Despite how much time we spend on our mattresses, they seldom need to be cleaned. Feather beds are much the same. Don't be tempted to stick your feather bed in the washing machine -- most manufacturers recommend dry-cleaning only. Meanwhile, keep your feather bed fresh and clean with a regular maintenance protocol. Protecting your Feather Bed Look after your feather bed properly to keep cleaning to a minimum. Cover your feather bed with a feather bed protector or a fitted sheet to limit risk of damage from spillages. If your feather bed does become wet or damp, let it air completely, as soon as possible, to reduce the risk of mildew. Spot cleaning is the best option if your feather bed becomes stained. "Good Housekeeping" magazine recommends using a pet stain and door remover to get rid of stains, whether you have a pet or not. Follow the manufacturer's directions for use, applying the product only to the stained area. Avoid oversaturating your feather bed. Keep your feather bed on a regular schedule of airing, fluffing, flipping and rotating.
Placing your feather bed on a flat surface and use your hands to gently separate clumps and push feathers around to eliminate unevenness. Give your feather bed a weekly shake to stop the feathers from bunching up. Keep it fresh by airing it outdoors whenever possible. Washing Down-Alternative Feather Beds If you have a down-alternative feather bed, you may be able to machine-wash it. Check the care label to make sure. You will likely need a large-capacity washer. Use a detergent made especially for down alternatives. As soon as the washing cycle is over, remove the bed from the machine and give it a good shake. Tumble dry on a low or delicate setting. Make sure it is completely dry before putting it back on your bed. Pacific Coast: Care Instructions Cuddledown: Down Care Guide Good Housekeeping: When Was the Last Time You Cleaned Your Mattress? You May Also Like A feather bed can add an extra dimension of comfort and luxury to your valuable sleep time.
A good one can cost... It's generally recommended that down bedding, such as feather mattresses (featherbeds) and comforters, be taken to a professional dry cleaner to avoid... Down mattress toppers give new life to an old, uncomfortable mattress or to simply make your mattress more luxurious. Fiber beds are nice because they are just as soft as feather beds, but they don't have the annoying feathers that poke... 22 DIY Ways to Update Your Home on a Small Budget How to Clean a Feather Mattress in a Washing Machine How to Clean a Polyester Fiber Mattress Pad How to Care for a Down Mattress Topper How to Care for a Featherbed How to Clean Memory Foam Mattress Toppers How to Wash a Mattress TopperThere is nothing better than a warm and cozy down comforter on a cold winter’s night.....except maybe waking up all snuggled up and toasty warm inside it. If you've ever owned one, you know exactly why this type of bedding is highly prized. Down comforters are softer, lighter and warmer than other materials which makes for a better nights rest.
Higher end down comforters are filled with the soft and quill "less" feathers of the underbelly of a duck or goose. This is why they are so light and fluffy. For the most part, down comforters are a nice addition to your bedding and require very little maintenance. In fact, unless your comforter becomes soiled, stained, or develops an odor, the manufacturer recommends only cleaning when absolutely necessary or every 3-5 years. The manufacturer also recommends using a dry-cleaner as your best option for cleaning. While you should definitely avoid excessive laundering of your comforter, you can launder your down comforter yourself with a little preparation and care. If you choose to wash your comforter yourself, just follow these simple steps to clean it: Take care of these points before you wash your comforter. It will take a little extra time, but the steps are necessary to ensure that using the washing machine isn't a mistake, and you get the stains out right the first time.
Closely examine your comforter for any tears or rips in the seams. You will need to sew these up with a fine needle and be sure to use small stitches. If you don’t, the comforter could become further damaged when washed, the down will come out of open or torn seams and the "feathers will fly". It sounds funny to say, but if the down feathers come out, the comforter has sustained some serious damage... not to mention the mess! So don't skip this step and inspect your seams carefully before washing. Pre-treat any stains on the comforter to have the best chance of stain removal. White fabric can treated with a little hydrogen peroxide solution. Lift the fabric away from the feathers and dab on the area. When the stain has faded, you can go ahead and wash it. Always check the area before drying to make sure the stain is completely gone. Colored fabric can use Oxyclean or another "oxygenated" laundry product. Again, make a solution and pull the material away from the feathered down.
Apply lightly and dab onto the area. You may have to wait a few minutes for the stain to lift. Repeat until the stain is gone. Any blood or biological material such as sweat or perspiration that has discolored the fabric should be rinsed completely in cold water to remove the stain. If the blood is fresh, cold water with a small dab of laundry soap worked into the fabric will remove the stain completely. Grease or oil stains will need to be pretreated with mild soap or the regular laundry detergent you will be using to wash the down comforter. Pour a small amount on the stain and let it sit full strength for about 30 minutes so the soap will start to dissolve the grease prior to washing. There are 2 major things to know before you wash. 1. Do Not use a top loading washing machine with an agitator. Agitators wreak havoc with down that is water sodden, and end up breaking internal seams. Use a front loading washing machine to wash your down comforter at home. 2. Most home washers are too small.
Make sure your washing machine is large enough to accommodate your comforter without having to stuff it in. If your washer is too small/or the comforter is too big (however you want to look at it), just take it to a local laundromat. They have nice big machines that you can wash sleeping bags and extra large blankets and quilts and comforters! Having a large machine to wash will give you a better cleaning result too. That's the whole point anyway, right? If you are using your front load extra capacity washer at home, you will want to keep an eye on it and make sure that the load does not become unbalanced. A trick to help it not do this is to place a pair of clean white canvas tennis shoes (minus the laces) in the wash with the comforter. They will help to keep the down evenly dispersed preventing clumping and promote even drying. There's going to be a very, sodden quilt with clumped together down after the wash cycle - It's a bit of work for the machine to get a good spin going to extract all the water.
If it doesn't get all the water out the first time, try another spin to extract more water. Those feathers will soak up a ton of water when being washed. If your machine is not very sturdy, or is otherwise on it's last legs, you should go to the laundromat for those industrial strength washer and dryers. Yes, there is a difference between soap and detergent! You need to wash the comforter without stripping all the natural oils that are in the soft down feathers. The soft downy feathers are naturally water repellent and help wildlife stay warm and dry. If you strip too much of the oil, due to using heavy, harsh, or excess amounts of cleaning agents, then you will have a matted down, lumpy and heavy comforter. Originally soaps were made with fat and ash and today some still have these ingredients. They also have a high PH level and are very mild. Soaps are the preferred choice to use to clean anything made of down such as a sleeping bag, vest, jacket and of course, down comforters.
Because soaps are very mild, the may not get heavily soiled or greasy oil stains on comforters completely clean. If you think this might be the case, you can also choose a detergent. In the case of heavy soiling with grease and you are concerned that the stains may not come out, I'd recommended only pre-treating the stain with laundry detergent. (pour it full strength and massage it in with your fingers. Let it sit for about 30 to work on removing the stain) and then washing the down comforter with the mild Woolite or Ivory Soap. It's the best of both worlds.... You may use Regular laundry detergent—just use very sparingly. Remember to use it only if your comforter needs a thorough cleaning. Add about 1/4 of what is recommended for a normal load. A detergent will strip all the natural oils from the down feathers if you use it as you normally would. If your comforter is all white, you can add: Be sure to use the dispensers as this will guarantee an even distribution and not cause any clumping of product on your comforter.
These products are all natural and allow the soap to do a better job cleaning. In the case of dingy discolored fabric, these products remove stains and provide a general stain removal and brighten and freshen the comforter's appearance. I wanted to stress a second rinse. This is because soap leave a residue and you want to remove the residue completely so your down feathers don't get bogged down with soap residue. You want a clean and fluffy blanket coming out of the dryer. Before the final spin cycle, you want to give the comforter an extra rinse. Most washing machines have the option for a second rinse in the wash cycle. If not, then just reset the dial to repeat the rinse cycle., then finish up with the final spin. When your comforter comes out of the washer, it may look grayish or have a slight odor. This is normal and is the natural odor of the down. It will brighten and freshen up as it dries. How you choose to dry your comforter is your option, but making sure it is totally dry is critical.
Remember that the Down in your Comforter came from an animal. It can degrade, rot, develop mold and mildew. And it will do all those terrible things if you do not dry it completely before placing it on your bed or storing it. You need a large capacity drier because your comforter needs room to fluff and to make sure there are no damp spots from it being too cramped. Another important reason to only use a large capacity dryer is that although your comforter may fit in the dryer when wet, it will fluff up as it dries. This can cause the comforter to block the venting and actually ruin the dryer, and worse....cause a fire. If you don't have a large dryer, play it safe and take it to the laundromat. A wonderful to freshen and whiten your down comforter is use the power of the sun's rays to lighten stains, assist in drying and leave it smelling sweet and fresh. Placing the comforter in the sun is a natural "bleaching" process. It will not only whiten your comforter but the air will freshen it up naturally.