[steelymaam]

So our cat peed on our down comforter and I'm feeling the need to wash it. There's no care tag on the comforter so I did a web search about how to wash it... Most suggest having it dry-cleaned, but I'm opposed to that toxic option. I usually use Seventh Gen laundry liquid, or something gentle and natural like that. Wonder if that would be okay with down...<br><br>
Any ideas?

 

[ustasmom]

My first down comforter was dry clean only. I made sure from that point on that the rest were machine washable.<br><br>
If it is really large, I guess that you can take it to a commercial supersize machine and try washing it. That is what it said to do on the tag of my Lands End one that I bought last month. My twin size ones I just wash and dry in my front loaders.<br><br>
However, as I was shopping, I did still find lots of dry clean only comforters. So, it is really hard to tell. I guess that I would take it to my cleaners and ask if it looked like I could just machine wash it.

 

[starling&diesel]

Our aging cat peed on our down comforter a while back, and because the comforter was already ten years old, I went ahead and experimented.<br><br>
I put it on the gentle cycle with Zero detergent, washed it on cold, and dried it on low heat with a couple of drops of lavender on a cotton cloth. Came out fine!

 

[lucyem]

the biggest issue is the puffiness when drying. the best thing to do it wash in a front loader. then dry in an oversize dryer with 3 clean tennis balls. about half way pull it out and turn it around so it can get dry all the way through. when you use too small a dryer it does not have the room to fluff up and dry easily. I have always used regular detergent and never had an issue.

 

[beachmouse]

I've got a barfing cat, and have many a time run our king-sized down comforter through our washer & dryer. The hard part is drying it out- we've got a large for residential dryer, and it can take 4-5 times through on high heat for the down to really dry all the waythrough.

 

[girlmama28]

My down comforter says dry clean only, but I've always washed it in the washer with Seventh Gen. laundry detergent. It does dry better if I take it to the laundry mat and use the BIG machines, but I've also done it at home and dried it through once and then hung it up. It just isn't quite as fluffy that way.

 

[rn]

I have always washed all my down comforters in the washing machine....<br><br>
cold water.<br>
whatever soap I had at the time.<br>
prior to a front loader I washed in a top loader, they all always came out fine.<br>
I have never had any issues.<br><br>
I also put them the dryer to dry.<br><br>
I have a couple now that are over 5 and 10 years old and are losing feathers, but I think that would happen if they were washed in a machine or not.

 

[chel]

I too had a <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/cat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="cat">. It was a full/queen down comforter. It was on the cheaper side so not too thick. I washed it in a top loader and dryed it as well.<br>
Overall, it did great.<br><br>
There is down detergent, used for down sleeping bags, that you might want to consider, something about degergent build-up on down and clumping.

 

[MissSJ]

Definately wash it in a large washer and dryer with tennis balls in the dryer. My mom worked at a dry cleaner store and she told me they washed all comforters (down included) in a big washing machine and used tennis balls in the dryer to fluff them back up. She said you wouldn't believe how many things they would wash normally and not "dry clean"!

 

[MommyErin]

I wash all my down blankets and comforters, regardless of manufacturer's directions, on warm, in my front loader, just a bit of detergent. Dry them in the dryer with tennis balls and the trick I've found is to dry them COMPLETELY or else they can smell kind of damp. I've done this with my higher end ones as well as my cheapo ones and nothing bad has happened yet. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">

 

[babycarrier]

Another in the chorus of wash and dry with no problems. I use a regular sized dryer and run for an extra amount of time.

 

[rn]

what does the tennis ball do?<br><br>
do you buy some balls just for that purpose so they are clean?<br><br>
and... doesn't your blanket end up smelling like rubber after?

 

[MommyErin]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>rn</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10294440"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">what does the tennis ball do?</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
They fluff up the down.<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">do you buy some balls just for that purpose so they are clean?</td>
</tr></table></div>
I don't. I bought used balls for $0.10 a piece at Play It Again Sports and washed them with the comforter the first time. Now I keep them stored away specifically for drying.<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">and... doesn't your blanket end up smelling like rubber after?</td>
</tr></table></div>
Oddly enough, no. It works well. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up">

 

[steelymaam]

Thanks for all the input, guys! I knew I could count on you.

 

[Mara232]

Just make sure you dry it very well. Either in the dryer or in hot bright sun flipping it over consistently throughout the day.