Washing Down Comforters - Be Careful!

Comforters can be expensive so you want to be careful when washing down comforters to do it right and protect your investment. Even though they can be expensive, down comforters can last a good long time, especially if they are well cared for. You can get many years of use out of a comforter if you just follow some very simple cleaning instructions and protect your comforter as best you can. Keeping a comforter clean can be a challenge especially if you have pets or children, but it can be done and people who take the time to follow the instructions below can expect a long life from their comforters.

The first thing to do before washing down comforters is to protect them as best you can to limit how many times you have to wash them. Some people will lay a flat sheet over the comforter when not in use. This will keep the dust limited to the sheet and not the comforter and will also protect against dander and other yucky stuff from bed loving pets. Most comforters these days come with duvets which is the best way to protect a comforter. A duvet is a sort of pillow case you put the comforter inside of and then button, d\snap or zip closed at one end. Duvets are the ultimate in comforter protection.

But, you cannot avoid washing down comforters at some point even if they are protected. Here is a good way think about it and remember the formula. Down are feathers and are usually the feathers of geese. How do you suppose a goose keeps its feather clean? Cold water is the right answer to that. And, think about this. How would a goose do in an agitating washing machine? It's an ugly thought but a great illustration of what not to do. So, what does this mean? It means you should wash you down comforter in a front loading machine like they have in laundry mats not top loading agitating machine like you find in most homes. The agitating machine can destroy the comforter all together. The key is a gentle cycle of cold water.

Also, key to washing down comforters is to use very little detergent. And, use a detergent that is meant for hand washing and delicate items. Remember this tip. Down comforters give off a pungent smell when wet, after all they are feathers. Don't panic and don't add more detergent. It's natural for the comforter to smell that way. Also, use the extra rinse to put the comforter through one more cycle just to make sure the detergent is gone.

Drying may be the most important aspect of washing down comforters so pay attention. Dry on a medium to high cycle and expect to do it a couple times. Comforters take forever to dry. Be sure and add some tennis balls into the mix. Two tennis balls in three socks should do the trick. Again, do this at the laundry mat and use a big size dryer for an evenly distributed drying process.