Expert: Suzanne - 9/5/2007

Question
My son was given a feather duvet at college and used it for quite a while with no cover or sheet on it.  Now it is covered with oxidized body oil, mystery stains and general grime. There is no label indicating how to launder or clean this thing.  I'd like to salvage it.  Thought I'd pre-treat the bad spots, then put it in my washer with cold water and detergent, agitate briefly, then let it soak for a while before finishing the machine cycle. Then, if there are remaining oils or trouble spots (and there will be), I thought I'd immediately wash it again with detergent and ammonia and warm (or hot?) water.  After that, I thought I'd put it in the dryer with some tennis balls. (And, if this works, I'll definitely be getting him a duvet cover!!)  Am I on the right track, or am I going to ruin it?

Answer
Hi!
While most down companies will suggest professional cleaning.....you can certainly clean it at home. You ARE on the right track, and here is my "complete" process!

1)WAIT TILL IT'S NICE OUT!
It helps when it comes to drying your down comforter, so if its cloudy, put off cleaning your down comforter for another day.
2)YOUR WASHER:
The bigger the better. Especially if you have a king size down comforter. If you have a smaller capacity washer, that's fine.. just that stuffing it in might be difficult, and it will make alot of noise on spin cycle.
Check on your comforter during the wash cycle and move it around a little.....feathers are heavy, so your washer won't be able to move your comforter around like it does with a regular load.
3)WATER/SOAP/TEMP:
Don't be afraid to pre-treat. For BAD stains, spray a little TILEX MOLD & MILDEW REMOVER (yes,Tilex!)on 15-20 min. prior to laundering.
Use cold water.
I suggest you wait to add the detergent until the load starts agitating. NO FABRIC SOFTENER,  and use a smaller amount of liquid detergent than usual. It's best to use a detergent with NO COLOR. My 2 favorites are PUREX FREE and CLEAR, and PUREX BABY. Purex baby will leave a light, fresh scent, while the Free & Clear has non perfumes at all. Bleach is safe to add, but only a very tiny amount.
2 SPIN CYCLES:
If you don't have a washer that will go through 2, click the dials on your washer back after the first spin cycle and let it spin again. It helps the drying process by sucking the water out of the comforter.
If you have a small capacity washing machine, please watch your washer carefully as it could start dancing across the room trying to spin that comforter around!
It will make some decent noise with a smaller washer, too. No big deal.
GUT CHECK!
After the second spin cycle, take the comforter out. At this moment you are going to be scared you ruined it. The down and feathers are all bunched up into clumps! Don't panic! If the down comforter is still dripping wet, try another spin cycle.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS:
Find a nice place outside that has lots of sunshine.While  lying the down comforter out flat on the ground would work best (with an old sheet down first...) But something you can drape it across is fine...a lawn chair works. Wherever you put it, put an old sheet down first!
THE WAITING GAME...
Now go do your other chores, watch television, whatever.  On average I suggest about 2 hours for each side. When you go to check it, if you see any clumps of down, you can loosen it with your fingers lightly. (Expect to see alot)  It will help the drying process, and wont damage the feathers or down.
NOW THE DRYER:
Why dry it outside first? No matter how good your dryer is; it's almost a guarantee that going straight from the washer to the dryer  will take a long time. You'll get frustrated by seeing that your comforter just is not drying.
From outside the comforter should feel slightly warm to the touch and hopefully a few sections should be fairly dry. If the Down still looks clumpy.. hand massage it. Bring it to the dryer.
Set it to first dry on air fluff for about 15-20 minutes, and then low heat for longer time frame. Low Heat if your dryer is small capacity. If its a large capacity you can use a little bit higher heat selection. The fabric is usually cotton and can shrink if its too hot.
Put a clean tennis shoe into the dryer to help fluff up the down and distribute it well. Tennis balls are often mentioned, but if they are new, they have a strong odor when heated~if they have been used, they can transfer dirt.If you do not have clean shoes/slippers you can use, the tennis balls are best.
Its going to get loud again, and check in on its progress every now and them.
The tennis shoe/tennis ball is NOT an essential step.
If you have a low thread count down comforter (200 thread count) don't put the tennis shoe in, it could damage some of the stitching.

Final Suggestions:
After the dryer, The down might still be clumpy.. again just hand massage it out. Your comforter should be ready to use now. Hang it out on the clothesline for a quick freshen-up.  

GOOD LUCK....and get that duvet cover....LOL!