How to Wash and Dry Down-Filled Items
Washing pillows and comforters sometimes falls to the end of the laundry list. But learning how to wash a down comforter and care for similar items—like feather pillows, sleeping bags, and jackets—is easy.
Raise your hand if washing pillows and comforters—especially down-filled items—gets overlooked. In fact, a lot of people even wonder “can you wash a down comforter?” Rest easy—if you have learned how to wash pillows or comforters, your know-how applies to down items.
Manufacturers usually offer cleaning suggestions for their down items. Most will recommend cleaning down items infrequently—typically every three to five years. Follow these steps to get the best results when washing and drying down comforters and pillows.
Washing Down Items
Always read and follow any specific instructions on the tag of the item you’ll be washing. Before you wash down items, check for worn stitching or holes, and repair with small fine stitches to avoid losing any down stuffing during the laundering process.
Comforters for full-, queen-, and king-size beds are probably too big for your home washer. Instead, use the large-capacity front-loading washing machines at a local laundromat. Down pillows may be small enough to launder in your washing machine at home. This is the more convenient choice, especially if you have a front-loading machine. If you have a top loader, however, you may want to use the laundromat’s front-loading machines. An agitator can be rough on delicate down items.
Before washing a down comforter or pillow, check for tough stains such as blood or urine. These stains are best treated with an enzymatic cleaner. Color-safe bleach can be used on stains caused by water or food. Pull the cover of the comforter or pillow away from the down while spot-treating stains to keep the cleaning product from damaging the down. Then launder.
Put a pair of clean canvas shoes (laces removed) or a sock stuffed with two tennis balls (secured with a knot) in the machine with the comforter or pillows. This addition will help keep the down from bunching and will gently agitate soil from the items being washed.
Use a gentle- or delicate-cycle setting and a minimal amount of mild laundry detergent with your load. Choose lukewarm water; hot or cold water can be hard on the down. Use an extra rinse cycle to ensure all soap is rinsed from the down. There are also specialty laundry detergents made specifically for washing sleeping bags, down comforters, and other down-filled items. You’ll find these detergents available online and at outdoor retailers.
Editor’s Tip: So you finished washing a down jacket or pillow… and it stinks. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss a step in learning how to wash a down comforter or how to wash a down jacket. Down bears a distinctive odor when wet. The odor will dissipate when the down dries.
How to Dry Down-Filled Items
After the wash is complete, load your comforter or pillows into a dryer large enough to give the items plenty of room to fluff. Add a pair of clean canvas shoes without laces or two tennis balls in a sock to help fluff the down and keep it evenly distributed.
Run the dryer on air fluff or the lowest temperature possible. Stop the dryer periodically and break up any lumps that are forming in the comforter or pillow. Also ensure that the down is not getting too warm as extreme heat can scorch the down. Expect the drying process to take three to four hours.
Make sure the down item is dry before taking it out of the dryer to avoid the formation of mildew. If the item is still slightly damp, lay it out on a clothesline or picnic table on a breezy warm day to get the down as dry as possible. Once you bring the comforter or pillow inside, leave the item out for a few weeks to ensure all moisture has evaporated. If you’re storing the comforter, wrap it in a cotton sheet.
