Washing Down Comforter

Comments

Is there a certain reason you should use a clean pair of sneakers

The sneakers help to bounce to comforter around so it the filling doesnt bunch up. I use two or three tennis balls, or you can buy dryer balls in the laundry section of any mass market store.

I would assume the purpose of using sneakers is to lift and separate, much like a Dryer Ball would do with your laundry. Sneakers would be larger though, so might be good for something as large as a comforter. Making sure to use "clean" sneakers (along with dryer sheets) is just an added bonus to avoid making the comforter smell like feet.

The sneakers help keep the comforter from bunching up, so it dries faster as well as keeping the down fluffy.

I have several small down comforter throws. I wash them often because of pet hair. I did make a mistake with one. I put fabric softener in the rinse. This caused the feathers to smooth down and not be as fluffy in the comforter. It is not as warm as the others.

Your article does not say anything about how to clean a mattress! ???

Okay! But why sneakers?

You can use the sneakers or a couple of tennis balls. The tennis balls work when you dry a down jacket, too. Put them in the pockets of the jacket.

To Chloe: the sneakers soften and fluff the comforter. It keeps the fill in the comforter from matting and going flat.

Hey Chloe, no there is no reason why you need to throw sneakers in with your down comforter while it's in the dryer...But you should put SOMETHING in there that pulls the feathrs apart where they collect in the comforter pocket corners. People use CLEAN sneakers to do this (for obvious reasons not-so-clean ones would fluff it, but stink it up too) Me, I have a can of tennis balls in my laundry area bought for the job. throw all 3 in with conforter, pillows, down jackets...One can has lasted years...and its soo much quieter than dubious sneakers. Ya know?

Dry comforters on air setting. I dried a comforter on perma-press and the area of the comforter that was next to where to heat comes out got scorched! Not pretty.

I would add that the dryer should be set to NO HEAT, or should have a cool down cycle, or should be REMOVED PROMPTLY. I scorched a beautiful comforter which remained in a hot dryer at the end of its cycle. Other than that I've had good results. Clean tennis balls can replace the function of the sneakers. I keep a set just for drying bulky items.

use clean or new tennis balls. They work better and aren't going to rip your comforter. I do it.