Cleaning and washing down and/or feathers

A down and/or feather washing and/or cleaning composition for rendering the down and/or feathers hydrophobic comprising:

• a solution of an alkyl polyglucoside;
• a solution of a carboxylic salt of a Group 4 metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium or hafnium, wherein the salt is a carboxylic salt selected from the group consisting of acetate, acetylacetonate, acrylate, and lactate;
• and a water-repellent treatment.

A kit for cleaning and/or washing down and/or feathers and rendering the down and/or feathers water repellent comprising

• (i) a closed vessel containing a solution of a polyglucoside comprising a hydrophobic end to the molecule with a formula of (C6H10O5)n, where n is at least 1, and a hydrophilic end to the molecule comprising an alkyl group having from 4 to 20 carbon atoms;
• (ii) a closed vessel containing a solution of a Group 4 metal salt wherein the Group 4 metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium and hafnium and the salt is a carboxylic salt selected from the group consisting of acetate, acetylacetonate, acrylate, and lactate;
• (iii) a closed vessel containing a water repellent treatment selected from the group consisting of waxes, silicones, stearic acid-melamine based systems, reactive polyurethanes, dendrimer chemistries and hydrophobic alkyl chain fluorinated compounds such as polymers based upon C6 and C8 fluorotelemer-derived acrylates;