Are you struggling with some particularly lumpy spots on your comforter? A comforter is an essential part of a pleasant sleep experience, but if the down filling inside starts clumping to one side, it can create an uncomfortable — and unsightly — situation. Luckily, there are some simple fixes to this common issue.
If your comforter is getting very lumpy, try breaking down the clumps with your hands and giving the comforter a good shake. Repeat this process each time you make the bed. Wash and air-dry your comforter to help prevent lumps from forming.
A lumpy comforter is part of no one’s ideal sleep situation, so don’t let it ruin yours. Let’s take a closer look at why comforters tend to get so lumpy, how you can remove the lumps, and how to keep your bedding in great shape moving forward.
Why Is Your Comforter Lumpy?
When the down in your comforter is nice and evenly spread out, you enjoy a warm and comfy bed. The top bedding also gives your bed a luxurious layered look, adding to the bedroom aesthetics.
After some time, however, the down filling traps moisture and tends to stick together to form lumps—the lumped filling shifts to one side of your comforter.
The problem might also develop during a wash and dry cycle. Poor drying leaves moisture inside the comforter and causes uncomfortable lumps. Besides the discomfort when using a lumpy comforter, you get a less-than-ideal look for your bed.
If your comforter is sectioned off into smaller pockets, which is known as a baffle box construction, the materials can still get stuck within the bags.
How Do You Unclump a Comforter?
If you’ve used a lumpy comforter, you can appreciate how frustrating the bedding can be. You struggle throughout the night to straighten the uneven filling with little success.
This discomfort affects the quality of your sleep, and you wake up feeling groggy. To fix your lumpy comforter, here are some steps to follow:
Break Down the Clumps
One of the simplest tricks to fix your lumpy comforter is breaking the clumps with your hands. To do this, lay your comforter flat on the mattress and move from one section to the next, feeling for any clumps.
If you find any, break down the fibers gently with your fingers and spread them around. Kneading the lumps also gets your comforter back into shape and improves the functionality of the bedding.
Shake and Fluff
Stubborn clumps inside your comforter are frustrating, but you can solve the problem with a few shakes and fluffs. To do this, grab the bottom corners of your comforter and shake the bedding using vertical movements several times.
The process helps reposition the clumps and gets your comforter back into an even layered shape. Repeat the process while holding the top corners of your comforter. Every time you make your bed, shake and fluff your comforter to ensure the down filling stays in the right position.
Smooth the Down
After shaking and fluffing the lumpy comforter, set it down on the floor or flat on your mattress. Give the bedding a hands-on treatment focusing on every section. Track the baffled pockets and work on each to smoothen out down that’s clumped.
Carry Out Preventive Maintenance
Simple care tips keep your comforter clean, fluffy, and clump-free. Regular cleaning rids the bedding of myriad problems, including clumping. Before you wash the bulky bedding, read the care label on the comforter.
Regular air drying on a clothing line also removes any trapped moisture in the down filling and prevents lumping. If you want to air out your comforter, check the weather and choose a sunny, breezy day to hang the bedding outside. Hanging the comforter on a clothesline is another care tip to add natural fluff to your bedding.
How Do You Wash a Comforter Without It Getting Lumpy?
Washing a comforter is a daunting task because of the bulk and delicate filling in the bedding. Your fluffy bedding might not require regular washes like the rest of the bed linen, but you still have to keep it clean.
Here are some quick steps to wash your comforter without it getting lumpy:
- Check the manufacturer’s washing instructions to determine whether to use a machine or pay for specialized dry cleaning.
- If the bedding is machine washable, clean it at home or go to a laundromat and use a high-capacity washer and dryer. Commercial washing machines are more effective at cleaning bulky bedding.
- Prepare the comforter before cleaning by checking for tears, stains, or loose threads. Repair any damage and pre-treat the stains before loading the comforter into a washer.
- Load the comforter and try to balance the load to prevent lumping.
- Use specialty detergent for delicate garments or comforters, such as this Down Gear Wash (on Amazon).
- Set the washing cycle to “delicate” and the water temperature to “warm.” Use an extra rinse option to eliminate dirt and get rid of excess detergent.
- After several cycles, use the dryer with the temperature set at “low.” In between cycles, feel for clumps and move the filling around. Reposition the comforter midway through the drying cycles to prevent the down filling from lumping.
- Use a comforter rack to completely dry your comforter for a day or two.