5 rules for washing bio fluff | Expert material

Clothes filled with bio down are becoming more and more popular and are gradually replacing products from synthetic winterizer and natural down from everyday life. This insulation is characterized by increased wear resistance, so it can give heat for many years, but only if it is properly maintained. It is important to know how to wash bio fluff so that it does not lose its unique properties. We will tell you about the rules for washing products with this filler and give some useful tips that will allow you to keep their appearance and extend their service life.

Characteristics and properties of bio down

Bio fluff is a new generation insulation. Initially, it was used for sewing clothes and sleeping bags for polar explorers and residents of northern latitudes. Now it is increasingly used as insulation for down jackets, clothing for hunters and fishermen, filling for pillows, blankets, and soft toys.

Among its advantages are:

1. lightness and airiness;
2. heat capacity (about 1.5 times warmer than padding polyester, protects from frost -40-500C);
3. health safety (hypoallergenic, does not cause skin irritation);
4. wear resistance;
5. practicality (does not deform, retains its original volume and heat for a long time);
6. is not affected by mold, dust mites do not start in it;
7. moisture resistance;
8. not afraid of organic solvents.

But bio fluff is sensitive to high temperatures, it tends to accumulate static electricity.

To preserve the properties of the insulation and the appearance of the upper material, it is important to comply with the conditions indicated by the manufacturer on the product label.

Basic washing rules

You can get rid of various dirt or odors from things with bio-down filling by washing it in an automatic machine or by hand. Our experts warn that the risk of losing the heat-insulating properties of the filler and deforming clothing if washed incorrectly is quite high. Therefore, you must follow the basic rules of washing.

Tips for washing in a machine

The easiest way to wash products made from organic down is in an automatic machine. But in order not to spoil them, we recommend that you adhere to 3 basic rules.

1. The water temperature should be no more than 400C. At higher values, the risk of destruction of the filler structure is high.
2. Select a delicate wash mode: with an increased water level and a gentle spin (no more than 600 revolutions). This will protect the product from deformation and churning of bio fluff into lumps.
3. Use a concentrate gel or detergent capsule. The powder rinses out worse from the fibers of bio-fluff, it can leave white streaks on clothes.

To prevent the build-up of static electricity, we recommend using fabric softener every time you wash your bio-lint.

Hand wash recommendations

If your organic down-filled garment is too large to fit into the drum, you can hand wash it. Particularly dirty places on clothing or on a pillow must be pre-treated with laundry soap or stain remover (if the material from which the product is sewn allows its use). After cleaning, you can start hand washing.

We follow the following algorithm:

1. Pour warm water into a basin or bath (it should be slightly higher than the body temperature).
2. Add detergent and stir it thoroughly by hand in water. For hand wash, powder is more effective than concentrate gel – it is better to use this form of detergent.
3. We soak the product for 15-20 minutes.
4. Hands gently wiggle the thing in the water, whipping the soapy lather, for 3-5 minutes. Paying special attention to the most dirty places (pockets, sleeves). You can clean them with a brush.
5. Drain the dirty water from the basin (bath).
6. Pour clean water and rinse the product.
7. Change the water in the basin until it remains clean, without any traces of detergent.
8. Before the last rinse, you can add a cap of fabric softener to the water.

Products made from bio down should not be twisted and squeezed too much, otherwise it can lead to the formation of lumps and deformation. After hand washing, it is recommended to lightly squeeze the clothes or blanket with your hands and place them, without straightening, on the bar in the bathtub or above the basin. Can be placed on any horizontal surface, on a towel. Only after the water has drained is it permissible to hang things on a rope or hanger.

It is important to take into account not only the peculiarities of caring for bio fluff, but also the material from which the top of the product is made. First of all, you need to focus on the recommendations indicated on the label.

Tips for an efficient wash

Following the recommendations for washing, the likelihood of keeping a thing made of bio-fluff intact and safe is quite high. But, we would like to give 5 more tips that will improve the quality of washing and protect the elements of the automatic machine from damage.

Use special balls

The washing efficiency will be increased by placing 4-6 plastic or rubber balls in the drum. They are designed to wash items with fillers and are available at hardware stores. You can replace them with tennis balls.

Using balls will prevent the filler from clumping and enhance the effect of the concentrate gel or laundry detergent. During rinsing, they help to remove residual detergent and prevent streaks from forming.

Wash only one piece at a time

Do not put any other items on your pillow or jacket with bio-down, even if there is still room in the washing machine drum. The free space in the drum improves the quality of washing, the fibers are better rinsed from detergents.

Use a special bag

We advise you to wash your organic down laundry in a special bag. You can use a regular pillowcase for this purpose. This will prevent deformation of the product and protect the drum and washing machine door from scratches with the fasteners or buttons of down jackets.

Zip up jacket

Before washing outerwear with insulation made of bio-down in a machine, it is imperative to fasten all the zippers. It is necessary to check the integrity of the seams (so that the filler does not come out through the existing holes) and how tightly the buttons are sewn. You should also remove items from your pockets.

We recommend unfastening the hood with fur at the down jacket and washing it by hand – it is not always possible to fluff the fur parts after washing and return them to their original appearance. If it is possible to detach the fur, then the hood together with the down jacket can be sent to the washing machine.

Use special detergents for synthetic materials

For washing woolen and synthetic items, special detergents are provided (Laska, Nordland, Chirton). They do not contain sodium perborate and are more acidic than powders or gels for cotton or linen fabrics. Too alkaline environment can destroy the fibers of bio fluff.

How to dry properly

Since bio fluff is afraid of high temperature exposure, it is not recommended to dry products with this filler near heating devices or a fire. On a hot summer day, under the scorching rays of the sun, things should also not be hung out – for drying in the open air, shade is preferable.

After washing, outerwear or a blanket must be straightened and hung on a rope, a jacket – on a hanger. It is advisable to dry the pillows in a horizontal position (for example, on a metal dryer or on several consecutive ropes on the balcony). Turn them over from one side to the other every 2 hours.

There is no need to artificially accelerate the drying process with the help of radiators or a hair dryer – products with a filling made of bio down, unlike synthetic winterizer or natural down, dry very quickly, only 3-4 hours. Excessively hot air will damage the fibers of the fabric and cause the garment to deform.

Conclusion

Proper washing of outerwear and garments filled with organic down will preserve their appearance and thermal insulation properties for many years. We hope that our recommendations will help to extend the life of things, even with intensive use.

---