Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

I followed the instructions, and the sleeping bags came out clean and smelled good...not much more to say!

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

Soo.... I knew that there was down wash that you could buy for your down products, but I had never spent the money on it before and always went the cheap route and used regular laundry detergent. Let me say, this stuff works REALLY great and is worth the money you spend on it. I like a mix of traditonal camping gear and new style stuff and I own several acrtic system military sleeping bags and decided to give this stuff a try and clean up the bags.

The best place to do this is at the laudromat in my opinion, but do it your self instead of paying to have someone else do it. Like another poster said, it can cost at least $30 per bag if they do it. If you do it at home, you need to have a front loading washer, and I personally wouldn't put any down product in my washer. I did that once and destroyed the washer and dryer as there was hole in the down bag I was washing. With the price of the down wash and the price of washing and drying 2 very big military bags, I spent about $35 total and it was well worth it. This wash took decades of these bags. You know how bad military bags can be after decades of use. I always buy mine at thrift stores where you can get good deals, but they are always smelly and have 50 years of sweat and grime on them. The loft was great after I was all done and the bags smelled clean and odorless.

Just a few tips in case anyone else might be interested in doing their military bags, make sure you hand stich any holes in the bag or open seams before you wash them, or you will have down all over the washer or dryer and one very annoyed laundry attendant owner. I used a thin piece of artificial sinew and did the back stich and it worked really well. I washed both bags in one HUGE washer so I got more bang for my buck. Dry the bags seperately and put at least 5 or 6 tennis balls in each dryer. Stop and de-clump every 20 minutes or so. It worked better to leave the bags unzipped when drying, at least for military bags.

I've got some awesome bags now and I love this product so much I'm running back to the store right now to pick up more for my other military bags. I also have an REI down bag that my cat peed on, so I will update this when I am done washing that and let everyone know how that turns out.

Only complaint, like another poster said, wish this was a little bit more affordable or came in bigger bottles at a discounted rate for those of use who use it a lot. Can't complain too much though because not many stores have this stuff.

It's worth the price!!

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

I have a couple rei mojave +15 down sleeping bags which recently recieved an unpleasant gift from my dog. So I did some research, ended up at my local REI store and was recommended this stuff and to follow up with nikwax down proof. in both cycles I hand washed in the tub following the directions of the bottles. (I handwashed because I don't have a front-loading washer, otherwise I would have chose the latter.) It was tiring but that's what was recommended in my case. After squeezing as much water out as I could without handling it too rough, I dried them through the dryer, on a low setting until the last few cycles; they needed many cycles to fully dry. now they literally feel and smell brand new! nikwax products apparently result in an odorless clean. I would have liked for it to have a linen fragrance but I'm still very satisfied with the results, as it is completely free of my dog's scents.

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

First off, only wash down gear in a front loader. Wringer washers rip up down gear and cause clumping much more so.

Remember to rinse the gear you're washing well (I do it twice) and spin dry on LOW 3 times or more. My machine has an extended spin button that I always use. This cuts drying time down a lot and helps prevent clumping too.

There aren't many products out there to wash down gear with. Taking them to the dry cleaners is expensive. So, I was thrilled when I found this wash. It works great! Been using it for a number of years now and I've never been disappointed in it's performance.

I don't like the bottle or the lid design tho. Any leftover washing liquid that's sitting in the lid after you pour it in the wash, leaks out and runs down the side of the bottle and gets on your hands when you screw it back on. There are no marks in or on the lid to tell you the quantity you are pouring in it, though the bottle says 1 capful, etc.. Maybe I should measure it using a shot glass measuring glass to test this. Lastly, it's wide and makes pouring into the dispenser in my washer messy.

As for the bottle, I wish it was either clearer or at least had a clear strip down the side. I'd like to see how much is left in the bottle so I know if I need to buy more before I start to do the washing. Also, a quantity marking on the strip would be helpful too.

I want to buy this stuff in 1/2 gallon or full gallon size bottles instead of the little ones; it's not cost effective buying it in these small bottles. When I wash my family's gear, there's a lot of it, so I end up having to run back to the store to buy more cause it never seems to be quite enough. We have a lot of down filled gear that needs washing at least twice a year or more. We need larger bottles!

REI, you're supposed to be big on environmentalism. Why don't you pressure the manufacturers of the cleaning and waterproofing products into selling larger quantities?

And on that note, give the customers a refill bar!

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

It came time to wash my down vest and sleeping bag that had both seen heavy use over the last few seasons. The vest had lost a significant amount of loft from being out in the rain, spilled on at parties, and several backpacking and outdoor misshaps, and my sleeping bag had a funk all of its own.

Washing down was something that I had dreaded doing and was concerned for these two items, but went out on a limb to use Down Wash. It's the best. My vest and sleeping bag both seem brand new and fully restored. And the smell is gone, which is great for me and anyone who travels with me.

I'm glad I still have half the bottle left, I won't hesitate to use it again.

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

I use this to handwash my ancient TNF down vest as well as my newer WM bag. Excellent cleaner. I wash them when they start to lose loft. This cleaner strips them of my body oil and, after extensive drying, their loft is fully restored. I love having well used gear coming out looking like new, but more so knowing the restored loft will serve me well on those cold nights. Down gear taken care of will last a really long time, and this down wash helps me take care of my investments. What is good in life? Surely seeing a 30-40 year old vest puffed way out, begging you to take it along on another freezing trip!

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

I used this product to wash a bad odor out of my bag. It worked great and didn't seem to damage the down at all. One tip. When you dry your bag make sure to keep it zipped otherwise the down clumps.

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

My wife and I both have down sleeping bag's that we've been using for sometime now. On our last hike, we noticed that we didn't need to use the Ammo Can's supplied at the campsite to keep the woodland critters away.

Since we got back from the hike, I've been looking for a way to clean the sleeping bags. At first the Nikwax seemed a little pricey, but then we called some local dry cleaners. They wanted $30 bucks per sleeping bag to launder them.

To clean them, I filled my bathtub 1/4th of the way full with warm water and mixed in about half of the bottle of soap. I worked the water and Nikwax solution into both of the bags real well. Then I rinsed them out a few times with cold water.

Next I put them in the washing machine, but only set it to the spin cycle. I ran the spin cycle 3 times, and it got almost all of the water out. After that they went in the dryer for about an hour. No heat, Just tumble dry. I removed them every 20 minutes or so to break up the clumps of down and even it out in the baffles.

The sleeping bags came out great, Just as lofty as before, but without any of the smell or dirt. Thanks Nikwax! They smell fresh and clean.

Service and delivery comments:

My order arrived less then a week after ordering it, including a weekend and a holiday. Thanks REI!

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

I use this product on anything with down/feathers and it work beautifully.
In Norway I used a wash similar to nix on my down parka. And I was so exited when I found Nix at REI. It cleans without stripping the natural oil of the down so the down is keeping its natural warmth.

Comments about Nikwax Down Wash 2.0 - 10 oz.:

I have a North Face Superlight bag from about 1978. I guess I might have spent 70 nights, total, in it, so it hasn't had a lot of use. And I've cleaned it before.But this summer, I went to use the bag, and it didn't smell great and wasn't very lofty. Started pricing new North Face down bags, and was shocked at the cost. So I figured, [$] why not try this stuff?I am pleased to report that it worked great. Odor, gone. Loft, restored. Nylon, clean. This literally looks like a new bag now. It cleaned far better than any other detergent I've tried in the past.I am extremely pleased. Before you toss your old lifeless bag, breath some new life into it with this stuff. It really works.