Down Jacket Water Stains After Washing? Quick & Effective Fixes!

Laundry shops often face problems where down jackets have water stains after washing and drying, and they need to be rewashed. Sometimes, it needs multiple rewashes to clean the down jackets, which costs labor and time. During the time when a large number of down jackets need washing, this problem troubles many laundry practitioners, especially those who have just entered the industry. We hope the rewash can be avoided as much as possible because multiple washes in a short time not only increase the costs but also increase the laundry risk.

Reasons for the Water Stains

● Fabrics

Most down jackets are made of chemical fiber fabrics, among which polyester and nylon (or blended fabrics like polyester-cotton and nylon-cotton) are the most common. These fabrics have a dense structure with poor water permeability and air circulation, and their structure delivers good warmth retention and prevents down leakage. As a result, it causes slow and uneven evaporation of moisture after washing and makes water stains easily appear.

● Coatings

Down jackets have outer coatings and inner coatings. The surface is covered by coatings, and the evaporation of water is slow and uneven. That’s why the water stains form more easily.

● Quality of Down Jackets

This kind of down jacket is produced without proper standards, and the down and other materials are basically not degreased at all. Once washed, the fat in the down will seep out. Even after multiple washes, the water stains still cannot be completely removed. These down jackets are not only difficult to clean but may even have an unpleasant odor after washing. This is highly likely to cause disputes later on.

Cleaning of the Down Jackets

● Washing Water

- Temperature

The best temperature is 35 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius. In such temperatures, the detergent can more easily have better washing effects, and the down jackets can be easily washed. Some washing machines have malfunctioning temperature control systems, which may cause the actual washing temperature to be higher or lower than this range. All Kingstar industrial washing machines (SHS-2060) are equipped with highly sensitive temperature sensors, which can always maintain the required temperature for washing. Many people say that dirt or oil stains on down jackets cannot be washed thoroughly. If the quality of the detergent is ruled out, then it is necessary to consider whether the washing temperature is inappropriate.

- Water Quality

The washing water should be soft. In areas with hard water, the alkaline detergents easily combine with calcium and magnesium ions in water and then form soap scum. This causes down jackets to be contaminated again during the washing process and is often overlooked. Once they are on down jackets, they will form water stains that are hard to remove. Laundry shops should better install a water softener. If such conditions are not available, laundry shops in areas with hard water should store water: that is, put the water in a larger container, add a little soda ash or sodium hexametaphosphate to the water, and leave it overnight.

The next day, staff can use it to wash down jackets. The cost didn’t increase much, and the effect was relatively obvious.

- Rinse

To increase the cleaning rate, people use water at 40°C during washing, but they use water at 20°C or even lower for rinsing. This suddenly reduces the solubility of the detergent in the down jacket, and the detergents will remain in the clothes because down jackets have poor water permeability. After air drying, the so-called water stains appear. The Kingstar 25kg washing machine SHS-2025P has a cooling function. It can increase the water temperature after the main wash and gradually decrease it to avoid a sudden drop in temperature.

Also, the rinse may not be enough. A lot of detergent residues are in clothes.

● Neutralization

After rinsing the down jacket clean, neutralization treatment is needed. Generally, glacial acetic acid can be added to the water during the last rinse. Because glacial acetic acid is mild in nature, it causes almost no damage to the fabric and color. It can also neutralize the alkalinity in down jackets, reduce foam, and make rinsing more thorough. This prevents water stains.

● Dehydration and Drying

After dehydration, the high water content, which causes slow drying, is also an important reason. Some laundry shops have old laundry equipment with poor dehydration function. The washed down jackets still have a high water content. In addition, the efficiency of the dryer is low, and the drying speed is low, so the water stains can only be found after drying.

Kingstar dryer adopts a high-power heating design and adds an insulation layer to the outer cylinder. It heats up quickly and has a good insulation effect, which can improve the drying efficiency. When the Kingstar industrial washing machine is combined with the industrial dryer, it can achieve a high dehydration rate and rapid drying. This helps avoid water stains caused by incomplete dehydration.