How to clean a duck down quilt ?

Pollycat

Judi wrote: »

Yeah they err on caution. To cover their backs.

Then I'd go with the manufacturer's instructions - certainly on something like a duck down quilt.

I do use my own discretion on items I've bought from a charity shop that say 'hand wash' or even 'dry clean only' but not on something like that.

sootypea

I had to wash ours as next doors cat came in and S**t on my bed. It came out fine took a few hours to dry in the tumble dryer. Worth ba punt as I was going to have to throw it away.

Helebore

I would NOT wash a down quilt either at home or in a launderette. Mine are too big for a normal home machine and I think if you took it to the launderette and managed to find a washer big enough you would then be waiting hours for it to dry. Maybe you could check if the launderette do do a service wash on such things but I would be more inclined to ask whether a dry cleaners would be able to adequately clean it. Especially if it was an expensive one.

McKneff

I wash my quilts at least twice a year...
When you think what is not visible to the human eye, festering for months, it makes me want to retch.
This is as well as what you can see, as well as what you cn smell. And remember, you are breathing in all this stuff all night....

DigForVictory

We had some down quilts, not full single bed size, smaller, thicker, warmer but getting old. The local launderette had a "conversion to duvet" process - all feathers resused, new clean outer.

I seriously hesitate about entrusting a loved feathery thing to my washing machine, but would ask the professionals what they do & charge to do.

In the very short term, 98% of the game is concealment, so get a reasonably densely woven fabric duvet cover, and keep warm! Whilst having a new strict policy about no hot drinks near?
All the best!

Grumpysally

I wouldn't take it to be dry cleaned. I wouldn't want to be inhaling the chemicals while I sleep.
I wouldn't put it in my washing machine either. Far too big. You might end up with a knackered machine at worst or at best a sopping duvet because you machine can't cope with the weight and refuses to spin.
I've taken mine to be service washed in the past. Quite expensive but cheaper than new duvet. ( We don't have a local 'put it in the machines yourself 'place otherwise I would have used that )
If it's just tea and coffee I'd probably just give it a good airing and maybe a bit of spot cleaning. Once it's got a cover on no one's going to know. I'd save the laundering till next summer, because in my experience they are still slightly damp when they comeback from the laundry and need airing before they go back on the bed.
Edited to add, the friends who recommended throwing out, either have cheap synthetic duvets or more money than sense :-)

Grumpysally

As a slight aside.
We inherited some really old feather pillows from MiL which were seriously minging. I tried to wash them in the washing machine, only to find that the featheproof ticking was also somewhat airtight and had formed a kind of balloon in the drum which was forcing the suds back out through the dispenser. And the smell of wet feathers........truly horrible.

honeythewitch

Pollycat wrote: »

Then I'd go with the manufacturer's instructions - certainly on something like a duck down quilt.

I do use my own discretion on items I've bought from a charity shop that say 'hand wash' or even 'dry clean only' but not on something like that.

If you follow the instructions for quilts you will be sleeping with dust mites, because they are only killed at sixty degrees, and the washing instructions are usually way below that.

Helebore

The launderette I use does wash quilts. They keep them for a week, wash them, put in drier for a while then hang them up for a time. Oh and by the way, a dry cleaner would do the same, they would not use any chemicals so you would not have to worry about inhaling them.

patchwork_cat

I put our king size feather and down duvet in our 9 kg machine and our down pillows are washed regularly too. Then just tumble dry.