The best way to clean a Down Comforter.
Down Comforters can become soiled and require periodic cleaning.
In the below video, we demonstrate how we recommend washing a down comforter:
When it is time to clean your down comforter, washing is a better alternative than dry cleaning, here’s why.
- Dry cleaning uses a chemical called PERC, which is considered to be a carcinogenic. Dry cleaning winds up leaving the PERC residue on both the down and the cover. While you sleep, your mouth is right next to your comforter. That means you are breathing in this carcinogenic for multiple hours every night.
- Harsh chemicals used in dry cleaning damage the down cluster as well as the cotton shell of a comforter.
Below are several videos that will provide you additional information about down comforters.
Washing a down comforter is not that difficult of a process, although drying a down comforter is a bit more involved. We recommend taking your down comforter to a Laundromat, because the dryers found there usually have larger drums than your dryer at home.
We also prefer the use of high-efficiency front loaders instead of top load washers.
Now when you are ready to wash your comforter, it’s a perfect time to check and see how worn out it is and whether or not it needs to be replaced.
Click here to be redirected to our blog and video were we demonstrates how to tell if it is time to replace yours.
Washing:
- The first step is to insert your down comforter into the washing machine. Then add money and detergent.
- Down manufacturers frown on the use of bleach when washing down comforters, because it can cause a slight amount of damage to the down and the outside cotton shell. However, just a ¼ cup of bleach can kill all the dust mites in your comforter. We think any minimal amount of damage is better than having to keep on sleeping with dust mites.
- So, while the washer does its thing, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some quiet time to yourself.
- Once the wash cycle is finished, your down comforter will appear as though all the down has disappeared. Don’t fret, it’s just wet.
Extractor:
- Now it is time to bring your down comforter over to a high-speed extractor. Let the extractor begin to spin a little more water out of it, this will speed up the drying process.
Drying:
The Laundromat has dryer drums which are often two to three times larger than the ones in a home. The larger drum, allows the comforter to tumble better, speeding up the drying process. Here’s what comes next:
- Put the down comforter inside the dryer and then make sure to set the heat to medium.
- Next, is a very important step – as the down starts to dry and fluff, you’ll see the comforter begin to fill up the dryer drum.
- The outside of the comforter will feel dry, but the inside is likely to still be rather damp
- As the comforter fluffs up a little, remove it from the dryer and re-orientate it. This is done by bringing the damp center to the outside and vice versa. Next, reinsert into the dryer.
- Remove the comforter every five minutes or so and continue to re-orientate it.
- Keep an eye out for down bunching up in the compartments. Fix it by simply fluffing those clumps out by hand.
After your comforter is completely dry, take it back home and place it in your duvet cover.
If it still feels damp, set it outside in the sun or drop it over your bed (un-stuffed) until the air completely dries it out.
Shown below is our luxurious generously sized baffle-box down comforter.
Shop for the very finest luxury baffle box down comforters here.
