Clean Down Comforters & Jackets Easily—At Home

Could it be any easier to clean your down comforters and jackets at home?

SAVE YOUR MONEY | Have you checked recently to see what drycleaners charge to clean down comforters, pillows and jackets? Bloody expensive, this service! Drycleaners have their place to be sure, but paying them to fluff your down when you can do it yourself with minimal effort is silly.

Though you may have read that a front loading washer is better suited to this task, I have laundered twin and queen size down comforters, pillows, overcoats and jackets in our top-loading standard-capacity washing machine with no adverse effects whatsoever. I washed each item separately, of course, on a warm setting using general purpose detergent and common stain remover, then dried it independently on a regular setting and in the company of six or more tennis balls (no substitutes, please).

Tennis balls keep the down from clumping, and, bumping around in the dryer, they help the feathers return to their original lofty position. (It should be noted that there is a lot of conversation on the internet about whether or not down items should be washed and dried at home. All I can say is that my down comforters, pillows and jackets have not suffered from being cared for in this manner, though it is up to each individual to decide how best to clean their own down items.) —C. Rule

Photo: iStockphoto