Guess what clear skies and school-free months call for? Sleepovers! Make the most of the last weeks of summer by spending it with your friends. Is your sleeping bag ready? Here’s how you can clean it by yourself.
If you find it hard, though, because even adults do, you can always ask your parents to get it professionally cleaned.
Machine Wash
- Use a frontload machine. If you don’t have one at home, you can use one at a laundromat. They’re much roomier, allowing the bag to be cleaned thoroughly. Zip it up, and tuck in straps.
- Set it on a delicate cycle. This is a must for down sleeping bags. For other materials, a slightly stronger mode would suffice but not more.
- Use cold water and non-detergent soap. On a machine, keep the temperature to a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius. Specially formulated cleaning solutions are also available in stores.
Handwash
- Clean the bathtub before placing the sleeping bag. A tub allows you to clean it well and complete the following steps. Alternatives are also welcome.
- Spread the bag and fill the tub with water as well as the right amount of soap. Use only enough to submerge it in water. The temperature must be warm. Also use non-detergent soap.
- Step on the bag to fully soak it in soap and water. Do it carefully to avoid accidents.
- Drain the dirty, soapy water, fill the tub with the same amount of clean water, and step on the bag again. Do this repeatedly to get all the gunk out and get clean water into all areas of the sleeping bag. Repeat as needed.
Remember never to pick up the bag once it has absorbed water. You risk destroying it and making it unfit for use.
What to Pack for a Sleepover
Once done with cleaning the bag, the next is to prepare the other items for the sleepover!
- Snacks!
- Pajamas
- Clothes for the next day
- Toiletries, including toothbrushes and toothpaste!
- Toys
- Emergency numbers
- Pillow
- Sleeping bag
Those are just the bare essentials! For other ideas on what you’d need on a sleepover, head on over to a nearby store that has all your sleepover needs, and make sure you grab those essentials!
Happy trip!