Cleaning And Care Of Comforters

Comforters and spreads most of which are imported, come in a variety of sizes, content, construction, and material. Manufactures place care labels on the item which prescribes a suitable cleaning method. In order to be certain before processing a comforter without a care label it is possible to insert a slender pin into the center of the comforter and pull a small amount of the filling thru the same pin hole. Once removed feathers are easy enough to identify but you want to check to determine if the filling is wool or polyester. Wool will smell like burning hair and polyester will melt anball ip when burned. You want to avoid washing a comforter that contains wool as it will shrink or felt if washed and dried. Take the filling and twist together. Using a lighter or match light the filling on fire and observe how it burns and smells. You now know whether to wash the polyester and dry clean the wool. Down feathers can be dry cleaned or wet cleaned depending on the lining. We strongly suggest that you discuss the label and construction issues with your retailer at the time of purchase and with your cleaner prior to giving your consent to process it.

When comforters are presented for cleaning certain preconditions,
which include construction, fabric selection, dye stability, and trim
may present challenges and create problems which occur in the
cleaning process. Quilting manufacturers maintain certain standards
of construction which are intended to preserve the integrity of the
comforter and to enable it to last, with proper care for a
considerable length of time. I.e.: The quilting pattern used shall
not exceed an area that is adequate to control shifting and
separation of the batting after performance testing (three agitator
wash and tumble dry cycles. Suggested patters are: box or diamond: 100 square (for example 10" x 10") Straight line rows: 8 inches, Diamond shape with cross over stitching.

Some problems that can occur when cleaning comforters or bedspreads are: shrinkage, color loss, dullness (loss of sheen), and tears. You can avoid some of these issues at the time of purchase by checking to be sure that the bedspread has been preshrunk and that down or fiber-filled bedspreads are well quilted. Quilting stitches should run both vertically and horizontally with quilting lines 8 to 10 inches apart. Stitching should be strong, as loose stitching can allow the filling to shift during cleaning. For Example: a few short stitches spread throughout the item is not sufficient to stabilize the content during the cleaning process. In purchasing quilting you should avoid spreads and comforters which only have an occasional light stitching randomly place on the quilt to hold its content because even through normal wear, the content will shift and gravitate to the sides and ends. In the cleaning process, because mechanical action is required, comforters made with this type of construction will usually result in intensified movement of content and make the content or filling near impossible to reposition inside the comforter.

We recommend that you clean or launder all matching and coordinated items (shams, dust ruffles, curtains) at the same time. This helps to ensure that any color or sheen loss is uniform.

Should problems occur with the cleaning of your spreads, you should discuss the problem with your Cleaner and consider the options you have available to you.

When you properly clean and care for your comforter, you should
receive many years of use from it.