How do you wash a down feather bed?

Answer 1

take it to the dry cleaners.

Answer 2

If it's a single, you probably can get it into a commercial Laundromat washing machine and then tumble dry at a medium temp. Most feather-beds are cotton batting over feather/down combinations and unless the material is dyed(99% are white) then washing is the way to go. Water will not hurt the material and I've never seen a duck have a problem with water either! Drying will take the longest time, so include some very clean sneakers with the bed to "beat" the clumps of feathers & this will loosen them and facilitate drying.
For anything larger, the Drycleaner/ Launderer is the place to go. And guess what? They're gonna do the same thing as above but charge you and arm & a leg!

Answer 3

I know that the labels say "dry clean only" but I have used down and feather beds, blankets, comforters and pillows my entire life and I have washed every last one of them that I have owned. I wash mine now in my front load washer on gentle cycle (although I have even used heavy duty on occasion-including hot water and bleach). Prior to owning my front loader I would take to the laundry mat and use the giant washers. At any rate, the only ill effect I have had is that over time the fabric will break down and you will either have to recover or replace. Other than that, they come out looking and behaving exactly as they did prior to washing. In fact, it's one of the reasons I love feather bedding , because it does not lose its shape and effectiveness as soon as you wash it.
One tip I learned along the way is to throw a shoe in the dryer with it otherwise you will have to keep taking it out, fluffing it into shape and drying some more...many times! It takes quite some time to dry thoroughly so be prepared for that.
Obviously, you should follow my advice at your own risk and I'm sure you will get plenty of people telling you that I am wrong. That said, I promise you that I have never ruined a single feather or down article (including our winter coats) from washing them.
Plus, you can look at it this way, if the cost of dry cleaning is close to the cost of replacement then what have you got to lose?

Answer 4

Take it outside on a nice dry sunny day lay it on a tarp (have someone there to help you)...and pound the dust out of it with something like a tennis racket, one side at a time. After you pound one side flip it over and pound the other--the last side should be the side that you sleep on. You can spot clean both sides if you want, but usually only one side needs to be cleaned....spot clean it with a little soap, water and a stiff bristle brush (tooth brush will do the job, but it depends on the area you want to clean). Let it dry in the sun. It shouldn't take too long---you aren't soaking the bed. That is a pain to do...but, its cheaper than taking it to the dry cleaners.

Answer 5

I had one and it would have been very expensive to dry clean. I used to spray it with Frebreeze and set it out on the clothes line for a few hours. If there is a spot you could spot clean it with some baking soda and water paste, let it dry and brush it off.

Answer 6

Very Carefully

Answer 7

You dont. Dry cleaning is the only method, and for the price you might want to buy a new one.

Answer 8

dry clean only

Answer 9

There should be a tag that tells you.