A down comforter can be a warm and cozy addition to your bed. To keep your down comforter fluffy and clean, you’ll want to wash it from time-to-time. With routine cleanings, you can keep your comforter looking brand-new.

When it comes time to wash your down-filled comforter or duvet, dry-cleaning is an option (it prevents shrinkage), but it’s not always a must, and you’ll want to avoid putting harsh chemicals on down. Heavy detergents and chemicals will compromise your down; therefore, dry-cleaning is not recommended (you may, however, ask your dry-cleaner to professionally launder your comforter, which will cost about $30 to $60, depending on the size). If time is of the essence, this may be the best option.

How to Wash a Down Comforter at Home

First, check the care tag: If the fabric is delicate or if the comforter has embellishments, you’ll probably need to leave the cleaning to a professional. Fortunately, if the cover of your duvet or comforter is 100% cotton or a cotton-blend, you can usually wash and dry it yourself.

If you have access to an industrial-size machine, either at home or in a laundromat, it’s easy and more economical to wash a down comforter yourself.

• Only use a washer that is large enough to accommodate your comforter or duvet, with ample room to spare (as with any material, your machine will not clean as effectively when it’s overstuffed). With down, it’s even more important; you want the detergent and the rinsing water to freely circulate among the feathers. Also, never use a top loader with center agitator as these can stretch the material and compress the feathers.
• Use a small amount of mild detergent. Harsh soaps and chemicals will strip the feathers of their natural coating. Do not use fabric softener, as this will coat the down, reducing its performance.
• Select a gentle setting. If you feel your duvet needs a deeper clean, consider pre-treating any soiled spots by soaking them in a tub of warm water and mild soap.
• Use cold or warm water, so as not to strip the down, and to avoid shrinking the exterior cover.
• Rinse twice to make sure all detergent is removed.
• Set your spin cycle on high to ensure that you remove as much water as possible.
• Once the cycle is complete, check your bedding for any remaining soap. If you see suds or feel any leftover soap, rewash the bedding, this time without any detergent. Soap residue will cause clumps in your down, so make sure it is thoroughly rinsed.
• Remove Bedding from the Washer. Be gentle when removing the bedding from the washer. Down that is wet is heavy and you don’t want to rip your comforter or duvet’s cover. You might notice a slight odor from the wet down—this is normal. The smell will disappear once the down is dry.

Drying Your Down Comforter

• Select a large capacity dryer.
• Dry the comforter on the Low setting in an extra-capacity clothes dryer. This will take some time—even up to a few hours. Here’s where your patience comes into play. The goal here is to make sure the down is completely dry to prevent the growth of mold.

NOTE: Do not dry on auto setting, as sensors will stop once the outside, not the inside, is dry.

• Add at least six wool dryer balls (or tennis balls) to the dryer to keep the down from clumping as it dries. While wool dryer balls are most ideal, clean tennis balls will also work to keep the down loose and well distributed in the comforter, although you may notice a faint odor as the tennis balls get warm.
• Time-dry your comforter at a low to medium heat for one cycle or one hour.
• Remove the duvet and fluff it with your hands to redistribute the down. Reload and dry for another hour/cycle.
• Repeat this process several times. Once you feel the comforter is throughly dry, double check it by allowing it to cool and then testing the interior for dryness one more time.
• Even if the comforter appears to be completely dry with the down fluffed and well-distributed when you get home, hang it outdoors in a sunny area or an area inside the house that will allow air to circulate all around it.

NOTE: Not all down and feathers are pure white in color. Some are brown, some white with black edges. When the comforter is wet, you may see a very dark color showing through. Don’t panic. It’s not mold. That’s the natural color of your down or feather filling. As it dries, it will return to its normal appearance.

How often can you wash a down comforter?

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Keeping your down comforter in a duvet cover will protect it against dirt, stains and spills. Using a duvet cover can more than double your time in between washings.

• With a duvet cover: You should wash the down comforter every 3 to 5 years.
• Without a duvet cover: Wash a down comforter every 1 to 2 years.

Are wool dryer balls necessary?

No, however, your results will be better if you include at least 6 wool dryer balls in the dryer with the down comforter. Optionally, if you don’t have wool dryer balls, you can use clean tennis balls, which will give similar results. The way these balls work is that as the comforter tumbles, the balls bounce around, keeping the folds of the comforter open, allowing the warm air to circulate more freely. That allows the feathers and down to open up within the comforter, releasing water and allowing the whole thing to become dry and super fluffy. If you do not use wool dryer balls or tennis balls, it will take a bit longer to dry. The comforter, while still perfectly useful and clean, may take a while to re-fluff.

Can I line dry my down comforter instead of using a clothes dryer?

Line drying a down comforter is not advisable. To do so, you will run the risk of damp spots remaining within the feathers and down, clumps of feathers and down that remain stuck together and not well distributed, which may also encourage mold and mildew.

How to store a down comforter off-season?

You want to make sure it can breathe, so do not encase it in plastic. Instead, store it folded or handing in a closet, covered with a cloth bag. It should be in an area where it is not compressed and has room to stay fluff. When it’s time to bring it back into service for the colder months, take it out of its protective bag and give it a good shake to redistribute the filling, and you’ll be good to go!