Montane down jackets are built for warmth in the coldest conditions. Typically, down garments shouldn't require regular laundering. However, after extended periods of wear in the outdoors, your favourite down-filled jacket can become contaminated with a build-up of dirt, grease and body oils. At this stage, it is advisable to clean your garment in order to restore the down’s loft and longevity!

So, how do you wash a down jacket? We know for many this is a daunting prospect, but rest assured, washing down jackets is very simple and we’re on hand to help you follow the right steps. Alternatively, if you have any hesitancy, we recommend talking to a specialist down-cleaning company. Importantly, we provide care labels on all of our down jackets and recommend you refer to these ahead of your first wash.

Step - by - Step Guide.

1. Check the wash care label
All Montane clothing and equipment comes with instructions on the care labels. Take a look at these and follow this advice.

2. Close all zips
Close up all open zips on the jacket and any Velcro, including the centre front zipper and hand pockets.

3. Run a service wash cycle
Before your waterproof wash, we recommend running a service cycle (or rinse cycle) on the washing machine you will be using, to remove any excess detergent or softeners that could damage your jacket.

4.Use a reputable down wash
We recommend using a reputable technical product wash like Grangers Down Wash that is suitable for down or a non-biological liquid. Don’t use any softeners!

5. Place your down garment in the washing machine
We recommend washing your down garments on their own, without any other items in the drum on this cycle.

6. Wash to the care label instructions
Be sure to wash according to the care labels on your garment and take care to wash at the right temperature. Typically, down jackets are washed on a low heat (around 30 degrees) and gentle cycle.

7. Tumble dry with dryer balls on a low heat
Place in the tumble dryer with 2-3 dryer balls to ensure the down re-lofts fully. Place on low heat and remove after 20 minutes to check. If not yet dry, repeat this process until your jacket feels fully dry and lofted.

8. Shake well to complete down lofting
Once the down is dry it will begin to loft again, at which stage the garment can be gently shaken to redistribute the down evenly throughout the jacket and restore to full working condition.

My down jacket is clumping, what should I do?
If you notice your down jacket’s down hasn’t fully redistributed around the jacket, the down might not have fully dried properly. Our suggestion is to follow the final steps of the guide again, placing the jacket in the tumble dryer with dryer balls for 20-minute intervals. If you still have the same problem, start the process from the beginning.

How do I rejuvenate the down in my down jacket?
Tumble Drying your down jacket following the outlined instructions above is essential to restoring the down's loft.

Can I treat my down jacket to make it more water-resistant?

Yes.  If you want to boost the water repellent finish on your down jacket, you can use a product like Grangers Performance Repel spray on the outside of the jacket.  Make sure the jacket is washed and in a clean condition before applying this spray treatment.  

How should I store my down jacket?
To maintain the loft and preserve the natural properties of the down, Montane recommends that you store down garments loose and not stuffed in their stuff sacks.

Down Migration / Down Loss
The down fill is free to move (migrate) around the baffle that it is in.  This is perfectly normal with general usage.  Using the product with a pack or while driving will lead to this happening to a greater extent due to being compressed.  The down can be manually spread out throughout its baffle when this occurs.  You can expect a certain amount of down loss especially when the garment is new.  Small bits of the down will appear through the seams and stitching lines of the jacket until the fill settles down.  This will decrease with time, but a small amount may still appear over the life of the garment.

Feather Loss
There is a percentage of feather to down in your product.  The feathers still have their stalks attached and you can expect some of these to poke through the outer fabric.  The main thing to remember when this happens is to ALWAYS pull the feather back into the garment from the inside.  NEVER pull the feather through the outer face as this will create a larger hole and pull more of the down fill out with it.  Once the feather has been pulled back into the garment, rub the area with your fingers to close up the garment’s fibres in this area.