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"  Whether sleeping bags are filled with down or synthetic-fibers, body oils and dirt can effect their insulation. As your kids return from camp this month, you&amp;#039;ll want to make sure their sleeping bags are thoroughly cleaned before you stash them away until next year. Here&amp;#039;s the how-to. Since you don&amp;#039;t know what hitched a ride home in your kids&amp;#039; sleeping bags, have them leave their gear on the patio before they enter the house. Open the sleeping bags fully and shake out the dirt. Then check the manufacturers&amp;#039; care labels to see if the bags are machine washable. Our Textile Director, Kathleen Huddy says don&amp;#039;t even think about buying a sleeping bag that can&amp;#039;t go into the washing machine. Hand-washing one is a long and tedious task. Sleeping bags have to be cleaned in a front-loader washing machine as the agitation in a traditional top-loader can damage the insulation. Wash one sleeping bag at a time and be sure to toss in a few other light items to make sure the load remains balanced. We recommend using the gentle cycle and cool water. For down bags, use a specialty detergent, like Nikwax Down Wash and for synthetics, a mild detergent, like Woolite. Once the wash cycle is complete, run an additional rinse and spin-only cycle to make sure all the soap and excess water is removed. When it comes to drying sleeping bags, your best option is air-drying. While it will definitely take longer, it&amp;#039;s guaranteed to protect the outer shell and insulation from over heating. If you must tumble-dry the sleeping bags, use a very low heat setting and make sure the bags have room to tumble freely. If your dryer&amp;#039;s not large enough, you&amp;#039;ll need to take them to the laundromat and use a commercial machine. Keep an eye on the bags as they&amp;#039;re drying and, when they&amp;#039;re almost dry, add a couple of clean tennis balls to break up any insulation that&amp;#039;s clumped up. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a24040/how-to-clean-sleeping-bags/>