It’s a case of less is more, here.

Even though it’s not out of the question to wash a sleeping bag, you should try to do it as seldom as possible. Washing a sleeping bag can lead to materials sustaining damage, while incorrect washing or the wrong detergent can impact on its quality and lofting performance.

So only wash your sleeping bag when it’s dirty or after using it at least 50 times.
Spot cleaning by hand is usually sufficient to get rid of little marks, using a damp cloth and lukewarm water with a little soap. And you can get rid of any unpleasant odors by airing your sleeping bag for a few hours.

If you use a sleeping bag regularly, then it’s impossible to avoid it being exposed to a bit of dirt or sweat. But there are ways you can help protect your sleeping bag. In an ideal world, you’d use your sleeping bag when you’re freshly showered. But seeing as that’s not usually possible when you’re camping, you could consider using a sleeping bag liner. Made from silk (or other materials), a liner will absorb perspiration and is easy to wash. It also provides added insulation. Or else, you could also wear functional or technical underwear in your sleeping bag.

While you should never wash a down sleeping bag in a washing machine, we would also not recommend washing a synthetic sleeping bag at 60 degrees Celsius (140 F).

It’s best to use a gentle cycle and wash your synthetic sleeping bag at no more than 30º Celsius (86ºF). And always read the care label first.

Before washing your sleeping bag, you should give it a thorough inspection for any holes, tears or other damage. Not sure how to mend your sleeping bag? Then contact the deuter repair service team. We’ll get your bag looking like new again. Once any damage has been fixed, you then need to carry our three steps before washing:

• Close all hook & loop tabs, zippers and press studs.
• Loosen off all drawcords.
• Turn your sleeping bag inside out to wash. That way, the whole bag will be cleaned despite any water-resistant treatment.

• Fill a bathtub with enough warm water (about 30 degrees).
• Use a technical or mild detergent to wash your sleeping bag. Attention: Do NOT use fabric softener or bleach!
• Immerse the sleeping bag under water.
• Gently massage the detergent into the sleeping bag and leave it to soak (up to one hour, depending on the degree of soiling).
• Then rinse the sleeping bag thoroughly with cold water.
• Gently squeeze the sleeping bag. Caution: Do not knead and wring out your sleeping bag, as this might split the seams!

• Place your sleeping bag in the washing machine – only 1 sleeping bag at a time – and add at least three tennis balls to the drum.
• Use a technical or mild detergent to wash your sleeping bag. Attention: Do NOT use fabric softener or bleach!
• Select a gentle wash cycle at 30 degrees. Attention: Follow the instructions on the care label of the sleeping bag!
• After washing, run several rinse cycles so that no detergent residue remains in the sleeping bag.

• For down sleeping bags we recommend using a dryer, so that the down is better distributed after washing.
• For this, place the down sleeping bag in the dryer once it has drip-dried for a few hours. Attention: Do not put a sodden sleeping bag lump in the dryer, because this can damage the sleeping bag.
• Put a minimum of three tennis balls in the dryer with it, and dry at a maximum of 30 degrees. This will restore the sleeping bag's loft. Any clumps of down will be loosened and become fluffy again. 
• Attention: After washing, do not iron your sleeping bag, do not steam it, do not expose it to direct heat.

• Lay out your synthetic sleeping bag lengthways or horizontally across a stable clothes horse or clothes airer. Important: Do not hang it on one side only, or else the fill can end up unevenly distributed. Caution: Wet sleeping bags can be really heavy!
• Dry your sleeping bag in a sheltered place in the fresh air, and out of direct sunlight.
• Every few hours, turn the sleeping bag inside out again and give it a gentle shake, until it is dry. It can take up to 3 days for a sleeping bag to dry.