Cleaning Down Comforters

By Jeff Gardner | Jun 26, 2009

Most of your customers probably don’t realize that their down
comforters can be cleaned at your self-service laundry as part of your
store’s wash-dry-fold service. However, once you tell them, you will
find that this segment of the drop-off business can be quite lucrative.
However, before all of those comforters start rolling in, here are a
few tips and tricks for doing the best job possible:

First of all, you need a washer large enough to handle a comforter –
perhaps a four- or five-load machine. And it has to be frontloading. A
frontload washer will tumble the garment on itself, which provides
better cleaning action and does not damage the garment with an agater.

Also, you will need to pre-treat any stains to ensure that they come
out in the wash. Select a gentle cycle. Use a detergent that is
designed for or works well in cold water; a mild dishwashing detergent
can work. Measure out the dishwashing detergent the same as you would
laundry detergent, between a quarter- and half-cup, depending on how
soiled the comforter is. You may over-suds a bit, but dishwashing
detergent is gentler that most store-bought laundry detergent.

Don’t use bleach unless it is absolutely necessary, and then oxygen
bleach is better than traditional “chorine” or “reducing” bleach.

During the final rinse, add twice the normal amount of liquid fabric
softener. The oils in the softener will help rejuvenate the feathers
and decrease drying time by reducing the amount the feathers stuck
together. You also may want to use a fragrance-free or hypoallergenic
softener if you are concerned about the scent or allergic reactions.

Toss three or four tennis balls into the washer as well – to help
balance the load. Transfer them to the dryer with the comforter to help
fluff up the down and break up the feathers. Down has a tendency to
shift and break up inside quilting during the wash cycle, and the
tennis balls will cut down on that greatly.

Dry the comforter on low for as long as it takes. It can take as
long as an hour to 90 minutes before the entire piece is dry. You may
want to let the comforter hang over a laundry cart overnight and then
run it through one final dryer cycle for 15 to 20 minutes in the
morning just to be sure that all of the moisture is out of the item,
thus ensuring that there will be no mold problems.

One last tip: Only new high-end frontload washing machines feature
temperature sensors. So the cold setting in the winter is 40 to 50
degrees in many parts of the country; however, cold-water detergents
work best in 68 to 87 degrees. Therefore, during the winter months in
northern climates, don’t use the cold-water setting on your washer –
the warm-water setting will actually provide water temperatures in the
“cold” range.