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Down duvet

AnnieO1234
Posts: 1,722 Forumite
Hi all,
I wanted to run this idea by you all. I have a duvet that simply will not fit in my dryer. I want to get it cleaned but am loathe to pay £25 at my local dry cleaners to "launder" the duvet.
I was thinking of unpicking each channel and removing the down completely (keeping the down inside labelled pillowcases). I can then wash each pillowcase with the down inside, plus the duvet without the down, and stitch it all back up?
Does that sound like a mad idea?
Xxx
I wanted to run this idea by you all. I have a duvet that simply will not fit in my dryer. I want to get it cleaned but am loathe to pay £25 at my local dry cleaners to "launder" the duvet.
I was thinking of unpicking each channel and removing the down completely (keeping the down inside labelled pillowcases). I can then wash each pillowcase with the down inside, plus the duvet without the down, and stitch it all back up?
Does that sound like a mad idea?
Xxx
0
Comments
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AnnieO1234 wrote: »
Does that sound like a mad idea?
Xxx
YES! That sounds like a mad idea
I am not particularly OS but always go by the mantra that if I can earn more than it costs me to pay someone to do something then I will pay someone else to do it (if it is a nightmare task or something I am not very skilled to do).
Sewing isn't something I do well and presumably it would take hours (maybe double figures?) to do this? Even if it took a total of 10 hours to do, that equates to your hourly rate being £2.50 which doesn't sound like a good use of time to me.
Does it need laundered or would airing outside for a day suffice?
I would get it done at the cleaners, anything for an easy lifeIf you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got!0 -
Sewing machine will take seconds!
For me to get the dratted thing to the dry cleaners will take 45 minutes to get there. Twice.
Xx0 -
Yes, that idea is crazy, it will never be the same again.
Can't you wash it at home then take it to a launderette to dry it?Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear0 -
Plus the mess of the feathers everywhere .....
Will it not fit in the big machine at the launderette?0 -
It sounds a bit daft to me. Could you steam it? Or just wash a particular stain? Or put it in the dryer with a "dry cleaning" thing? if you wet the quilt before it goes in the washing machine it will probably fit, because the down goes down to almost nothing.
If you are determined to unpick it, have a spray bottle of water to dampen as you go otherwise you will never see the down again!0 -
My local laundrette used to wash mine in their big machine and dry it in their dryer. They wouldn't let me do it myself (so they could charge me more to pay them to do it!) so I stopped taking it when their charges went over £20. But you can obviously wash it yourself if you can find a self service launderette with an extra-large machine.“I want to be a glow worm, A glow worm's never glum'Coz how can you be grumpy, when the sun shines out your bum?" ~ Dr A. TappingI'm finding my way back to sanity again... but I don't really know what I'm gonna do when I get there~ LifehouseWhat’s fur ye will make go by ye… but also what’s not fur ye, ye can jist scroll on by!0
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I have washed & dried feather duvets & eiderdowns successfully without using my drier or dismantling them. The trick is shake/fluff them up regularly whilst on the line; choose a couple of dry days & go for it. Bring it in at night (dew) and hang it over your stairs or a door or something. It's a bit time-consuming but not unduly so.Angie - GC Feb 25: £333.75/£500: 2025 Fashion on the Ration Challenge: 0/68: (Money's just a substitute for time & talent...)0
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I take my king size goose down duvet to the local laundrette on a sunny morning with my own washing liquid. I spray Vanish on any stains prior to putting it into a big washing machine on a hot wash. (I always ask the attendant what size washing machine is appropriate.) It costs about £6 for the wash. I then put it in the drier, with 2 clean white tennis balls to fluff up the feathers and put about £1 worth of 20p coins in. I shake the duvet between drying cycles and then take the damp duvet home and put it out on the line to dry naturally. I shake it and turn it every couple of hours. If it isn't dry at the end of the day I take it in overnight and put over the top of the bannister and then put out again the next day. It can take up to 3 days to dry.
I always get strange looks when I throw the tennis balls into the dryer. This is a tip I read in the "How clean is your house?" book by Kim and Aggie. I also get unwanted comments about £1 not being enough to fully dry a duvet, so have to explain that it's going out on the line to finish drying for free.
I regularly put the duvet out on the line to air for the morning if it's a nice bright sunny day and this keeps it fresh and avoids having to wash it too often.
HTH0 -
Took my winter-weight, down and feather, king-size duvet to the launderette in spring and got it laundered, dried and packed for storage for less than £15. Rang a few local launderettes first to get an idea of prices.0
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Took my winter-weight, down and feather, king-size duvet to the launderette in spring and got it laundered, dried and packed for storage for less than £15. Rang a few local launderettes first to get an idea of prices.
Likewise, though our drycleaner only charged £10*: excellent value and, IMHO, not worth** faffing about at home at that price.
* They're local, (very - yards rather than miles) and we use them a fair bit so that might not have been a truly representative price.
**Same principle as a previous poster, I dropped it off en route to a Saturday O/T shift (they open early) and collected it on the way home: no brainer really.
The canvas type kitbag isn't exactly heavy duty but it kept it clean until needed and doubtless will be 'up-cycled' for some other purpose. (I've already decided that next year even if it's marginally cheaper if they reuse the 'old' bag I'll pay the extra few quid anf get another one.)0
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