Your Cart is Empty
How to wash your Zenbivy Sleeping Bag System (Quilt & Sheet) I Washing Instructions
Please read all instructions before washing your Zenbivy sleeping bag system.
1. Choosing a Soap: Use a down-specific cleaning product or a mild non-detergent soap when washing your down quilt. For synthetic products, you can choose a tech wash intended for high-performance fabrics or a mild non-detergent soap. Brands like Granger’s or Nikwax have good options for both down and synthetic bags.
2. Note on Wet Down: Whenever you're handling a wet down bag, be gentle. The down between the baffles is very heavy when wet, and the fabrics and baffle scrim inside are very light. If you are not gentle with the bag and support the weight of the wet down, the bag can tear. Use good judgement and you’ll be fine, just be aware!
3. What NOT To Do: DO NOT bleach, dry clean, wring or twist, use fabric softener, iron, or use a top loading washer. Zenbivy is not responsible for any damage that occurs during washing or drying.
"Freshen" Your Quilt
Our #1 recommended way to keep your quilt clean year round and "freshen" your down! It's quick, easy, and a great way to maintain cleanliness so you'll never even need to go through the hassle of handwashing or deep-cleaning your quilt. Give it a try! This is what you need: small bucket of water, a mild non-detergent soap (or dish soap), a clean sponge or washcloth, a clean towel (for towel drying), a dryer, a bath towel (to dampen and run with quilt in dryer), 2-3 clean tennis balls or dryer balls
- Lay your quilt out flat.
- Fill a small bucket with water and mix in your soap. You should only need a few drops.
- Wet your sponge or washcloth with the soapy water and rub the surface of the fabric to remove any dirt/stains. You can do spot treatments only or a full surface clean, it’s up to you and the condition of your quilt.
- Rinse out your sponge with fresh water and wipe any remaining soap off your quilt.
- Grab a clean towel and towel-dry your quilt to remove any leftover soap, dirt, grime, etc.
- Flip the quilt over and repeat steps 3-5 on the other side.
- Once you’re done, pop the quilt into your dryer with 2-3 tennis or dryer balls and a damp bath towel (wet the bath towel and then wring it out to remove most of the water). The tennis balls help to declump the down and the damp towel "steam cleans" the down to freshen it and reduce or eliminate any odor.
- Run the dryer on low heat for about an hour, or just until the bath towel is dry.
And that’s it! You’ve successfully cleaned your quilt and freshened the down. This method is fast, easy, and all your quilt should ever really need.
In the case you just want to rejuvenate the down and/or reduce any odor, you can skip the sponge bath steps (1-5) and instead only do the "steam bath" steps (7-8).
Handwash Your Quilt
Recommended for deeper cleans when necessary. This process can be time-consuming. Set aside at least a few hours to handwash your quilt. This is what you need: bathtub (or large container), suitable detergent for your product, 1 or more large towels, dryer, 2-3 (clean) tennis balls or dryer balls.
- Separate the quilt from the sheet if they are attached. If convertible, open up the footbox so it’s flat. Clip the strap(s) on the back of the sheet to keep them out of the way.
- Fill a tub with a few inches of cool water. Put the quilt into the tub and gently press it into the water until the down is saturated. You’ll notice that down resists taking on water, so be patient and gentle and just keep kneading/pressing the bag until it's saturated.
- Once the bag is soaked, add the down wash product to the water. Read the bottle to ensure you’re adding the recommended amount for the amount of water you have in the tub.
- Gently knead/squeeze the bag to allow the detergent to reach all parts of the insulation.
- Keeping the quilt in the tub, drain the water from the tub, gently pressing out as much water as possible by simply pushing down on the quilt. DO NOT try to twist or wring the water out. Simply push down to squeeze out the water/detergent.
- Fill the tub again with a few inches of water to completely soak the quilt. Push down to rinse, trying to eliminate all the soapy water from the quilt. Drain the tub and repeat.
- Repeat step 6 until the water is no longer soapy, then drain the tub 1 final time, pressing as much water out of the quilt as you can. Do NOT twist or wring the quilt, just press.
- Without picking it up, slide the quilt over to the side and put a towel down on the floor of the tub.
- Move the quilt onto the towel and (grabbing the corners of the towel) move the whole bundle out of the tub and onto the floor.
- With the towel on the floor, continue to press gently with the towel to remove as much water as possible. If the towel becomes soaked, get another dry one. Towel dry (by pressing only) as much as possible.
- You're nearly there! Move the quilt to the dryer. For drying, you’ll want to put your dryer on its lowest heat setting with 2 or 3 (clean) tennis balls to help de-clump the down.
- Run the dryer until the quilt is dry. Check every 30 minutes or so.
- Once dry, remove it from the dryer and lay your quilt flat or unstuffed for a while so you can let the down fully fluff to maximum fluffiness before you store it loosely in the mesh storage sack.
Machine Washing (Front-Loading ONLY)
We generally recommend handwashing our quilts but you can wash your quilt in a FRONT-LOADING washing machine if needed.
Down Quilt Owners - Please Read: In general, you probably just want to avoid machine washing your down quilt if possible. It’s OK to do so if necessary, but handwashing is the better/safer method. For down quilts, consider our sponge-bath “freshening” method for general maintenance, and then either handwashing or sending it off for a professional cleaning if needed.
This is what you need: large FRONT LOADING washer, suitable detergent for your product, dryer, 2-3 (clean) tennis balls or dryer balls
- Use a LARGE FRONT LOADING washer only. If you do not have access to a large front loading washer, please handwash. Washing in anything other than a front loading washer will void warranty.
- Wash with cool water on the delicate cycle using a soap that is suitable for your product, whether synthetic or down. A second rinse cycle is helpful to ensure all the detergent is out.
- When moving your quilt from the washer to dryer, be gentle. Wet insulation is very heavy and can cause the quilt to tear if not handled with care. Support the full weight of the quilt as you move it to the dryer. Do NOT twist or wring the quilt.
- Tumble dry on the lowest heat setting in a large dryer. Include 2-3 clean tennis balls or dryer balls to loft and “de-clump” the down.
- Run until dry, checking every 30 minutes or so.
- Once dry, you can store it loosely in it large mesh storage bag.