April 18, 2010

Tennis Anyone?

Hubby and I purchased a can of tennis balls this weekend. You think we're athletic, don't you? Nope, we're not.
We're cleaning the two fluffy down comforters that fill our duvet cover. They're way overdue for a washing, in fact, they've never been laundered. I've been hesitant to take them to the dry cleaners :: sleeping under those chemicals scares me. So, I did a search for "how to wash a down comforter at home" and came up with this. There's a wealth of information on that site.
After reading through the tips, I decided to give it a go. I have a front loading machine which is important :: you don't want to use a machine with an agitator. One at a time, I put each comforter through the normal wash cycle and then into the dryer with our brand new tennis balls to keep the feathers fluffy. I decided not to use any softener since someone suggested that may coat the feathers and lessen their lifespan. Perhaps vinegar would be a good option next time.
I'm very happy with the results and we saved a bunch of money by doing the cleaning at home.
Now for the rest of the linens....if someone will cooperate.