Down Gear Odor Help

Now Miya, I like my Hiker Funk personally. Now when am smelling in the woods at least then the bears then will know when I am around. Many a time it seems that many of the animals give me my space and respect then people do. No answers for you. Guess if in the wilds can wash it in some creek then leave it out in the sun to dry if needed. But Wishing You the Best on this!
 
gnwatts said:
I have been using Nikwax for years for my down stuff. Never any issues. Expensive though.
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Yeah that is what I have and have used in the past. It couldn't cut through 6 months of filth. I even use a sleeping bag liner! Haha
 
LarryBoy said:
I had to rescind town privileges from my puffy after a couple thrus. Never had it get worse from washing though. Weird!
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Ahhhh I was so hoping you would chime in and be like "MIYA, this is how you get rid of thru hiker funk" haha
Nah I really think alllll the trouble was because I washed all my down gear together...all funks combined.
Down gear: 2 jackets, quilt, boots, and pants O_O
 
Miya said:
Ahhhh I was so hoping you would chime in and be like "MIYA, this is how you get rid of thru hiker funk" haha
Nah I really think alllll the trouble was because I washed all my down gear together...all funks combined.
Down gear: 2 jackets, quilt, boots, and pants O_O
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That would seem to check out, as I think you're supposed to use something like 1/3 of the bottle per garment. Is it possible that washing it all together resulted in being too stingy with the down soap?
 
I have washed down every couple years, using Nikwax.
You may have had a combo of not fully washing whatever is causing the funk, mixing some of the funk from different articles, and then maybe not getting it dry fast enough. CA is a bit more humid than UT, so it may need even longer in the dryer.
It uses a lot of water, but I wash in the bathtub, swishing the item around and massaging it a lot, but carefully to not strain the fabric while it is so heavy, and rinse, then rinse, then rinse again until the water comes out clear.

I am interested in what manufacturers say. If there is another way or better way, I am for it!
 
Ok! So got responses back from Katabatic and Enlightened Equipment very quickly.

Katabatic seems more stand offish about using anything besides specific down wash.
Enlightened Equipment thinks it will be A' OK!

I like that they recommended down washes I hadn't heard of before. I will do the washing this week and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out I will invest in one of their recommended washes.

Thanks for everyone's help!!

@Ugly - responses below!
(I asked about vinegar or baking soda)

Enlightened Equipment:
Hello Miya,

I talked it over with the team here and the consensus is that neither should damage the down, but thorough rinsing is recommended to ensure you get the residue of baking soda out of the down.

My manager, Dan, also suggested Revival Odor Eliminator which he says is quite effective. If you want to go for a pro-cleaning, we recommend Tersus Cleaning Solutions which has a solid reputation and works with our products and other established brands.

I hope that helps you get the funk out!
Colton
Customer Service Specialist
Enlightened Equipment

Katabatic:
Good Morning Miya,

Ahh, yes. The hiker funk. We’ve all been there. I’m afraid we steer folks away from vinegar and baking soda as we fear they might cause damage to the down, fabrics, or DWR. Here are a bunch of other tips for you though:

Washing by hand in the tub might give all the fabric and down more thorough attention, and you can let it sit/soak for a bit longer than a typical washing machine cycle (agitate, soak, agitate, soak. . .). Also, if you stuff the quilt into the stuff sack first, then pull it out underwater, it helps make sure everything gets wet (instead of floating on top of the water). Since you squeeze all the air out getting it into the stuff sack, it becomes a little sponge-like.

If you’re not into hand washing, giving the quilt a presoak (plain water) before the wash cycle can help ensure that the DownWash is more evenly distributed during the wash cycle. This will help geteverything more thoroughly cleaned.

Hanging it in the sun after it’s dry might do a little to help with the funk.

Finally, our down supplier (Allied) offers a detergent that has a bit of a scent. I personally think it is kind of piney. A few of us here have used it on smaller gear (down jackets) and haven’t found it too overpowering once rinsed and dried. However, if you hike in bear country, some folks even avoid scented laundry and toiletries, as it’s been said that those scents can attract bears. I’m not a pro in that department, but if you want something with a slight smell, here’s a link to that Allied down wash.

Hope one (or more) of these options does the trick for you! Washing down gear is a big task, so I admire your persistence. Best of luck!

Kindly,
Kris Diers
(She/Her/Hers)
719-207-4552
info@katabaticgear.com
 
Waiting to wash down until late spring when the humidity is super low and the temps are high work here. Wash with recommended amount of nik downwash and very Importantly rinse five times. Lay out to dry checking every half hour to bat a little at clumps and turn. Jacket drys in two hours but leave it another two and on a bed or couch for a couple days. 20° Bags take about 5 or 6 hours and again lay out indoors for a couple days. I think that over rinsing is an important step and echo making sure it’s completely dry with no wet clumps in the corners before putting in the storage bag. This worked at 50 mights a year for over 15 years for a Western Mountaineering jacket and 20° bag. I did them every three years or so. Fresh as daisies. I am thinking they are about 2004 vintage..
 
LarryBoy said:
That would seem to check out, as I think you're supposed to use something like 1/3 of the bottle per garment. Is it possible that washing it all together resulted in being too stingy with the down soap?
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Yeah, probably needed more soap for sure!
I have washed them together before, but I underestimated how dirty everything was. I am really hopeful I can fix everything with this second wash.
 
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