How to wash and clean hammocks and down quilts.
All gear should be thoroughly dried before any long-term storage, this prevents mildew.
Hammocks can safely be stored long-term in their included stuffsac as long as they are dry, however down quilts should never be stored long-term under full compression. Never leave your down items fully compressed in their stuffsac for more than a few days if you can avoid it. For long-term storage the quilt can be partially compressed in a large storage sack or plastic tub with other quilts, just make sure the quilt is dry.
When washing/cleaning a hammock or down quilt, never use a top-load washing machine with an agitator, especially with down products. Instead, use a front-loading machine or wash in the bathtub by hand. When washing down products, it’s also important to never use detergent-soap. Only use soap specially made for down products, like our Grangers Down Wash Kit. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the item. This may take several rinses. The water should come out clean with no dirt or soap. If washing by hand, never wring out the item. Start at one end and roll the item to squeeze out the water. Do this several times to get out as much as you can. You can then place the item in a top-load washer as long as you only put it through the spin cycle. Make sure to remove and elastic guylines and suspensions before washing and of our products. Please zip your hammock up all the way before washing. It is fine to leave the ridgeline in your hammock during washing as long as you make sure to fully zip the hammock up.
Place the item in the dryer on low to medium heat and toss in several tennis balls. It may take several hours to dry the quilt. The shell of the quilt will feel dry quickly, but if you feel any “clumps” of down inside the shell, it means the down inside is still wet and clumped together. It’s very important to dry the quilt until the down is dry and there are no more clumps. This may take several hours.
Down items don’t need to be washed very often. If you use a down quilt a lot in a year, you might wash it once. Washing will not only clean the quilt, but bring back lost loft. It’s also possible to give your quilt a boost, if it looks like it’s lost some loft, without washing it. Simply throw it in the dryer on medium heat with some tennis balls and hand towel or a couple washcloths (soaked and then wrung out), no actual washing required.
…And that is how you clean hammocks and down quilts.