How to wash a Columbia down jacket in a washing machine

Date: 09/15/2017

Branded items not only look great, but also serve their owner for a very long time, without any complaints. But caring for such clothes often causes a lot of problems, especially if they are winter. Columbia down jackets are made using a special Omni-Heat technology, which most people know little about. If you wash a winter jacket like this incorrectly, it will look more like a spring windbreaker than winter clothing. The fluff will stick together and unsightly streaks will appear on the top fabric. How to wash the Columbia Omni Hit jacket in the washing machine? This question is often asked by fans of this brand on the Internet. This is not difficult to do, but it is very important to adhere to certain recommendations.

Useful tips on how to wash your Columbia Omni-Heat jacket in the machine and by hand

Columbia winter jackets attract with their signature appearance and excellent performance characteristics.
They are sewn using a unique technology called Omni-Heat.

If a down jacket made using this technology is washed in the usual way in a washing machine, the down inside will form clumps, it will lose the properties of warm clothing, and unsightly stains will appear on the fabric.

But if you know the rules for caring for a down jacket, it can last for many years, remaining comfortable, warm and presentable.

Preparing the Columbia Omni-Heat Down Jacket for Washing

Proper washing begins with careful preparation. The first step is to find the label that contains recommendations for caring for the jacket. If there is an icon on the label that allows you to wash the product without any restrictions, you can start preparing.

It includes the following actions:

all locks, zippers, buttons are fastened;
if there are edges or any fastened parts made of natural fur, they should be unfastened;
the most contaminated areas (usually the inside of the collar, cuffs and areas where the jacket comes into contact with the bag or backpack) are best pre-washed by hand using a delicate detergent;
with washed and soaked stains, you need to leave the down jacket for a while, about an hour;
Before machine washing, the jacket must be turned inside out.

Detergents for washing membrane fabric

An important point in caring for water-repellent materials is choosing a suitable detergent for washing membrane fabrics. The most recommended washing liquids are Grander's 2 in 1 Wash + Repel (1000 ml) and Grander's Clothing Repel (300 ml). It is enough to pour the product into the appropriate container and start a gentle cycle. These liquid products, intended for washing clothes of all types, contain substances that thoroughly remove fat, salts, and tensides. Unlike laundry soap or regular powder, these washing gels do not leave an unnoticeable residue on the fabric.

It is these residues from soap and powder that act as “pure dirt”, clog the pores of the top layer, and the membrane loses its function.

Expert opinion Evgeniy Taran

Powdered detergents act like sandpaper, irreversibly damaging membrane materials. They cannot be used.

The next suitable products that can be used to wash water-repellent clothes are special capsules and tablets for washing. Today, many manufacturers offer these erasing agents, among them: “Tide”, “Ariel”, etc.

Regardless of the washing method or detergent, never use fabric softener. They can damage the structure and strength of the fibers and cause irreparable damage to the material.

If you don't know how to wash your membrane overalls, jacket, or pants, don't worry. As a rule, the manufacturer provides instructions on how to care for the item on each Gore-Tex product. By following these recommendations, you can be sure that the properties and durability of the item will last for years. If there are no care labels, wash the clothes as gently as possible - preferably at 30°C, without spinning.

But even if all prescribed procedures are followed, clothing will not remain functional forever. If you notice that the functional properties of the item (mainly water-repellent) have deteriorated, use impregnation. Spray a special product onto the pre-washed item. Use a quality product (eg Salton).

How to carry out impregnation at home:

Impregnation is applied by spraying from a distance of 10-15 cm.
The impregnated clothing must be damp and clean.
It is advisable to place the product on a horizontal surface for impregnation.
After spraying, wipe off excess spray and remove it from the surface with a sponge or damp cloth.
Leave clothing to dry before use.
If permitted by the manufacturer, to improve the effectiveness of impregnation, it is good to dry the item in the dryer.

How to wash by hand correctly?

To preserve the original characteristics of the jacket longer, it is better to wash it by hand. But this, of course, is only relevant for people who wear things carefully, without leaving complex, difficult-to-remove stains on them.

It is very difficult to wash a down jacket simply in a bathtub or basin , since it becomes very heavy when wet. Therefore, it is recommended to wash by hanging the jacket on hangers secured with a rope above the bathtub.

The hangers should be wide and strong, otherwise the wet jacket will fall off them. Before washing, the down jacket is completely buttoned up to the very top of the neck.

The item must first be thoroughly wetted in the shower, and then all areas must be treated with a sponge and soapy water . The following can be used as a solution:

delicate washing gel;
laundry soap soaked in water;
any shampoo;
You can take a cleaning product for upholstered furniture.

Omni-Heat down jackets should never be cleaned with rough brushes. The use of aggressive abrasive laundry detergents is not allowed . By breaking these rules, you can easily ruin the item.

After the front side of the down jacket is washed, it needs to be removed and turned inside out. Washing lining fabric should be done with no less care and caution.

After finishing the treatment with soapy water, you need to rinse the jacket thoroughly with cool water from the shower on both sides. This process requires care and patience. If a little soap composition remains on the fabric, after the product dries, it will turn into whitish stains .

To make the jacket dry faster and avoid a musty smell, it is advisable to place it close to the battery . In addition, it must be periodically turned over and turned one way or the other.

In the washing machine

How to wash a Columbia Omni-Heat jacket in an automatic washing machine?
Machine washing requires less effort and removes dirt more effectively. You can wash the down jacket in the delicate wash mode, setting the minimum time.

Machine wash the Omni-Heat jacket only on a delicate cycle and using gentle gels.

When washing in a machine, the chemical detergent penetrates deeper into the structure of the fabric and has a more intense effect on the product. Therefore, the choice of washing gel in this case should be especially careful.

The ideal option is a special gel for machine washing of delicate items . Hand wash detergent will foam a lot and may not rinse completely. Only liquid products can be used.

temperature no more than 30 degrees;
time is minimal;
delicate wash mode.

You can simply wash it without spinning, and then dry it as in the case of hand washing.

It is better to wash a down jacket without any other items. When products made from different fabrics are processed simultaneously, various undesirable effects are possible. You should also add 2-3 tennis balls or laundry balls.

A jacket with a membrane can be soaked briefly before machine washing. But it’s better to simply treat the most contaminated areas with soapy water and leave for an hour without soaking.

Drying and ironing

Dry Columbia jackets first on hangers or a special dryer until the moisture is completely drained.
Then the product is placed vertically so that the wet fluff does not slide down. It will dry completely only after two days . You cannot speed up the process by placing the jacket on a heating radiator or using any heating devices (some use hair dryers or steam irons).

The dried down jacket needs to be inspected. If the fluff has gathered into small lumps in some places, it must be gently kneaded with your hands.

If the outer fabric requires ironing, it can be treated with a steamer , but only when the entire product is completely dry and in compliance with all safety rules.

What to pay attention to

Columbia down jackets are expensive, so it will be a shame if the item gets damaged during washing or drying. To prevent such an incident from happening, you need to adhere to the following rules:

Do not use any chlorine-containing bleaches to clean contaminated areas.
Do not dry your down jacket on a radiator or over a gas stove. This not only contributes to the appearance of yellow stains, but can also lead to a fire.
It is not recommended to iron Columbia omni heat jackets with a regular iron. To smooth the fabric, you can only use a special steamer.

With proper care, the Columbia down jacket will keep its owner warm for years, even in the most severe frosts. If you are not sure that the item will be washed properly at home, then it is better to contact a dry cleaner. Specialists know exactly how to clean such clothes without damaging them.

Advantages of a membrane jacket

Such clothes are very light and warm, which is why athletes use them. The uniqueness of the membrane lies in the fact that it is divided into hydrophilic and hydrophobic components.

Green membrane jacket

What do they mean:

hydrophilic components allow moisture coming from the body (sweat) to pass out;
hydrophobic components of the membrane prevent moisture from entering from the outside.

The structure of membrane tissue

Key points when washing

Is it possible to wash an American brand jacket in a washing machine? Before you decide to wash your Columbia Omni-Heat jacket, you need to look at the label. It always indicates which washing method is suitable for the product. If there is no crossed out washing machine icon, then you can start washing clothes in an automatic machine.

Remove all additional accessories from clothing: collar, hood, strap. Remove everything unnecessary from your pockets. The main problem with jackets with down filling is that the down sticks together, becomes a lump and falls down. Because of this, it is difficult to rinse the down jacket thoroughly - stains appear.

To prevent this from happening, it is proposed to take into account important rules:

the water temperature should not exceed 30-40 degrees;
wash buttoned on reverse side;
You can fit 2-3 tennis balls into the drum. This will prevent the fluff from matting and the product will be washed;
set an additional rinse mode;
to wash down jackets, use a special liquid detergent that can be bought at any store;
Do not wring out the membrane jacket in a car or with your hands. It is better to hang it on a hanger and take it outside, but for no more than 3 hours. The water must drain without outside interference.

Attention! Jackets with silver lining must not be ironed.

Preparatory stage

The preparatory stage is no less important than the washing itself. If you do something wrong, this will lead to streaks appearing on the outerwear membrane, and the filler contained inside, for example, bio-down, Thinsulate, feather down, holofiber, padding polyester, will get lost, and as a result the item itself will be damaged. unsuitable for further use.

There are many well-known Finnish, Turkish, Chinese and other manufacturers of down jackets, and the most popular include brands such as Adidas, Baon, Columbia, Clasna, Conso ), Geox, Luissante, Finn Flare, Tiger Forse, Nike, Joutsen, Omni heat, Outventure , Moncler (Montclair), Uniqlo (Uniklo), Zlya (Zlya), but each, depending on the external material and filler, requires special care

Often companies indicate on the labels that their down jackets cannot be washed, but only need to be carefully cleaned by hand without washing. Some of them make down jackets from natural materials, where goose or duck down is used for the fur collar and padding, while others resort to artificial ones.

One way or another, first of all, you need to read the label of the down jacket to find out whether washing in an automatic machine is acceptable or only hand washing is acceptable. Of course, most often now mechanical washing is allowed. Well, this is only to the advantage of the housewives

It is only important to do everything correctly - choose the program mode, temperature, degrees, number of spin revolutions. But before starting the actual washing, you need to prepare the down jacket for the process.

What to do?

As noted earlier, you should read the label on the down jacket. Often all the information on them is indicated in English, so we will share with you the translation of all materials: natural ones include down, wool (for example, camel) or wool batting (wool), feather (feather), cotton (cotton); among artificial synthetic ones are hollow fiber, polyester, dupont.
Next, you need to take everything out of your pockets - keys, money, headphones and other small items.
It is recommended to unfasten the hood itself and the fur on it.
It is necessary to inspect the down jacket for serious contamination, such as grease stains. If there are none, proceed to the next stage of preparation. If there are stains, they should be properly soaked and removed.
Check the product itself to see if it is intact or if there is damage in the form of holes of different sizes, from which fluff and feathers are visible. All damage must be repaired.
You should fasten zippers, locks, buttons, so that these small parts do not damage the unit itself during washing.
Turn the down jacket inside out and send it for a “bath” procedure in a washing machine or in a container, where you will remove dirt manually.

100% polyester, nylon, polyamide and eco-leather are the materials used for the outer covering of the down jacket.

How to wash by hand

Hand washing will not harm the membrane fabric, if you take into account the washing features.

Hang the down jacket on hangers and water it with water. To do this, it is better to use a watering can with a spray.
Next, prepare water with liquid detergent.
Use a sponge and soapy water to wash clothes.
After cleaning the front side, proceed to the back side, turning the product to the appropriate side.
Rinse the clothes several times by pouring water on them from a watering can.

Attention! The item remains in this position for several hours. After the water has completely drained, place the jacket on a flat surface for further drying and iron it with your hands so that there are no wrinkled areas.

White membrane jacket

Preparing for washing and removing dirt

Before putting the product into the drum of the machine, you need to remove stains and stains from the surface, and also clean the collar and cuffs from grease. This must be done manually, using regular liquid dishwashing detergent, which quickly dissolves grease.

Before washing

machine, clean the collar and cuffs

Apply a little product to a clean sponge and wipe the dirty areas. If the stains are old, use laundry soap instead of detergent - it has a stronger effect on the surface of the fabric and easily cleans even white jackets. Instead of a sponge, you can use a soft brush.

Before washing, perform several mandatory procedures:

If your jacket has a detachable collar or hood made with real or faux fur, remove it.
Remove foreign objects from pockets.
Check that the buttons are securely sewn on so that they do not come off during the washing process.
Fasten all snaps, zippers, Velcro and buttons.
If the jacket has metal fittings, wrap it with masking tape or other material.
Turn the product inside out and load it into the drum.

Before washing, the jacket must be turned inside out and buttoned completely.

How to wash a Columbia jacket

The Columbia brand is known all over the world. This is a manufacturer of high-quality clothing, the main advantage of which is the most comfortable wear. Jackets of this brand, due to their durability, reliability, protection from wind and cold, have proven themselves to be the best among athletes and tourists.

The world has always valued light and durable clothing (especially outerwear), as it is considered ideal for sports or everyday wear. If you also have such a jacket in your wardrobe, then you simply must know how to wash it correctly.

What to think about before cleaning

The rules for caring for outerwear are quite unique, because for effective protection from cold and precipitation, special insulation is used in such items.

Jackets of this brand, unlike other outerwear, use a unique, fairly new technology – a membrane system – as the main material for protection from “severe” weather.

Important ! Before you start washing, you should definitely read the information on the jacket label. As a rule, all the details of clothing care are indicated there. Be sure to follow all these instructions!

Particular attention should be paid to:

Washing temperature;
Can it be washed in a machine or only by hand?
Is it possible to use a spin, and in what mode?

Can I wash it with regular powder?

The membrane is a complex material, and therefore its care must also be delicate. Only then can a jacket or overalls last a long time without losing its water-repellent properties. Before you understand whether the membrane can be washed with ordinary powder, you should find out all the compounds that negatively affect the fabric. So, the material does not tolerate phosphates and sulfates, which means washing with regular or liquid powder, even of the best quality, is prohibited. You cannot expose the membrane to bleaches and stain removers, because manufacturers also cannot do without sulfates in them.

It is worth noting one more procedure that should not be done

So, having chosen machine washing, it is important to abandon the “spin” mode, since the film should not be subjected to aggressive twisting. It is possible that drying the product in this option will take much longer, but the result, which is safe for the structure, is worth it

In addition, the very property of the membrane allows you to remove contaminants from it immediately with ordinary water, and therefore washing in a machine is an infrequent procedure.

Main rules of care

Alas, there are not many options for washing Columbia jackets:

Dry cleaning;
Handwash;
Machine washable;
Cleaning individual parts.

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Dry cleaning services

The simplest and fastest option. Moreover, it is minimally risky. Professional cleaning using chemicals and special equipment is a guarantee that you will receive your item in the same condition as if you had just bought it. True, you have to pay.

Cleaning individual parts of the jacket

Today there are many ways to clean a jacket without having to wash it. And all thanks to special fabric cleaning products. Since the top layer of the product repels water and dirt, it almost never gets dirty. And here are the sleeves, cuffs, hood, etc. they can. Therefore, you can only clean them.

Hand wash

If you don’t want to risk purchasing household chemicals for cleaning or using a washing machine, you can clean Columbia manually. The washing process is as follows:

Place the product on a hanger. It is important that the size of the hangers matches the shoulders of the jacket;
Hang the item above the bathtub;
Take the detergent and treat the most dirty areas. Regular shampoo, liquid or laundry soap is suitable for these purposes. The mixture should be applied to the jacket using a clean sponge;

Important ! Pay attention to the most contaminated places - you need to go over them with a sponge as carefully as possible.

Rinse off the product from the surface of the product with clean water; Pay attention to avoid divorces;
Clean the inside of the jacket in the same way. But, you need to be very careful with the membrane lining;
After completing all the procedures, wring out the jacket a little, let it drain right in the bathroom, and send it to dry in a warm place.

Important ! It is strictly forbidden to twist Columbia jackets!

Machine washable

First you need to properly prepare for the process:

Unhook all fur elements. For example, from the hood and collar;
Check if there are any foreign objects in the pockets - take them out;
Close pockets and all zippers;
Turn the sleeves inside out.

Preparation

First, check the information on the label. It can be used to determine whether the product can be washed. Please note that it is usually in your pocket and is difficult to find.
Remove any real fur jewelry. It is not advisable to wash it, but nothing will happen to the artificial one.
Fasten zippers, buttons, etc., and tie shoelaces.
Turn the product inside out.
Apply laundry soap in advance to particularly dirty areas.

Please note that the Omni-Hit jacket, which has a hood made of natural fur, must be dry cleaned.

How to wash a Columbia membrane jacket in a washing machine

Such jackets are created using new technology, and if you wash them using the methods described above, then most likely you will simply ruin the membrane layer and the item will lose its useful properties.

Moreover, Columbia membrane jackets are much more expensive than their “brothers,” so it’s best to go to a dry cleaner. If you still decide to wash it yourself, then remember the main rules for caring for such outerwear:

It is strictly forbidden to turn on the spin mode on the machine - this will definitely ruin the membrane layer of the jacket;
Carefully choose a detergent, and most importantly, pay attention to its composition. There should not be any aggressive components;

Important ! Under no circumstances use detergents containing chlorine - the substance will “kill” the protective layer of the jacket and it will begin to get wet!

Standard detergents, rinse aids or conditioners are also prohibited;
Ask the store for cleaning products for membrane down products. You will be offered several options, varying in price and quality;

Good to know ! According to many experienced housewives who have repeatedly cleaned Columbia membrane jackets, good detergents are “Laska” and “Eared Nannies”.

Do not under any circumstances soak membrane Columbia before washing;
If you have already changed your mind about machine washing, take regular laundry soap and clean the item with it;
Ironing such clothes is also prohibited - due to exposure to high temperatures, the membrane layer loses its properties;
To dry the product, place it hanging in a warm, bright place, squeezing it lightly;

Important ! It is prohibited to dry Columbia membrane down jackets near any heating devices, or under direct influence of ultraviolet rays!

As a rule, in the warm season, such products will dry for a maximum of 2-3 days;
After drying, to protect your favorite item in the future, buy a special spray in the store for treating membrane clothing. It contains fluorine, and allows the jacket to retain its properties much longer.

Good to know ! Of these sprays, DWR spray has proven itself well. It operates on the principle that it creates, as it were, an invisible film on the surface of the thing. They do not allow moisture to linger on the jacket and do not interfere with free air circulation.

What should you take care of before washing?

Caring for and cleaning outerwear has its own nuances, since special insulation products are used to effectively protect against frost and strong winds. Columbia jackets are famous for their innovative and original heat retention technology - a special membrane system.

Be sure to follow all the requirements for washing a Columbia down jacket indicated on the tag:

Optimal washing temperature.
Washing mode - manual or automatic.
The permissibility of spinning, as well as its intensity.

Important! To be sure to correctly and correctly understand all the icons, use ours.