How to Even Out a Goose Down Comforter When the Feathers Settle in the Corners

Snuggling under a goose-down comforter on a cool winter's night is the precursor to a good night's sleep, but if you feel a few lumps or if the duvet feathers are uneven in their distribution, blame the recent laundry treatment it received or the fact that it hasn't had a good shake in a few months. The remedy to redistribute the down in the comforter isn't complicated, and with a few shakes, you should be back under its enveloping warmth and ready to enter dreamland.

Comforters are constructed so the feathers flow within what is termed a "baffle." Separations are created so that the feathers stay within the limits of the baffle and don't shift up and down throughout the entire comforter. However, while they stay within the borders of the baffle, they still move around and can clump. Investigate where your feathers are gathering and start an organized shake to get them up and moving.

Start at the bottom of the comforter and give it a good shake in a wave motion. Do the same from the top and then the sides. This should unleash the clumped feathers and distribute them evenly within their baffled walls. Do this whenever you make the bed and you'll avoid "baffle balls."

Hold the comforter up to the light to see where the clumps are located and then lay it flat on the floor or the bed. Work the feathers loose within each baffle using your fingers or the palm of your hand in a kneading action. Do this gently so as not to affect the density of the feather filling. After working each baffle, shake the comforter.

A dryer works marvels in redistributing the feathers in a comforter. Just be sure you use a few socks with tennis balls tucked inside. The balls help to unclump the feathers and fluff the comforter at the same time. It is suggested you use a large commercial dryer for large comforters, giving it room to expand as it fluffs. Your home dryer set for 20-minute intervals and on "fluff" will work with smaller comforters. Shake and redistribute the feathers during the intervals.

Hanging the comforter outside on a dry, sunny day helps fluff the comforter. It also removes any odors that may have accumulated. Just check the weather and humidity first, as you don't want the comforter to be damp when you bring it inside.

To keep your comforter clean and sweet-smelling, invest in several duvet covers where the comforter becomes a duvet insert within the cover. Change the cover as you would your bottom sheet. The duvet cover replaces your top sheet, keeps the comforter intact and helps with the feather distribution.

Stuffing the comforter into the duvet cover is a challenge until you master the system. Spread the comforter on the bed and open the end of the duvet cover. Slowly work the cover from the bottom toward the top of the comforter until it is snug inside and then shake.