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Oh, great, wise Hatrack: I have a laundry question. My small, purple down blanket is rather dirty, and I'd like to wash it in the washing machine, if possible, since I'm a poor college student. At least, I think the blanket is down, since feathers occasionally come out of it and it's squishy. The covering is cotton, I think, altho it feels soft & a little fuzzy. Can I put in the washing machine w/o destroying it? Drying?
Also, I have a white Egyptian cotton blanket, pretty sturdy weave, with stains... Is hot water with bleach in the washer acceptable or not? Drying?
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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I washed and dryed a down jacket once. And yes it was really a down jacket cause feathers came out of afterwards. Other than there being a couple less feathers in it, it was fine and it was still all fluffy and what not.
Posts: 871 | Registered: Jul 2006
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Hot water will set stains, and I'm pretty sure hot water + bleach = bad idea.
Down is feathers! Feathers from geeses and ducksies! Which are water birds, so yes, you can wash down. Since it's small, a regular sized washing machine should be fine. When you dry it, put it in with a clean (new) tennis shoe or with some tennis balls or something like that so it'll get punched while it's drying so it comes out fluffy. Also, it will smell like burning hair or wet feathers until it's dry, gross. So make plans to keep it in the dryer a loooong time. I would dry it alone.
Without having the tags on the blanket or knowing what it's made of for sure, it's hard to know how to wash it, but I think you should be safe. Wait until a few others weigh in.
Posts: 471 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Hot water will set stains, and I'm pretty sure hot water + bleach = bad idea.
Pffft. I do it all the time! Pre-treat with bleach as directed on the bottle (involving a bucket, water, bleach, and soaking.) Rinse. Wash in hot water with or without bleach. I would probably be fine throwing in the dryer, but if you think it will shrink, hang-dry it instead. Cotton is sturdy, and if it's white you have nothing to worry about by putting it in the wash with bleach (it's not going to get spots and it's not going to bleed or discolor.)
Down can be washed and dried (dry with a clean pair of tennies, which will "kick" it back into shape), but be prepared to have lumps. I'm more concerned about the "purple" part. Purple is a notorious bleeder. If I attempted it, it would be in cold water, gentle cycle, and either dry on permanent press with tennies or more likely (since you say it "leaks feathers") I would line-dry it or even lay it flat to dry, then beat it back into shape.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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From my experience, washing a down blanket really reduces the fluffiness. If you must wash it in a machine, use a gentle cleanser and on the gentle cycle. I've heard washing it breaks down the feathers (the actual agitation can do this).
One website I just looked at suggested putting a tennis ball inside a sock (tied off at the end) to keep the blanket fluffed during the drying.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I keep reading this thread as "Can I wash down a blanket?" and I think, "Well I suppose so, but you'll need an awfully big drink."
Posts: 6213 | Registered: May 2001
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Down is actually the fluffy stuff underneath the feathers that keeps birds warm. Most products advertised as down, though, have a certain percentage of feathers mixed in (unless you're talking about high-quality backpacking gear).
I don't have any personal experience with this, but I know there are special soaps made for down products that are supposed to be gentler. NikWax is one I've heard of.
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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We took ours to be dry-cleaned a couple months back. That worked out great, but the cost might be an issue. Poor college kid does not have $28 for dry cleaning I am assuming? (I couldn't scrounge money for a sandwich some days)
Posts: 1572 | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Papa Moose: I keep reading this thread as "Can I wash down a blanket?" and I think, "Well I suppose so, but you'll need an awfully big drink."
Yet again Papa has earned me very strange looks from my cubicle neighbors.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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