It's worth emphasizing once more that keeping it dry really is something you definitely want to do, especially a sleeping bag if you want a good night's sleep. It's important to get the bags out of such confines as soon as possible to get them aired though. I proofed a bag this way, and lived to thank the decision on the one occasion I got a down bag soaked, but overall performance did drop, which wasn't so pleasing on very cold nights. Storing down One of the great things about down is it compresses incredibly small for packing, but this should be avoided for routine storage outside of your pack. Down should be stored loosely and well aired, so don't compress it and do store it in a breathable bag.
Some manufacturers supply down equipment with mesh or cotton hanging bags, which are ideal.
You can hang them up in cupboards from hangers too, though the down tends to settle at the bottom of the baffles doing this. Don't fold or roll the equipment, as it tends to ridge the down and require more shaking before using it. Just stuff it in. Cleaning down There are two stages to cleaning down, washing and drying. One's a pain, and the other's a pain.