How often do you clean your comforter?

[Anonymous]

I know this has been done re:sheets but I am wondering about comforters. We have a dry clean only comforter that we had for an embarrassing amount of time before finally getting it to the dry cleaners. I am trying to figure out what is a reasonable frequency to get it cleaned. What do others do?

[Anonymous]

I bake mine in the dryer to kill stuff. Flame away.

[Anonymous]

We have down comforters. I wash the duvet covers whenever I wash the sheets. The comforter itself I wash and bleach twice a year unless there was an accident or a spill that soaked through.

[Anonymous]

Do you use a duvet cover? If you don't, you should!

According to Martha Stewart:

"Never wash your down comforter in a washing machine; it won't dry properly, and it will lose its loft -- its wonderfully light, fluffy shape.

Three or four times a year, hang your comforter on a clothesline, and air it out in bright sunlight on a dry, windy day. If you do this regularly, your comforter will need to be dry-cleaned only once every seven to ten years.

Keep the comforter covered with a duvet cover to protect it from the oils in your skin; these break down fabric, making it brittle and staining it yellow. Wash the duvet cover once a week. If, however, you use a flat sheet as well as a duvet cover, you won't have to wash the duvet cover quite as often. If your comforter does have a problem area, you can spot-wash it using a mild liquid detergent such as Dawn. But be sparing; if you use too much detergent, you won’t be able to get the suds out."

We use a duvet cover and a flat sheet. Following the above guidelines, I change sheets once a week, and the duvet cover every 3 to 4 weeks.

[Anonymous]

I wash the duvet cover once every two months probably (but we use a top sheet). Have had the comforter (down) for 6 years and have only washed it (dry cleaned) twice--once when my husband put the baby on there right out of her bath and she peed and once when my newly potty trained son peed on it--both in the past 6 months!

[Anonymous]

10:17 here. Martha Stewart can kick rocks. It's perfectly fine to wash and dry your down comforter. When drying it add at least 3 tennis balls or dryer balls. They bounce around to help fluff the filling back up and ensure even drying. I use 6, and I've been doing it for years without harming my comforters. With my machine, I run it for about 50-60 minutes on medium high, turn it inside out, then run it again. As long as your washer and dryer are big enough to handle it, you'll be fine.

I wouldn't do it if the label says dry clean only. Then again I won't buy things that are dry clean only.

[Anonymous]

More comforter tips:

Most comforters should have a cover, which is much easier to clean and, like a pillow protector, helps shield allergy sufferers from a buildup of dust and dirt. It also guards against oils that can break down fabric and eventually cause filling to leak. Decorative comforters, which come in a variety of colors and styles, do not require covers.

Comorter covers should be washed weekly (monthly if you use a top sheet), but you won't have to wash the comforter itself unless you spill something on it. (Wash a decorative comforter as frequently as you would a comforter cover.) When it's necessary, launder comforters following the label's instructions. If your washing machine can't handle a bulky comforter, take it to a Laundromat, which will have industrial-size machines. Or take it to a professional cleaner: Make sure down is wet-cleaned, or dry-cleaned using organic solutions that don't have harsh chemicals.

To remove moisture, which could lead to mold and mildew, thoroughly dry all comforters -- most should be machine-dried, but check the label. Store your comforter folded in a cool, dry place, away from moisture and light. A linen or canvas storage bag will allow it to breathe; avoid plastic, which prevents air circulation.

To reduce odor buildup, hang your comforter on a clothesline on a dry, breezy day every few months. You can fluff your comforter in the dryer, just as you would a pillow.

[Anonymous]

Once every 5-6 years. It's full of dust mites I'm sure. Recently stopped using it when I found out I was pregnant. It doesn't have a duvet cover.