How to Dry Down Comforters

Dry your down comforter without damaging it.

Down comforters are made from goose down or a mixture of down and feathers. Most down comforter manufacturers recommend dry cleaning and do not suggest washing and drying down products. To save on expensive dry cleaning costs, many people have had success washing and drying their down comforters. Once washed, dry down comforters as soon as possible to prevent mold and mildew from forming as well as damage to the down itself.

Things You'll Need

• Clothesline
• Clean socks
• Tennis balls
• Dryer

Instructions

1. Remove excess moisture. Down retains a lot of moisture when wet. Before drying, remove the excess moisture by hanging the comforter up on a clothesline. Leave the comforter hanging until water stops dripping from the edges, but no more than 24 hours.

2. Use tennis balls. When down is wet, it gets flat. Before drying, put a couple of tennis balls in clean socks and throw them in the dryer with the comforter. As the comforter dries, the tennis balls move around the dryer helping to fluff the down back up.

3. Place down comforters in your dryer. Residential dryers can accommodate smaller sized (twin or full) down comforters. Set the temperature to low heat, put the socks with tennis balls in and set the timer for one hour.

4. Remove the comforter. The tumbling action of the dryer often causes the comforter to bunch up and dry unevenly. Pull the comforter out of the dryer and shake it out and place it back in the dryer or low heat for one hour.

5. Check drying progress. Prolonged heat exposure damages down, so you want to be sure not to over dry it. After the second hour, pull the comforter out again. If it is still very damp, place it back in the dryer for one more hour.

6. Hang it up. After two to three hours in the dryer, the down inside the blanket should be sufficiently dry, but there may be a few slightly damp spots inside. Hang it up on a clothesline for 24 hours to let the spots air dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use oversized Laundromat dryers to dry queen and king-sized down comforters. Residential dryers cannot accommodate large down comforters and cannot adequately get the inside dry.

• Consider using a duvet. These covers protect your down comforter from small stains as well as everyday wear and tear.

• Don't wash and dry down comforters more than once every three to five years. Washing and drying down comforters causes damage by depleting the natural oils in the down. Over time, this ruins the blanket.

References

• How to Clean Stuff: How to Clean Down Comforters