My dog puked in the footbox of my new down bag and I was wondering if anyone has any cleaning tips. It was pretty gross but the lasting stench is even worse. Is it a loss? Its my bed for the summer so Im desperate. Ali

Ali,

Use Pure Ayre, it will even remove skunk smell.

It uses exzymes to actually break down the molecular bond.

http://www.pureayre.com/

Ed

Thanks Ed. Ali

Doesn't anyone have any dog puke jokes? There must be a lighter side to this story!

Down bags can be washed; check the Western Mountaineering web site for directions. Dissolve baking soda in the water to help remove the smell.

That sucks. I had a cat pee on one of my down bags but at least it was a cheap one. I just took it to the laundromat with some regular down soap and all is well.

Richard, I'm writing a song about it on my ukulele. I'll post it on youtube wen i'm done. Ali

on blankets, towels, clothing, etc.

and that's for cat urine, etc.

haven't had anything down that got hit yet, but if we do a 30 min or so soak before starting the cycle when using the oxy powder, it's been pretty much 100% effective at getting the horrible stinks out

good luck

here's a possible lyric (assuming standard blues chords)

"lost my job; my luck's been a horrible fluke; now the dog's gone and bathed my bed in puke..."

My cat crapped on my brand new McHale pack about a year ago. Every time the pack got wet, the smell came back. I finally used an enzyme cleaner and it wiped out the smell completely.

If you're ever on the trail and pass a guy with a McHale pack and a catskin cap, that's me.

Edited by bill123 on 04/28/2009 16:05:15 MDT.

Sorry to hear that, it's always sad when you have to put a pet down....Kidding : ) I don't have an answer for you, but I'm listening to what everyone else tells you, cause I have 2 dogs and 2 cats so it's probably only a matter of time until it happens to me too. One of my dogs threw up on my feet once while I was sitting on the couch, one of my cats projectiled vomited across the kitchen floor just today...gotta love pets)

I like the Tim Allen comment, "But honey, I thought the reason we had kids was because they live longer than dogs."

Whenever I repeat this, someone gets huffy. I have kids and a dog, and still think it is funny.

As to getting rid of the smell, sounds like your solution(s) have already been posted.

I'd contact the manufacturer about cleaning. I'd worry about chemicals stripping the shell fabric of its DWR, impair liner/shell breathability or stripping the down of its natural oils.

McNett sell bottles of down cleaner, not sure how it will tackle the smell though. *In* the footbox?!