping, or living in a small apartment. Well, head to your laundromat, just be careful about it. First, Nels is very clear, “Do not use a top loading washing machine with an agitator, as doing so can cause severe damage to your bag.” So, find a front loader and get started:

1. “Wash on a gentle cycle with a cleanser designed specifically for down or synthetic insulation, avoid using too much soap and lean towards using less versus more.”

2. Make sure you get all the soap out, “Run the rinse cycle twice or simply wash the bag again without cleanser to make sure the bag is fully rinsed.”

3. “Again, do not pick the bag up from above by the fabric, instead gather up the bag and lift from below.”

4. Follow drying instructions as above.

How To Avoid Cleaning Entirely

Keeping your bag clean is far easier than having to clean it, so follow a few simple tips from Nels to keep your bag in the field and out of the wash:

• "Try to wear clean base layers at night to reduce introducing oils into the bag."

• “After each and every backpacking or camping adventure, Kelty recommends you lay out your bag and allow it to air out. Turn it inside out and lay it in partial sun for about 10 minutes to help mitigate funk.” But avoid long exposure in direct sun.

• "DWR (durable water repellent) bags can also be refreshed by a quick tour in the dryer under low heat or through aftermarket DWR treatments."