With cold days ebbing away, time ripens to wash and keep your feather down comforter in tip-top shape. Birds develop feathers for flying while they also act as a natural insulator and coolant.
Unlike down, they’re extra-large and heavier due to the thicker quill that intersects the feather and strands attached. As opposed to down, feathers form a long and flat shape instead of a spherical pattern and thus pack lower fill power.
Learn the ropes on how to wash a feather down comforter to go DIY and slash off those dollars from your laundry expenses. You can machine-wash feather-infused down comforters, but remember to rinse and dry out thoroughly to resuscitate loft and inhibit mold or mildew explosion.
Things To Consider | How To Wash A Feather Down comforter
1. Washing in the Front-Loading Machine
You can go DIY if you have a sizable, front-loading machine as it carves out generous room for extra air space. It increases the surface area to trickle down water and detergent to the microcosm of the down comforter.
1. Wash gently with warm water in a gentle or delicate cycle; ensure you keep the quilt fully submerged.
2. Consider allowing the washing machine to run for a couple of minutes before you load on your quilt for the detergent to infiltrate it for a more regular wash.
3. Use the rinse cycle twice to flush out the soap entirely before the washing, intervene before the spin cycle to squeeze some of the liquid out by hand.
2. Drying On Low Heat
Once you pull out the comforter, it will look flattened, smoother and bulkier than usual. For white quilts, it may appear decolonized due to damp down fluff.
The pristine white hue will return as your comforter dries. When using a dryer, avoid a higher temperature setting as heat denatures delicate feathers and leads to shrinking.
1. Set the machine to a low setting.
2. Throw in dryer balls, tennis balls or a lace-less canvas shoe into the washer together with your quilt to help disintegrate clumps as it dries out, fluff entirely and speed up the process.
3. Keep your eyes on the bedding as it dries to ensure the comforter dries evenly through to prevent patches
4. Fluff and re-appropriate the filling by kneading and shaking the quilt
5. Hold up your bedding intermittently to detect clumps of down, they indicate dampness and will need more drying
3. Natural Air Drying
Air drying takes up chunks of time, but it’s a blessing in disguise as Mother Nature poses no damage or wrinkling of the fabric. Avoid the clothes’ line as dangling forms clumps and mildew.
Combine air drying and electric drying to deter the explosion of mold. Air-drying keeps your bedding kiln-dried while infusing a fresh-air scent as air circulates on all sides devoid of wear and tear.
1. Stretch it out flat in an open space and leave it for a couple of hours.
2. After drying one side, flip it over to ensure both sides bone-dry equally.
3. You can also bathe it in direct sunlight; sun rays also act as a bleaching agent.
4. Spot-Treatment for Stain Removal
You can purge stains with a colorless and enzyme-free detergent. Stain removers notoriously ruin the linen’s outer shell and filling.
First Treatment
1. Apply with a quick rub on the stain and let it infiltrate for about 10 or 15 minutes, it makes it easier to treat the spot.
2. Rinse to make the dye even lighter.
Second Treatment
After removing the outer layer, use a bleach gel to kick the stain in the guts. Typical bleach ruins the shell. You need a lighter version.
1. Apply the gel and let it sink into the stained portion for one minute.
2. Rinse and dry as stain remnants remain hidden on a wet surface. Treat again if the stains recur after drying.
3. Machine-wash and air-dry or use the dryer.
5. Dry-Cleaning For A Fuller and Fluffier Quilt
For minimal dirt, you may want to utilize a home dry-cleaning kit. Home dry kits tool you up like a professional dry cleaner. You’ll need a tailor-made dryer sheet that contains a dry-cleaning fluid and the dryer to release the chemicals.
Delicate, all-natural solvents provide a killer bullet against stains while protecting the sensitive down from damage. Some feathers down comforters come with a dry-cleaning tag. Dry-cleaning ditches water as a liquid to avoid the risk or mildew and mold.
Its best left to a professional. Dry-clean for a fluffier and plumped up appearance with a more gentle solvent that feels like a velvet glove to your delicate comforter.
6. Re-Fluffing Fosters Durability
With your comforter dried out as a bone, fluff by shaking gently to dislodge clumps and disperse the filling more evenly. Sprawl it out for a shipshape drape before returning it to your bed linen ensemble.
Inspect your comforter daily for kneaded corners to re-distribute the down by massaging towards the center and shaking it lightly for about 20 minutes. Rotate the quilt tilted at 90 degrees and flip it to deter the flattening of specific portions.
Re-fluffing promotes optimum and steady airflow for the luxurious loft. Baffle-box comforters have a small crevice in one edge to press the filling down through when replenishing a compartment that has emptied.
7. Benefits of Various Comforter Care Methods
Dry-Cleaning
- Professional laundry can restore original volume or loft with an improved fluffiness
- No risk of mildew or mold
- Less intensive-no rinsing or wringing out tons of water
Machine-Washing
- Thorough cleaning purges dirt, contaminants, and stains
- Adding a trace of bleaching agent though characterized by minimal damage annihilates all dust mites
Spot Cleaning Stains
- Maintains the natural insulation of down as you only treat the outer shell without touching down
- Prolongs durability as many washes breakdown down and feathers
Air-Drying
- Sunrays act as a natural bleaching agent for the duvet cover and down insert
- Wicks away moisture leaving a dry, non-humid environment unsuitable for dust mites or microbial invaders
- Wrinkle-and-fade free
8. Housekeeping Tips For Decades of Down Plush
- Minimize the number of washes throughout the years by enveloping bedding with a duvet cover as it attracts dirt and oil before reaching the comforter
- Use an all-natural, mild detergent as abrasive versions causes down to lose natural oils and dry faster
- Desist from line-drying as it leads to damp spots or clumps
- Do not iron or steam
- Use non-chlorine bleach for whitening
- Avoid fabric softeners as it will bind the down and diminish its fluff
- High-heat in the dryer will destroy delicate feather down fill, use the lowest temperature setting
Final Verdict
With these nuts and bolts on how to wash a feather down comforter, you can rest assured of permanent warmth and luxury. Add a duvet cover to avoid washing your down comforter frequently as it remains in spick and span order for 2 to five years.
Consider dry-cleaning as it’s shrink-free and balloons your bedding to the optimum fluff. You can only go DIY if you have a commercial front-loading or visit a public Laundromat.
Preventative measures like a duvet cover and flat sheet add more doses to the natural life of your comforter while keeping damaging methods like machine-washing at the minimum.
