I wouldn't put it in a washing machine unless it was a front loader. The aggitator in the middle of most home washing machines i dont think is very good on the jacket. Plus when i washed mine the spin cycle spun the jacket so fast that when a part of it hit the lid (or something on the inside) that it burned right through the straps and then a little through the vest before i stopped the machine from the crazy noise. the cuts looked as if a hot knife were used to cut it. I repaired it with shoe goo and mom's sewing
(FYI. i was washing it because the vest soaked up the smoke smell from when my upstairs neighbors caught the house on fire. All my and my wife's stuff was fine, just wet and smokey... but couldnt say the same for the neighbors, at least they were not hurt though)
(FYI GET RENTERS INSURANCE!!! for those of you renting... it might save you some day or make you temporary rich... we could have made bank if we had it, especially since we really didn't loose anything, it was just a big inconvenience really)
sorry for the off-topic tangent