Your comforter is an essential part of a comfortable sleeping experience, and it deserves proper care and maintenance. Washing it may seem easy enough, but how do you make sure it dries properly and that it doesn’t get too lumpy in the process?
You can dry a comforter in the dryer on a very low heat (or no heat) setting. Add dryer balls to help distribute the fill and prevent a lumpy final result. You can also hang dry your comforter in the sun or inside near a window or a fan.
If you use proper drying techniques, you should have a clean, fluffy comforter in no time. Let’s take a closer look at how you can dry a comforter with and without a dryer and how often you should wash your comforter to keep it in great shape.
Can You Put a Comforter in the Dryer?
Yes, you can dry a comforter in the dryer as long as you monitor it carefully. You want to avoid the comforter drying only in patches or the down filling losing its fluff.
Use low heat and remove the comforter every ten minutes to work it into a new position until it’s completely dry. Use dryer balls or tennis balls to help maintain the usual shape and feel of your comforter.
When drying comforters, always use the lowest heat setting available. If you set it too hot, you risk the filling clumping together or burning.
How Do You Dry a Comforter Without a Dryer?
It is also possible to dry a comforter without using a dryer. Some of the options are listed below.
- Dry your comforter on a line near a fan or an open window. When drying a comforter, ensure the height of the line is sufficient to prevent it from touching the ground. Also, avoid drying multiple items on top of each other.
- Use a dry cloth to iron your comforter. To avoid scorching your comforter, iron it once it’s on your bed. This facilitates quick and effective drying. Not all mattresses can tolerate severe heat, so lay down a towel before starting. Afterward, move your iron around your bedding for 10 to 15 minutes, using swift motions as you go.
- Use a hairdryer to dry your wet comforter. Set your hairdryer to the highest heat setting possible. Use it on the comforter for 15 mins. As you go, rotate your comforter to avoid direct contact with your hairdryer. Repeat for another 20 minutes or so until your comforter is dry to the touch.
- Dry your comforter using the sun. Dry your comforter in a sunny, warm location with moderate wind. Even if it isn’t windy outside, a mild breeze will facilitate the drying process. Just remember that the best day to air dry your comforter is on a sunny day.
- Take your dryer to a laundromat. If you don’t have a good dyer or a place to hang your comforter up at home, you can always look for a laundromat nearby and use the commercial dryers there. These should be well prepared to deal with a wet comforter.
How Often Should You Wash a Comforter?
A comforter is a large, thick, and occasionally heavy blanket used to keep warm while sleeping. Other bed sheets may separate your body from the comforter, so the comforter needs to be washed much less frequently than the bedsheets and pillowcases.
You won’t have to wash your comforter more than once or twice a year unless anything spills on it. The cover, however, will require weekly washing. The duvet cover needs to be washed frequently because it is still prone to allergies, dust mites, filth, and pet hair.
If you use the top sheet frequently, you might be able to wash your cover only every two to four weeks.
To keep your pillows fresh and fluffy, plan to wash or replace them every three to five months.
If your comforter becomes dirty because of illness, contact various bodily fluids, or is visibly coated with pet hair, wash it more frequently.
Some comforters aren’t machine washable or don’t have a removable and washable cover. Do professional dry cleaning at least once a year for these comforters if this is the case.
Your comforter requires to be cleaned constantly if you have allergies or asthma or suffer from any type of disease that requires extra cleanliness. People with certain types of respiratory disorders are advised to wash their comforters once a week in very hot water to eradicate dust mites.