Heard a guy at REI say he never washes his sleeping bag

I was at the REI in Portland last weekend waiting for the register and this dude next to me was telling his friend he's owned the same down bag for 8 years and never once washed it. Said he just airs it out after trips. I have a 3 year old synthetic bag that I wash maybe once a year but now I'm wondering if I'm doing too much or too little. Anyone know how often you really need to clean a sleeping bag before the loft starts dying?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantt399d ago

Dry it in the sun after every trip and those UV rays kill the bacteria before it gets nasty.

the_rowan9d agoMost Upvoted

Eight years without a wash is just asking for mildew (and stink).

kim_ramirez37d ago

Read a backpacking guide that said washing once a season is fine for synthetics, but if you air it out every time you can stretch it to twice a year no problem.