[capgirl49]

How do you clean a down comforter. Do you always take it to a dry cleaners?

[twinkiedooter]

I have successfully washed down comforters in the washing machine and dried them in the dryer. I have also washed numerous down coats. One down coat I have I've washed at least 2x a season for the past 10 years and it's perfectly okay. I have washed down and feather pillows in the washing machine also.

The "trick" to washing and drying down articles is to thoroughly dry them. Just when you "think" the item is dry, take it out of the dryer for a check to see if all of the down inside the article is dry. Down holds water and moisture longer than most other fabrics and materials. I dry the article on the low setting on my dryer. Sometimes when I dry my feather pillows it can take anywhere from 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours before they are thoroughly dry. If in doubt, dry them some more.

Just be sure to use a mild detergent and warm or cold water depending on what color the comforter is.

I have even washed my feather pillows in hot water on regular agitation! And they came out just fine and dandy after drying.

For my coats I usually use the delicate setting. I have 3 down coats that I wash every season.

Before you put the down item away for storage in the summer please let the item finish drying by placing it over your shower rod for about 2 days minimum so all of the moisture has left the item or you could have mildew problems when you take the item out in the fall to wear or put on your bed.

[Gem_22205]

This has been one of those questions of debate for years. I personally use the home dry cleaning kit at home and have my comforters professionally dry cleaned twice (2x) a year for a past 8 years. Provided are two (2) different views on the issue.

Can I wash and dry my down comforter?

Can I wash a down comforter in the washing machine?

[jurgenahlers]

No problem with washing a down comforter or pillows. Key is, they have to have a fine lining or strong casing, not anything that's been worn by sweat, or weakened with age. Be sure to use the gentle cycle, no bleach. When washing machine is full (water), place the comforter, tightly rolled, to minimize air pockets, into washer. Be sure comforter is well balanced and water covers entire item. Close lid. After wash cycle is complete, remove and place into dryer. It helps to place a couple of clean tennis balls inside. You can also get special soft, spikey rubber balls at Bed Bath and Beyond for down washing. You'll probably need to set dryer for a good 1.5 hours. You don't want to remove item if you sense there are still clumps of down in any of the "pockets."
The same process will work with down pillows. You'll definitely loose some down feathers, but loss is minimal. I've had the same comforter for 20 years, and it feels like the day I first bought it! :)

[twinkiedooter]

I just bought a down coat pre-owned off Ebay. Got it today and I noticed that the down was not evenly distributed in the garment. It is white so I could hold it up to a strong lightbulb and see this. I plunked it in the washer and washed it on gentle in cold water. Then (according to the label instructions of this LL Bean coat) I started to dry it in the dryer. After the coat went about 30 minutes and got the shell dried I put a TENNIS SHOE (yes, a tennis shoe according to the label instructions! ) into the dryer and had that bang around with the coat for about another hour. Each time I took the coat out to see if the down was completely fluffed up and dry I would spot another place in the coat that needed fluffed up. I kept the tennis shoe in the dryer the rest of the time.

Now the coat is fluffed up big time! Looks great. Never would guess it's a pre-owned garment as it is so fluffed out!

Yes, I laughed out loud when I read tennis shoe but I thought, what the heck, why not try that insead of a tennis ball. Worked great. I'll try that with my down and feather pillows next time I wash them. Have some overfilled Ralph Lauren feather pillows that can stand being pounded around a bit.