| How to Clean Tufted Carpet Posted: 24 Jan 2021 04:00 PM PST Whether you're cleaning tufted wall-to-wall carpet or an area rug, keep a few simple things in mind. Since tufted carpet is longer and shaggier than short, woven carpet, it's easy for dirt to hide deep in the fibers. Fortunately, vacuuming the fibers lifts dirt and keeps your tufted carpet looking its best. If you regularly clean the carpet and treat stains, your carpet will look great for years. [Edit]Vacuuming the Carpet - Use a suction vacuum and turn off your vacuum's beater bar. The brush on a beater bar can twist or break the tufted fibers, so use a suction vacuum that doesn't brush the carpet. If you have a stand vacuum, you might have the option to turn the beater bar off. Look for a button or switch on the side or top of your vacuum that allows you to turn the bar off.[1]
- Some vacuums also let you adjust the level of suction. Set it to a low level so the vacuum doesn't pull hard on the fibers.
- Avoid using a rotary brush nozzle attachment. If you need to spot clean a small area of tufted carpet, don't reach for the rotary brush nozzle attachment on your vacuum. The small brush attachment can tangle and damage the fibers of the carpet.[2]
- It's better to simply use your vacuum to clean a small area of tufted carpet.
- Run the vacuum over the tufted carpet 3 to 5 times. It's easy to rush when you're vacuuming, but take the time to pass over the same area of tufted carpet 3 to 5 times. Vacuuming slowly sucks up the most dust, dirt, and hair. Work from left to right in straight lines that overlap to ensure that you don't miss a spot.
- Check the vacuum hose occasionally so you can clean out clogs that prevent your vacuum from working efficiently.
- Vacuum your carpet or rug at least once a week. Vacuuming is one of the most effective ways to clean your tufted carpet, especially if you make it part of your weekly cleaning routine.[3] If your tufted carpet is in an area that doesn't get a lot of use, vacuum it once a week. If it gets light use, vacuum every 2 to 3 days.[4]
- You won't damage your tufted carpet if you vacuum it every day. If the carpet or rug is in a high-traffic area that frequently gets dirty, vacuuming daily helps to maintain the fibers.
- Lay down an entrance mat to protect the tufted carpet in your entryway. Prevent people from tracking dirt onto the tufted carpet by placing a walk-off mat in your entryway. Remember to vacuum the mat every few days so it continues to protect your carpet.[5]
- You can also lay mats in high-traffic areas of your home to extend the life of your tufted carpet.
[Edit]Removing Stains - Work on the stain right away so it doesn't set. Most stains are harder to remove if they dry and set into the fibers. As soon as you notice the stain or spill, get out cleaning supplies and start lifting the stain.[6]
- If the stain is dry, spray hot soapy water onto it and blot the tufted carpet to lift the stain.
- Dab a cloth on the stain to soak up liquid. If you've spilled wine, coffee, soda, or another staining liquid, immediately lay a clean, dry cloth on the carpet. Press firmly onto it so it absorbs the liquid and stops soaking into the carpet.[7]
- Use a clean cloth so you don't put dirt or bacteria onto the stain.
- Spray diluted vinegar on water-soluble stains like juice, dirt, or mud. Fill a spray bottle with of white vinegar and of water. Shake the solution and spray the stain until the carpet is damp. Then, blot the stain with a clean, dry cloth.[8]
- You won't use all of the diluted vinegar solution, so save it for another cleaning project.
- Spread soapy water on dark stains like coffee, wine, or chocolate. Mix of liquid dish soap in of water. Then, pour it over the stain and let it sit for 5 minutes before you blot the area with a damp cloth.[9]
- You may need to repeat this if the stain is still visible.
- Press a dry cloth over the area once you've lifted the stain.
- Sprinkle baking soda over urine stains before you vacuum the carpet. If the urine is still wet, sprinkle an even layer of baking soda over the carpet. Let the baking soda sit for a few minutes and vacuum over the area. The baking soda helps absorb moisture and neutralizes the odor.[10]
- If the stain isn't wet, spritz it with a little water before you sprinkle baking soda over it.
- Call a professional floor cleaner if you're dealing with a pet that repeatedly pees in the same spot on your tufted carpet. The professional will apply an enzyme that completely removes traces of the odor before they steam the carpet.
- Avoid rubbing any type of stain. Remember that you're trying to lift a stain to the surface so you can remove it. If you rub back and forth or in a circular motion, you're pushing the stain down where it's harder to remove. Always blot or dab the stain to work it to the surface.[11]
- Never use brushes to scrub the stain either since brushing can also twist and tangle the fibers.
- Don't panic if you see your new carpet shedding fibers. Tufted carpet loses fibers for the first few weeks, so just vacuum 2 to 3 times a week after installing the carpet or laying down the rug.[12]
- Empty your vacuum's dirt canister or bag before it gets half full since this can help it run more efficiently.
[Edit]Warnings - If you're struggling to remove a stain, don't use harsh cleansers on the carpet. Call a professional carpet cleaner for advice or hire them to safely deep-clean your tufted carpet.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Suction vacuum
- Cloths
- Walk-off mat
- Spray bottle
- Vinegar
[Edit]References |
| How to Test Your Strength Posted: 24 Jan 2021 08:00 AM PST Figuring out just how strong you are is a great way to establish fitness goals. It can also simply be a fun way to figure out which one of your friends is the strongest! There are a variety of ways to determine your strength. Your upper body, lower body, and overall fitness require different types of tests, so it's important to figure out what your goal is before doing anything else. Remember to always get a spotter if you're using weights to find your lifting limit at the gym. [Edit]Using Physical Tests - Do push-ups for 3 minutes to test your upper body strength. Push-ups are a great physical fitness test because they assess your strength relative to your body weight. Do this on a carpet or yoga mat. Get on your knees, put your hands under your shoulders, and raise your body up with your legs straight and feet together. See how many push-ups you can do in 3 minutes to assess your strength.[1]
- Only count the push-ups where you lower yourself far enough to bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
- You can do this with chin-ups if you prefer. Chin-ups rely a little more on back muscles, but they're still a great way to test upper-body strength.
- A fit 30-year-old adult man should be able to do at least 20 push-ups. Women should be able to perform around 15 push-ups.
- See how many crunches you can do in 1 minute to test your core. Crunches are a great way to assess your core and overall endurance. Lay down on a yoga mat or carpet and place your feet firmly on the ground. Cross your arms in front of you or set them on the side next to you. Raise your shoulders and head without lifting your butt off of the floor. Do as many crunches as you can in 1 minute to test your core and endurance.[2]
- For a 30-year-old male, 40 crunches is considered an average result. For women, this number is around 30.
- Determine how long you can hold a half-squat to measure lower body strength. Stand with your back against a wall and slide yourself down until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Start a timer and see how long you can stabilize your body against the wall in a half-squat position. Once you can no longer maintain the position, stop the timer and stand up or lower yourself to the floor gently.[3]
- A healthy 30-year old man should be able to last at least 80 seconds in a half squat. A 30-year-old woman should be able to make it 70 seconds.
- Use a running test to assess your overall endurance or explosiveness. For a larger overall assessment, use a running test. You can either see how long it take you to run , or borrow the NFL's tool for testing explosiveness and run a sprint. Use a stopwatch to determine how fast you are.[4]
- It actually takes a lot of muscle strength to sprint or run a long distance. While many people believe that running is strictly a cardiovascular exercise, it's really a whole body workout.
- For a run, 8 minutes is considered the standard threshold for a good time for both men and women.
- Anything under 6 seconds is considered good for a sprint.
- Opt for a swimming test to check your overall physical fitness. Since swimming requires your body to fight against the resistance in the water, this is a great way to test your general fitness. Have a friend time you as you swim 1-2 laps in a pool and see how fast you are. Alternatively, you can see how many laps you can complete in 5 minutes.[5]
- Since pools come in different sizes, it's a lot harder to assess what a good swimming time is. In general, swimming in under 2 minutes is considered good.
[Edit]Finding Your Maximum Lifting Strength - Get a spotter before preparing for your one-rep max. A one-rep max refers to the maximum weight you can lift in any given exercise for a single repetition. Since this involves lifting a heavy weight and testing your limits, enlist a friend or fellow gym member to spot for you and help you raise the weight if you start struggling. This is incredibly dangerous to do on your own, since the weight can seriously injure you if nobody is there to help you out.[6]
- You should not do this if you don't regularly lift weights or exercise. Your body will not be used to the heavy weight and you're extremely likely to tear a ligament, drop a weight, or tear a muscle.
- Choose the weightlifting exercise you want to test. You can do this for any free-weight or machine exercise. The most common choices are the bench press, leg press, and the barbell squat. However, you can really use any lifting exercise so long as it isn't your first time doing it.[7]
- If you're on a specific workout regimen, this is an important part of establishing benchmarks and determine what goal you're working towards. If you're doing this for more than one exercise, don't do them on the same day. Wait 3 days between one-rep max lifts to give your body time to heal.
- Set your target based on your previous experience with lighter weights. If you know what your limits generally are, base your one-rep target on what you know you can achieve and add to start. If you aren't sure, determine your maximum number of reps at any given weight and plug it into a one-rep max calculator online. There's a formula for determining your one-rep max based on how many reps you can do at a given rate, but it's kind of hard to calculate on your own.[8]
- Alternatively, you can start at a comfortable weight and work your way up, but you may wear yourself down before you figure out what your one-rep max actually is. This is a good way to find a baseline for when you re-test in 2-3 days, though.
- There are plenty of one-rep max calculators online. You can find a basic one at https://strengthlevel.com/one-rep-max-calculator.
- Do a 15-minute warmup on a treadmill or bike before lifting anything. To activate your muscles and get ready for the heavy weight, spend 15 minutes doing some cardio. You can jog, run on a treadmill, ride an exercise bike, or do calisthenic exercises. So long as you get your blood flowing and work up a light sweat, it doesn't necessarily matter what warmup you choose.[9]
- This is a key part of preventing injuries. Your body needs to work its way up to heavy lifting.[10]
- Do 3-5 repetitions at 50% of your target rate to warm up. To start preparing for your one-max rep, do 3-5 reps at half of the target weight. Use the same lifting exercise that you're using for the one-rep max. In other words, if you're preparing for a one-rep max on a bench press, do 3-5 reps on a bench with a barbell like you normally do.[11]
- This should be very easy for you. If you struggle with 3-5 reps at half of the weight of your target, lower your one-rep max target.
- For example, if your target weight is , do 3-5 reps at .
- Wait 3-5 minutes before doing 2-3 reps at 75% of the target weight. Once you've completed your first set at a lower weight, stand up and take a rest. Wait a few minutes to give your body time to reset and do another 2-3 reps at 75-80% of your target weight.[12]
- It's okay if this is a little hard to do. This shouldn't be extremely difficult, though. If you're barely getting 75% of the target, lower the number you're shooting for.
- If you're getting ready to lift , do 2-3 reps at .
- Take another 3-4 minute rest before testing your one-rep max. Stand back up and rest for another 3-4 minutes to give your body a break. Then, load the weight for your one-rep max. Take a deep breath, make sure that the spotter is ready, and attempt to lift or move the weight. If at any point you find your body buckling or the weight starts moving down, yell "spot" or "help" to let the spotter know you need assistance.[13]
- There's no shame in asking for help from a spotter. Do not risk letting the weight go without asking for help.
- If you can't hit your target but you get close, treat this as your new one-rep max target and give it another shot in 2-3 days.
- Add another if you can comfortably keep going. If the one rep max wasn't a major struggle for you, keep adding weight to see if you can lift more. Add an additional and see if you can lift it. Only do this 2-3 times though, since adding a lot of weight that you aren't used to lifting can become dangerous and you're getting worn out with each rep.[14]
- Use your one-rep max as a baseline to determine how much weight to use for your exercises in the future.[15]
[Edit]Playing Strength-Testing Games - Find a high striker at a carnival or arcade and hit it with a mallet. High strikers are those vertical poles with a weight at the bottom that you hit with a mallet to try and hit the bell at the top. You can find a high striker at any carnival, although arcades occasionally have them as well. Fork over $1-2 and take a shot at seeing how high you can score. Simply swing the mallet as hard as you can and strike the button or platform at the bottom of the machine to send the weight flying up towards the bell.[16]
- This is a fun exercise more than anything else. The way you hold and swing the mallet, combined with your striking accuracy, has a strong impact on your result, which doesn't make it a great test for raw strength.
- Test your strength against another person by arm wrestling. Sit down across from your opponent and lock your right hands around their right hand. Keep your elbows on the table and have a friend countdown to begin. Try to pin your opponent's arm by pulling it down towards the table. You cannot lift your elbow, get out of your seat, or use your nondominant hand to brace yourself on the table. This is a great way to figure out which of you is stronger![17]
- To avoid disagreements, enlist a third friend to referee the match and watch the elbows.
- Play tug of war to assess the strength of groups of people. Get a long, sturdy rope and lay it down flat on a grassy area or gym floor. Split up 2 teams of people evenly or have predetermined teams grab separate ends of the rope. Have someone countdown to start the game. The first group that falls down or releases the rope is considered the loser and the remaining team is declared the winner.[18]
- This is a great team-building exercise and a fun competitive event at school.
- You can have 1-on-1 tug of war competitions if you want, but tug of war is traditionally a team game.
- Assess arm strength and throwing distance using a football or basketball. Grab a few footballs or basketballs and head out to a large field. Have each thrower spread out to avoid balls bumping into one another and launch the balls as hard as you can. Once every person has thrown a ball, go to the other end of the field and determine who threw the ball the furthest.[19]
- You can use a smaller, lighter ball if you prefer, but you'll need more room for the test since a lighter object may travel or bounce further.
[Edit]Warnings - Never try to lift a heavy weight without a spotter to help you in the event that you struggle.
- Do not go swimming without a lifeguard present—especially if you're trying to test your swimming speed or endurance.
[Edit]References |
| How to Wash Technical Clothing Posted: 24 Jan 2021 12:00 AM PST Ski jackets, heavy coats, winter pants, and waterproof outerwear are made to be durable, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't wash them from time to time. For heavy coats and jackets, once a year will do (or whenever you notice they smell or are visibly dirty). However, sportswear should be washed once you've sweated in them. The care instructions on the tags of your clothes will clue you in on how exactly you should wash the garment, so pay close attention to those details. [Edit]Using a Washing Machine - Read the care instructions on the tag of the garment. The garment's manufacturer knows what's best for the fabric, so refer to the care instructions for the best advice. Most technical clothing can be washed in the washing machine as long as you don't use regular detergent or fabric softeners—a specialty outerwear detergent is best.[1]
- For dark-colored clothing, check the tag to see if you should wash it inside out to keep the color from fading.
- You shouldn't wash down jackets in a top-loading machine because the garment could snag and tear on the center agitator during the spin cycle.
- Note any icons on the tag: an image of a hand reaching into a bucket of water means hand-washing is recommended. Two dots mean warm water while 3 mean hot water. A small icon of a dryer (a square with a circle inside it) with an "x" through it means you shouldn't tumble-dry the garment.
- Run your washing machine on an empty cycle to clean it. Residue from fabric softeners or biological detergents can damage the fibers and coating on your outerwear, especially if it has a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. To prevent doing damage, run the rinse cycle with hot water to wash away any residue in the drum.[2]
- If your washing machine has a detergent tray, make sure it's clean and free of any liquid or powder detergent residue.
- Empty all the pockets and close all the zippers and flaps. Check all the pockets to make sure you're not accidentally washing other items along with your clothing (like snack crumbs). Zip up all the zippers and close all the flaps on the garment to help them keep their shape.[3]
- If necessary, brush away any visible debris from the garment like stuck-on leaves, sand, and dirt.
- If your jacket has detachable pieces made of different materials like fur, remove those before washing it. You'll need to clean fur attachments separately.[4]
- Pre-treat any stains or soiled areas with specialty detergent. Rub a little of the detergent you'll be using to wash the garment onto the stain. This should be specialty detergent made for outerwear—do not use regular detergent or fabric softeners. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing the area with warm water and gently rubbing it with a damp cloth.[5]
- Don't the same spot-treating formulas you would use on regular clothing because the chemicals may cause discoloration or damage the fibers.
- Place a maximum of 2 large or bulky garments into the machine. If you're washing an extra-bulky outerwear jacket, wash it by itself to ensure the detergent and water can fully penetrate the clothing fibers. Smaller, thinner garments like base layers and thermal underwear can be washed in larger batches—just make sure the machine fills with enough water to cover all of the items.[6]
- If you're using a compact washing machine (or any type that's smaller than full-sized), only wash 1 garment at a time.
- Pour 1 to 2 capfuls of specialty detergent into the machine's detergent drawer. If you're washing 1 item, use 1 capful of specialty outerwear detergent or cleaner. For 2 items or 1 heavily soiled item, use 2 capfuls. If your machine doesn't have a detergent drawer, pour the solution directly into the drum with the garment and water.[7]
- Check the manufacturer's recommendations about which specialty detergent to use.
- You can buy detergent made for outerwear at most camping and outdoor gear superstores.
- If you plan to reproof the clothing later, consider using a 2-in-1 solution that will both wash and reproof your outerwear to save time and water.[8]
- Set the washer to a regular cycle wash using warm water. A water temperature of around 86°F (30°C) will clean the garment without compromising the material. Avoid using hot water because it can cause the sealant tape around pockets and seams to melt, decreasing the garment's longevity.[9]
- If your dryer has a spin option, select the low spin option.[10]
- Do an extra rinse cycle to ensure the garment is free of detergent. Set your washing machine to do an extra rinse to make sure all the detergent is out of the garment. Don't reset the water temperature for the rinse—leave it on the warm setting.[11]
- You can also fill a large tub with water and rinse it that way, submerging the garment gently pressing out any remaining soapy water.
- Dry the garment according to the care instructions. Some garments can be tumble dried while others can be laid flat or hung up to dry. Read the care instructions on the label or, if the label has worn off, look up the care instructions from the manufacturer's website. If it can go in the dryer, use a low heat setting to avoid damaging the fibers.[12]
- Some heavy-duty jackets with waterproof coating should be hang dried until just damp and then put in the dryer on low heat for 20 minutes to reactivate the coating.
[Edit]Handwashing Down Jackets and Outerwear - Fill a tub or sink with warm water and a capful of specialty detergent. Fill the vessel with enough water to cover the entire article of clothing. For instance, you'll need at least of water to completely submerge a puffer jacket. Pour in 1 capful of specialty outerwear detergent for 1 garment.[13]
- If you need to wash 2 garments, wash them one at a time.
- Place the garment in the water and push it down, flipping it as you push. Use your hands to push the garment underwater section by section until it's fully submerged. Work in the suds with your hands as you push the jacket down.[14]
- Make sure you've pressed the garment down from the front and back so the soapy water has worked its way through the whole thing.
- Let the garment soak for 30 minutes or longer. Allowing the garment to sit in the water will ensure the detergent reaches as many fibers as possible.[15] Leave extra-soiled garments soaking for up to 60 minutes.[16]
- If the inside of the garment is particularly smelly or soiled, turn it inside out before you let it soak.
- Drain the tub or sink while pressing water out of the garment. Lift the stopper on your tub or sink so the soapy water drains away. Press down on the garment with your hands to expel as much of the soapy water as possible.[17]
- If you have one handy, use a large slotted laundry basket as a strainer.
- Rinse the garment with clean warm water 4 to 6 times. Refill the tub or sink with warm water and drain it again, pressing the water out in the process. You may need to repeat this up to 6 times or until the water runs clear.[18]
- Don't twist or wring the garment because it could tear the fabric or distort the shape of the stuffing inside.
- Transfer the jacket to a dryer or hanger according to the care instructions. Check the care instructions on the label to see whether it's best to tumble dry or hang dry it. Be careful carrying the garment if it's made of down because the water will make it super heavy—cradle the entire jacket so the weight doesn't stretch or tear the fabric.[19]
- If the jacket is made of down, avoid air-drying it because it can take a long time and result in mold and mildew.
[Edit]Tumble-Drying Down Jackets - Place the garment in the tumble dryer on low for 20 minutes, if possible. If the care instructions suggest tumble-drying, put the garment in the dryer. Stay nearby because you'll need to stay nearby to take the garment out and shape it every 20 minutes.[20]
- Put 4 tennis balls into the dryer—these will help heavy down jackets keep their puffiness.
- Remove the garment from the dryer and break up any internal clumps. Take the garment out of the dryer and use your hands to fluff up the material, breaking up any clumps that may have formed inside of it. This is especially important for down jackets because clumping can change the structure of the jacket.[21]
- Make sure to cover the entire garment, concentrating on any creases where inside material may have bunched up.
- Repeat the drying and fluffing process at least 4 times until it's dry. Puffy jackets and outerwear are thick, so they'll take much longer to dry than normal clothing items. You may need to repeat the drying-and-fluffing process 4 to 6 times until the garment is fully dry.[22]
- The entire washing and drying process can take 3 to 4 hours total, so be patient.
[Edit]Cleaning Athletic Wear - Wash smelly gym clothes right away. Don't toss your worn, stinky items in a hamper until laundry day because it'll make them smell worse and cause nearby clothing to stink as well. It may even lead to mold and mildew, which smells even worse![23]
- If you can't wash them right away or would rather wait until you have a full load of stinky workout gear, turn them inside out and put them on hangers. Hang the hangers outside or somewhere in your bathroom until the sweat is dry. Then you can toss them in your hamper until laundry day.
- Pre-soak extra-stinky workout clothes in vinegar for 30 minutes. Fill a large bowl or sink with 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water. For instance, if you're using a bowl that holds of water, pour in of white vinegar. Let them soak for 30 minutes.[24]
- Note that you'll need to transfer the clothes into the washing machine after soaking, so make sure the machine is empty and ready to go.
- Feel free to skip this step if your athletic clothes aren't super soiled. You can always add vinegar to the rinse cycle later on.[25]
- Set your washing machine to cold or warm water. Hot water may seem like the best option for cleaning sweaty clothes, but most active wear requires cold water due to the fabrics. Some garments made of cotton blends can be washed in warm water, but it's best to use cold if you're washing a load of workout clothes made from different materials.[26]
- Spandex, polyester, rayon, linen shouldn't be washed in hot (and sometimes warm) water because it can break down the fibers or shrink the garment.
- Fill the detergent tray with regular detergent free of bleach or softeners. Choose a detergent that doesn't have fabric softeners already in the formula because they'll lock in the smell and leave a residue on the clothing. If your washing machine doesn't have a tray, pour the detergent into the drum along with the clothes.[27]
- If you chose not to do a vinegar pre-soak, add some in during the rinse cycle for extra stink-cleaning power.
- Dry athletic wear in a tumble dryer on low or no heat if possible. Refer to the care instructions to see if you can tumble dry your workout gear. If so, set your dryer to the low heat or no heat setting.[28]
- Use dryer balls to prevent static cling.
- Hang dry athletic wear on a rack, hanger, or line. Reshape the clothing and hang it on a hanger or drying rack to dry. Place the hanger or rack in a well-ventilated area to prevent dampening the air in the room. If possible, hang the clothes outside because the sun will help prevent the growth of bacteria within the clothing fibers.[29]
- Thin workout clothes may only take 3 to 4 hours to fully dry.
- Heavier workout clothes intended for cold weather may take up to 1 or 2 days to fully hang-dry.
[Edit]Reproofing Waterproof Outerwear - Spray the entire surface of the dry garment with reproofing spray. Hang the jacket on a hanger or clothesline and hold the spray bottle or canister to away. Spray the entire outer surface of the garment evenly.[30]
- Always reproof a garment after you clean it; don't reproof dirty outerwear.[31]
- Wipe away any excess proofing solution with a damp cloth. Wiping the excess away will prevent any residue marks on the garment. It's also necessary to wipe away as much as you can before adding a second layer of proofing spray if you choose to do so.[32]
- A slightly damp rag or paper towel will do the trick.
- Apply a second layer of proofer to high-contact areas. Areas that are exposed to the elements the most can benefit from a second proofing layer. For jackets, this is the shoulders and elbow areas. For pants, the knees and butt area can benefit from a second proofing layer.[33]
- Depending on what you'll be doing in the garment you may want to double-spray other areas like the chest or back as well.
- If your garment's waterproof layer has completely faded, go ahead and spray the entire jacket a second time.
- Reshape the garment and let it air dry for air-cured proofers. Check the care instructions on the proofing spray to see if it's air-cured or heat-activated. If it's air-cured, hang the item up to dry or lay it flat—refer to the care instructions on the label.[34]
- If you're hanging the garment, hang it outside or in a well-ventilated area.
- Tumble-dry the garment on low heat for 20 minutes for heat-activated proofer. Check the instructions on the proofing spray to see if it's heat-activated. If so, set your dryer to low heat and let it dry for 15 minutes (or however long the instructions suggest).[35]
- Toss 4 tennis balls into your dryer along with a down jacket to help the material stay fluffy.[36]
- Too much heat can damage the seams around pockets and zippers, so be sure to use low heat.
- Only dry 1 garment at a time to minimize the drying time.
- If the jacket is made of down, give it a shake and massage the jacket to redistribute the feathers.[37]
- For a heavily soiled garment, stop the wash halfway and let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
- If you don't have access to a dryer, check the label to see if you can iron the garment with a towel placed between the iron and the garment.[38]
- You can also use a hairdryer to "set" heat-activated proofing spray.[39]
- If you don't have any dryer balls, ball up some aluminum foil and toss it into the dryer with your clothes.
[Edit]Warnings - Don't take down products to a dry cleaner's because the chemicals used to dry clean normal clothes can damage the material.[40]
- Never use a top-loading washing machine to clean down jackets because it could tear the fabric during even a gentle spin cycle.[41]
[Edit]References |
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