How to wash a down comforter and pillows

A down comforter is the easiest thing in the house to ruin in the wash and the easiest to get right if you follow a few rules. Down soaks up soap and water readily. Packed into a small machine, or dried on high heat, or put away still slightly damp, it clumps and goes flat. Washed in a big drum, rinsed twice and dried for hours, it comes out lofty and fresh. This guide covers the comforter first, then pillows, using two sources that publish detailed steps: a maker of down products, Feathered Friends, and Sleep Foundation. Where they differ, the guide says so.

Check the label, and whether it needs washing

Read the care tag first. Sleep Foundation says always to check the care tags before deciding how to proceed. If the tag says dry clean only, follow it. The steps below are for a comforter or pillow that the tag allows you to wash. They are for down. Down-alternative and synthetic fills have their own labels, and neither source covers them.

Then ask whether it needs a wash. Feathered Friends says cleaning removes oils that can wear down the down over time, and Sleep Foundation says over-washing can reduce loft and lifespan. Sleep Foundation’s guide to how often:

• With a duvet cover or a top sheet: the comforter likely only needs washing once or twice a year. The cover or sheet goes in the wash every one to two weeks.
• Without a cover, or with allergies, pets or heavy night sweating: about every 3 to 6 months.
• Between washes: spot clean and air it out.

A cover shields the comforter from body oils, sweat, dust and spills, which is the cheapest way to cut how often it needs washing.

Spot cleaning

Feathered Friends advises spot cleaning small stains with a damp cloth and mild soap, to avoid an unnecessary full wash. Sleep Foundation adds a method: lift the fabric away from the fill, apply a small amount of detergent, rub gently, and let it soak for 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing.

Before the wash: inspect

Feathered Friends advises checking for tears or loose seams before you wash. Down escapes through a torn seam, and a wash will make it worse. Sew or patch the seam first, and check the stitched lines that hold the fill in place. If the comforter has more than a small tear, take it to a tailor or a laundry that handles bedding.

Choose the machine

Both sources say a large front-loader. Feathered Friends says to use a front-loading machine only, and suggests a laundromat for a king or queen size. A top-loader without a central agitator is an alternative it allows, but it warns against a top-loader with a central agitator, because the agitator can snag and damage the internal baffles, the stitched walls that hold the down in place. Sleep Foundation says top-loaders can twist a comforter around the agitator.

The comforter needs room to move. Spread it loosely in the drum, with no folding, twisting or bunching, Sleep Foundation says. If it fills the drum tightly, go to a bigger machine.

Cleaner, cycle and water

Cleaner. Feathered Friends says to use only a down-specific soap or cleaner. Sleep Foundation says a small amount of gentle, down-safe detergent. The two differ on how much. Feathered Friends says to dose by the item, with the amount for a garment for pillows and the amount for a sleeping bag for comforters and throws, and adds “when in doubt, add more.” Sleep Foundation says too much can leave residue and clump the down, so go easy. Follow the dose on the cleaner’s label and, if you are unsure, use the lower end.

Cycle. Use the gentle or delicate cycle.

Water. Both sources say warm water, and Sleep Foundation’s introduction allows cold or warm. For what warm means, Kansas State University Extension gives these ranges: hot 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, warm 85 to 105, and cold 65 to 75. It adds that water below 60 degrees is too cold for detergents to work. Neither source recommends hot water for down.

Rinse. Run an extra rinse. Feathered Friends says down is highly absorbent and traps soap easily, and Sleep Foundation advises an extra rinse to make sure no detergent remains. Both sources ask for the second rinse.

Moving it to the dryer

A wet down comforter is heavy. Feathered Friends warns that the weight can strain the seams, so handle it carefully when you transfer it. Support it with both arms and do not hold it by one corner.

Drying

Drying is the step that decides whether the comforter comes out fluffy. It takes a long time, and it needs your attention.

1. Use a large dryer that lets the comforter tumble freely, and load it loosely. Skip dryer sheets, Sleep Foundation says.
2. Set the heat low. Sleep Foundation says the lowest heat setting. Feathered Friends says low to medium.
3. Add wool dryer balls or clean tennis balls. Sleep Foundation says a few help to fluff the fill.
4. Stop and break up clumps. Sleep Foundation says to pause about every 30 minutes, take it out and shake it. Feathered Friends says every 30 to 60 minutes, and to break up clumps of wet down by hand.
5. Allow the time. Sleep Foundation gives 2 to 4 hours, depending on size. Feathered Friends gives 3 to 5 hours with dryer balls and warns that it can take a long time.
6. Check it is dry. Sleep Foundation says to look for damp spots or a musty smell, and that it is ready when it feels light, evenly fluffed and smells fresh.

A long dry means a hot, loaded dryer for hours, so make sure the machine and its vent are clear. The guide to cleaning the dryer lint and vent covers it.

Line drying

Sleep Foundation also describes drying on a line. Pick a sunny, breezy day with low humidity, spread the comforter over a line or rack, and shake and rotate it regularly. It says this can take most of a day. You can dry it in the machine first and finish outside.

Dry before it goes away

Feathered Friends is direct: be sure the comforter or pillow is completely dry before storing it. If you are not sure, give it another round. The linen closet guide covers where and how to store a comforter.

Washing by hand

If your machine is too small, Sleep Foundation describes a hand wash. Use a clean bathtub or a large sink with warm water, mix in a small amount of down-safe detergent, and press the comforter into the water. Soak for 15 to 30 minutes, and do not twist or wring it. Drain, press out the excess water without wringing, refill, and rinse as needed. Then dry it as above.

Pillows

Neither source gives separate steps for washing down pillows. Sleep Foundation links to other pages on pillows and says nothing more here, and Feathered Friends gives only the soap dose for pillows, which is the garment amount. The sensible approach, on the same principles, is:

• Check the care tag. If it says not to wash, do not.
• Use a down-specific cleaner at the lower dose, a gentle cycle, warm water and an extra rinse.
• Wash two pillows at a time, if the label allows, so the drum stays balanced. That is a practical tip and not one the sources give.
• Dry on low heat with dryer balls, and break up the fill by hand. A pillow is thick, so give it the longest drying time and squeeze the middle to check that it is dry.
• Be completely sure it is dry before it goes back into a pillowcase. Feathered Friends says this applies to a pillow as well as a comforter.

If something goes wrong

• Clumps after drying. The comforter was not dry through. Put it back in the dryer on low heat with the balls and keep breaking up the clumps.
• A musty smell. Sleep Foundation names this as a sign that it is still damp. Dry it again. If the smell stays, the wash left residue, or the machine is the cause; the guide to musty towels and laundry and the one on cleaning the washing machine cover both.
• Down coming through the cover. A seam has opened. Stop and mend it before the next wash.