How bad is it to wash a dry clean only item in the wash?

Question

Someone recently bought me a beautiful, very expensive comforter (costs like $200). I love it to pieces, but its dry clean only unfortunately. :( I didn't realise it was dry clean only until just the other day and I had already run it through the wash once along with its pillow shams.
I almost never put things in the dryer, so I let it air dry in my laundry room.

I contacted my local dry cleaner and it costs $20 to dry clean a comforter and I don't have the money to do that 2 times a month. I like to wash my comforter, pillow shams, and sheets every two weeks.
I bought a "dryel" kit, but its too small for my comforter but the pillow shams fit in it.
How bad is it if I run my comforter through the wash and let it hang dry? Are there any alternatives to bringing it to the cleaners?

Answer 1

you did the right thing to let it air dry....what I would do instead of washing it twice a month invest in a nice duvet cover for it and wash that instead

Answer 2

Well, it would depend upon the MATERIALS that your comforter are made from... IF it's a cotton or cotton-poly blend cover with down fill, you CAN run it thru the machine on a gentle cycle with a gentle soap.

I've been machine washing my down-sleeping-bag since 1978 (almost 30 years), and it is still in GREAT shape. It takes awhile to air-dry... but it works.

Things you DON'T want to wash are WOOL, SILK, and certain fine or embroidered fabrics.

You could also just dry clean the comforter every OTHER month while washing the other items on your current schedule.

GOOD LUCK

Answer 3

I would need to know what it's made of to answer 100%,but most things that say Dry Clean Only are not that. More than half of my wardrobe says it and I don't dry clean anything but tops with sequins all over them.
First of all unless you have animals laying on the comforter it doesn't need to be washed every 2 weeks. And, not to be rude, but what is your aversion to the dryer???? A dryer makes a comforter soft and fluffy vs air drying in a room. But it's your life and comforter. I'd say, find out what is inside the comforter~~~down???? (meaning duck feathers) if yes, go online and look up down comforters and washing. IF it's just the regular soft fabricated stuff they put inside comforters, washing is not going to hurt that. It's going to be the washing of it in a regular washing machine that will hurt it. You need to go to a laundromat and wash it in a big washer. I have comforters on all our beds and take them twice a season and spend the evening in the laundromat washing and drying in the dryers (gas dryers dry hotter and faster than elect) You need to take 2 tennis balls IF YOU CHOOSE TO DRY THEM IN THE DRYER...EVEN AT HOME. The tennis balls helps keep them from winding around and around themselves as they bounce around the dryer....I'm not sure of the physics, but it works and 2 tennis balls of any color works fine. Any questions, email me.

Answer 4

I do mine in the wash all of the time. Depending on the material, it may shrink some. Also, you have to make sure the filler is completely dry. It my pile up in one section,too.
BTW, I always wash mine on Gentle.