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

Jamie Ward · 2026-07-18T21:20:05.652687+00:00

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?

grantt391mo ago

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

8

the_rowan1mo ago

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

5

kim_ramirez31mo 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.

5