Washing Bulky, Heavy Items

I love my down comforter however cleaning it is a little daunting because of its bulk and content. Are there special ways to wash your bulky and down feather items? Luckily there are a few tips you can follow to make these items clean and fresh without going to too great of lengths. If followed, these guidelines will greatly simplify the bulk washing process and leave you with clean possessions that are still in great shape.

If the label says it's safe to machine wash your pillows or stuffed toys, go ahead. Remember though to not wash too many at a time (no more than two or three) and if the stuffed animal is well-loved (meaning it has more bald patches than fur and several holes) you might want to put it in a net laundry bag to prevent any stuffed animal disintegration—thus avoiding a sad display from a devoted five-year-old.

With big and bulky items like stuffed animals or comforters you shouldn't put anything else in the wash with them. You don't wash these items too often and so it shouldn't be an inconvenience to devote an entire load to one or two items.

Before washing a down-filled garment, check to be sure the outer material is washable. Then make a bag twice as big as the garment from tightly woven, white fabric and put the item securely inside. Close the bag using strong thread and stitches small enough to assure no feathers will escape if there is a loose seam in the garment. Always machine dry down-filled pieces. Use a low-temperature setting, and toss in a few clean tennis balls to fluff the garment and make sure it dries evenly.

Remember with down filled items to put everything on a delicate setting; you don't want a hardcore wash cycle to rip apart your down pillows or comforters. Be patient with the washing and drying of these items as well—it's better to take your time and make sure everything is going the way it's supposed to than rush the process and end up with damaged pillows and comforters.

Bulky and down items need not be an obstacle in your laundry day. It's not hard to wash these items if you follow these simple tips and you don't even have to wash these kinds of things very often anyway. You probably use these items all the time and so you want to keep them looking as nice as possible; a laundry load is often the way to do it and once you do you'll definitely be glad!