Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Sandra Allens
It’s difficult to wash a comforter at home because it’s large, so it’s among the most challenging pieces of bedding to wash. The materials are also delicate, so mistakes would be costly. A handcrafted piece is costly along with being made of delicate materials.
It doesn’t need to be washed every day, so it won’t take up much time. Unless they are dirty or deflated, comforters should be washed every three to five years, according to Ali owner of All About Down. Lastly, he shared advice on keeping a comforter clean between cleanings.
A down comforter, a down alternative, and a wool comforter were all tested. Here we will describe how to keep down alternative comforters clean and maintained using the same guidelines as above. Similarly, wool comforters are not suitable for machine washing and should be spot cleaned only.
In order to protect your fluffy investment, also use a duvet cover. Duvet cover refers to the outer layer of a comforter that can be easily washed when needed. Nobody knows why it is never referred to as a comforter cover.
Those who are not comfortable having their comforters cleaned themselves can trust Sukalac to keep them clean for years and years. He recommends that you don’t dry-clean your down comforter, so we totally agree with him.
The Things You Need
- Laundry detergent. Tide Ultra Stain Release is our favorite laundry detergent. However, it`s recommended thoroughly rinsing a comforter to get rid of detergent. Additionally, he said that powder detergents won’t dissolve effectively when you machine wash a comforter. NikWax Down Wash Direct is Ali`s recommendation for washing a comforter at home if you want a special down wash.
- Spot remover. As for tough stains, Ali soaks them overnight in OxiClean, and he says he uses Shout and Zout.
- Washing machine and dryer of suitable size, or a laundromat nearby. Some comforters may not fit in your home washing machine or dryer depending on the size of your bed. The LG washing machines I have owned and tested for years fit all the king-size bedding I’ve tested. A commercial laundromat should have the capacity to handle your comforter comfortably if you are not sure how large of a load your machine can handle.
- Shirts or rags. Using a rag to rub out stains and rinse stain remover can be useful when you’re spot-cleaning a comforter and not putting it in the wash.
What is the Expected Time to Clean this?
A comforter’s cleaning requires a lot of time, so prepare beforehand. Pack some snacks and a book so you don’t get bored at the laundry mat. For the comforter to be free of soap or detergent, you will need to wash it at least twice. After that, it should be dried completely on low heat, frequently removed to fluff it and expose any wet spots so the dryer can dries them. This whole process takes a lot of time.
1. Treat the Spot First
Start by treating stains or even visible dirt on your comforter before washing it. In most cases, shouting or zouting should be sufficient to clear debris and food. If the stain is old or strong, such as blood, soak it overnight with OxiClean, and wipe it away the next morning.
Follow the instructions on the bottle of stain remover you choose. Typically, staining is reduced or totally removed by spraying, soaking, and pinching the fabric on either side.
The next step involves washing the comforter in the washing machine. If you can’t machine wash the item, you should gently rinse it off with warm water. You can rub the stained area with a rag, old T-shirt, and running water to remove the dirt.
Click to Check The Latest Price2. Make Sure You Wash it Three Times
Run the comforter through a delicate cycle in cold or warm water, along with soap or detergent.
Ali said the down inside should be washed a second time with no soap to remove detergent residue. Second, rinsing the down will help avoid soap combining with the oils in the feathers, which might affect the filling in the long run and, at worst, result in stinky, sticky down. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to spin the comforter after washing it so that as much water as possible is removed, and drying time is reduced.
Unless you inspect the comforter closely, it is impossible to tell whether the down is fully dry once it has been thoroughly rinsed. If your washer seems too cramped with your comforter, adding an additional rinse cycle could be helpful. Moving the comforter prior to the second rinse cycle may help if you’re not sure there was enough room for it to reach every corner. You might need to adjust the comforter between cycles to uncover any hidden spots that were folded or not rinsed. Make sure that the soap is fully removed by running it a second time without detergent.
You can spot-treat any stains that remain after the first wash and wash the comforter again if necessary. Until the stains are heated by the dryer, they won’t set in the fabric. In the unlikely event the stain cannot be removed, a professional should be consulted. With the proper tools and solutions, professionals such as Sukalac can remove even the most stubborn stains.
Read Also: How to Wash n Clean a Mattress
3. Be Sure to Dry It Thoroughly
To keep your comforter lofty and odor-free, make sure it is thoroughly dried. It is important to avoid permanently damaging the down by cooking it at high temperatures. During the drying process, Ali advises removing your comforter from the dryer during some of the cycles to redistribute and fluff the down fill. He replied that you need at least 20 tennis balls to make the dryer effective.
It is best to repeatedly unclump the down in your comforter to ensure that the down dries again. Sukalac says she takes the box outside every 20 minutes so that things that accumulate in the corners can be unclumped. To keep my down comforter from getting tangled, I rotate it every 20 minutes. Taking this step slowly ensures that the down will maintain its loft.
Expert laundry experts I interviewed say the best method of destroying germs and pathogens is a hot dryer cycle, however, this can be problematic with expensive down bedding. For the first 20 minutes of running your dryer, run it on hot to disinfect and kill dust mites, if you’re concerned about virus exposure or cleaning your comforter. During the remaining time of the drying process, turn the temperature down to medium or low to protect the down.
4. Intermittent Maintenance
Your comforter will last longer if you clean it every few years. We learned from Ali that comforters can last up to 30 years if washed regularly. If a deflated comforter is aggravating allergies, freshen it up or rejuvenate it between washes.
In order to get rid of dust mites and dry out the comforter after it has accumulated moisture from the air or sweat, Ali suggests running it through the dryer for an hour every three to four weeks. According to Ali, the best results can be achieved by holding the heat low for the first 20 minutes of the cycle and then moving to a high setting for the remainder. Your comforter does not appear to be flat and lush even after washing it repeatedly at home, then you may want to consider another option. If a comforter is flattening over its lifetime, you may need to take it to the professionals for a deep cleaning. “Once the cloth is dry after a while, it shouldn’t hold its shape anymore. We should clean it,” Ali said.
