A goose down comforter is a comforter that is filled with soft clusters found underneath geese’s feathers. A goose down comforter is excellent for wintertime when you need extra warmth.
But can you machine wash a goose down comforter without damaging it? If you properly take care of your goose down comforter, it can last you for years. However, the comforter can lose its softness if you do not practice proper maintenance.
Hence, let’s discover whether you can machine wash your goose down comforter!
Can You Machine Wash a Goose Down Comforter?
You can machine wash goose down comforters if you are careful and do it in a front-loading washing machine. Top-loading washing machines cannot handle the weight of a goose down comforter, especially when wet.
The heaviness of a wet comforter can damage a top-washing machine.
Washing a Goose Down Comforter in a Washing Machine
Although most goose down comforters are labeled “dry clean only“, if you have a front-loading washing machine, you can wash them at home while being very careful.
The goose down comforters can damage small machines due to their size, whereas top-loading washers might rip the fabric. In this case, you will need to add a small amount of soft detergent because regular detergent can damage the fabric of the goose down comforter.
Regular laundry detergents can remove the natural oils that keep comforters feeling light and fluffy; therefore, be cautious and never use them.
Bleach can somewhat harm the outer cotton shell of a goose down comforter. Hence, goose down comforter manufacturers discourage its usage while washing these comforters.
However, if you add a small amount of bleach, there is no damage danger. The dust mites in your comforter can all be killed with just a 1/4 cup of bleach.
After that, run a delicate cycle in warm water with an additional rinse. The additional rinse will remove any detergent residue in the down comforter.
Read more: Can You Put Real Fur In The Washing Machine?
Drying a goose down comforter
Take the comforter and place it in the large dryer as soon as the washing cycle is finished. You should set your dryer on a low heat setting to avoid heat damage to the goose down comforter. While drying, you must take the comforter out every 30 minutes and fluff it up.
After the comforter is done in the drier, you should check for any clumps by holding it up to the light. If there are no clumps, your goose down comforter is dry.
However, if there are clumps, your comforter is still wet, so put it back in the dryer on low heat to finish drying.
How Often Should You Wash a Goose Down Comforter?
Unlike sheets and other bedding that require to be washed regularly, a goose down comforter does not require as frequent washing. There are several suggestions for how frequently to wash your comforter, but ultimately, it depends on each person.
Some people may wash it more often than others. However, it’s good to wash your goose comforter up to four times during the year, at the beginning or end of each season.
If you have allergies, you should wash the comforter more often to reduce the number of allergens that find their way into your bed.
Use a duvet cover for your goose down comforter
Use a duvet cover to protect your comforter so you can go longer between washes if you need to wash your comforter frequently due to allergies, personal hygiene issues like night sweating, or pets that spend time in your bed.
A duvet cover can protect your comforter and is much simpler to clean than the actual comforter. You can put the duvet cover with your other clothes during laundry day instead of running a wash cycle for a single item. This is the case with a goose down comforter due to its size.
Also read: Can You Wash Converse In The Washing Machine?
Conclusion
Can you machine wash a goose down comforter? As you have seen, the answer is yes. However, you still need to be careful and use a soft detergent to avoid damaging the comforter.
Also, washing a goose down comforter in a washing machine is only recommended if the washer is front-loading. This is because top-loading washing machines cannot handle a water-heavy goose down comforter.
