Wool comforter - OK to wash?

[AuntNi]

I've got a quandary here. We have a wool comforter (inside is wool, cover is 100% cotton.) DD got sick on it recently, so it needs cleaning. It says dry clean, but dry cleaning chemicals give me the willies. I'm pretty much at the point where I would throw it away before I'd dry clean it - that's how much it skeeves me to think of sleeping with dry clean chemicals. (Several years ago, I worked for some engineers cleaning up a Superfund site, formerly a dry cleaners, and have never forgotten it!)

I'm thinking of throwing it in my front loader then air drying it. What do you think? Will it totally ruin it? I've got a Bedding cycle, and would probably use cold water. Any suggestions/advice for me?

Thanks so much!

[quantumleap]

We have a wool comforter I was always afraid to wash. And then the dog peed on it. So, I washed it. Cold water on gentle, and put it out in the sun to dry. It was fine. Came out clean, didn't shrink or anything. The inside was a but matted though, so I gave it a good shake and then put it in the dryer on "fluff", or whatever that cold air dry cycle is called. You can also apparently dry clean such things, but the chemicals involved scare me.

I say, give it a try!

[MamaLeslie]

If you'd rather throw it out than dry clean it, what do you have to lose? I would try a gentle cycle wash, and air dry.

Good luck!

[CariOfOz]

I've had two experiences with it... we have one that we've washed on the wool cycle (man am I lucky to have that) with no problems. The other UGH... I washed it on the same cycle.. and it shrunk (the outer cover was fine, if a bit 'gathered' lol .. but the wool filling 'felted' and got smaller), since it was already ruined I didn't worry about it after that. Every time I washed it, it continued shrinking LOL.... It ended up just over 1 metre square (from a double size) and I made a cover for it & used it for a floor blankie on the tiles for the baby

I hope you have the former experience not the latter lol... I suggest going for lukewarm water and the cycle with the lowest amt of agitation, and definitely hanging dry. Good luck!

[Kleine Hexe]

I'll check what it says in my book "Organic Housekeeping"

I'll be back....

I guess it depends on how dirty it is. The book talks about rain washing. Hang the woolen item (or lay it on a clean sheet/table outside) out in the rain with the dirty side down.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

The other UGH... I washed it on the same cycle.. and it shrunk (the outer cover was fine, if a bit 'gathered' lol .. but the wool filling 'felted' and got smaller), since it was already ruined I didn't worry about it after that. Every time I washed it, it continued shrinking LOL.... It ended up just over 1 metre square (from a double size) and I made a cover for it & used it for a floor blankie on the tiles for the baby

Same thing happened to me! I had an old, hand-made wool comforter made from my dad's sheep (used to have a farm) and washed it before I knew better. It went from queen size to dog bed sized.

It does make a great floor mat for lounging!

[AuntNi]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

Every time I washed it, it continued shrinking LOL.... It ended up just over 1 metre square (from a double size) and I made a cover for it & used it for a floor blankie on the tiles for the baby

OMG, don't be mad, but I laughed so hard at the picture you painted! That is an insane amount of shrinkage!

I still haven't washed it - can you tell I'm procrastinating? I just looked, and I do have a Handwash/Wool setting on my washer. I actually think it would come clean in Cold water, because it's not a bad stain.

I promise I'll post my results after I get brave enough to try it. It's 90+ today, so we're certainly not freezing without it, LOL!

[kkfum]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

The book talks about rain washing. Hang the woolen item (or lay it on a clean sheet/table outside) out in the rain with the dirty side down.

i was going to suggest hanging it on a line or over a deck or something and just spraying it with a garden hose and letting it air dry. wool is antibacterial anyway, isn't it? i know they say that if you get a leak on a wool mattress pad, just to rinse it off with water and allow to air dry.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by AuntNi

OMG, don't be mad, but I laughed so hard at the picture you painted! That is an insane amount of shrinkage!

I still haven't washed it - can you tell I'm procrastinating? I just looked, and I do have a Handwash/Wool setting on my washer. I actually think it would come clean in Cold water, because it's not a bad stain.

I promise I'll post my results after I get brave enough to try it. It's 90+ today, so we're certainly not freezing without it, LOL!

LOL oh definitely not mad. I completely cracked up myself every time I pulled it out of the machine We finally got rid of it, the bub is now 2 and doesn't need a floor blankie... I joked with dh that it would eventually make a very nice doll cradle mattress