Washing machine-friendly comforters?

10 years ago

I had a queen size comforter that I got from Walmart about a year ago and I have washed it several times in my large front loading machine with no issues.
I decided I wanted to replace it with something nicer, so I went to a department sore and found a better-looking comforter that I made sure was machine washable. The majority of them were dry-clean only.

I wanted to wash it before using to wash away any of the manufacturing dirt and chemicals before use and noticed it can hardly fit in the washer.
So I put 1/4 of the soap I normally use and set the cycle with extra water and an extra rinse cycle.
I watched it through the window and saw that it didn't shrink down or move much through the cycles. I don't think this is going to be adequate, so I feel like I just wasted $150 on a comforter I'm not going to be able to use. I'm not going to start dragging comforters to a laundromat, so this is now going out with the garbage.

The label saying "machine washable" is not good enough when that description might mean a only commercial machine.
I think the labels should be clearer and say the washing machine needs a minimum of "X capacity" to wash it or "commercial laundry only" if it won't fit in any home-sized washer.

So, what types of nice comforters wash well in a home washing machine and shrink down in the water so they can agitate properly and are also safe to dry in a dryer?

Also, what kind of sheets wash a dry well with minimal wrinkling?
I bought new sheets and pillow cases and washed them separately. They washed and dried fine and easily fit in the machines, but when they came out of the dryer, they were so wrinkled that they looked like they had already been slept on.
Is higher thread count better or worse for wrinkling after washing and drying?

Comments (3)

jenna1
10 years ago
Do you have a top loader? I never had a problem with my front loader but we bought a top loader when we moved and I can't say that I'm real happy (even after about 10 months of use) with it. It's one of those water efficient washers that doesn't use a lot of water. But one thing I can say about it is that it's huge and will accomodate a king comforter.

That said, I also use the extra water feature but I stop the cycle and push the comforter down into the water a couple times. After a full cycle I flip it and run it thru the cycle again. After several washings this way the bedding isn't so stiff and does get completely wet. So maybe it just needs a couple washings (and pushing down into the water).

Jenna
jaxo
Original Author
10 years ago
I had mentioned above that it is a large front loader.
I washed other queen comforters with no issues.
So, it is not the fact that it's a queen or king size, it is the materials used.
This new comforter is the same size as my otd comforters, but it does not shrink down in the washer or dryer.
It has to be stuffed in and then doesn't tumble.
It will have to be taken to a landromat and washed in an extra large washing machine.
I don't want that hassle or having to go through multiple wash cycles and multiple dry cycles.

Rather than struggling with this one, I'd like to just buy ones that can be washed with no extra work.
The cheaper comforters from Walmart that remind me of the look of sleeping bags are more lightweight and are easy to wash. The more upscale comforter I got from the department store is too large for the washer even though it is the the same size because it doesn't compress down in the washer and dryers..

Maybe another option is to get away from comforters and
try to find a good quality, machine washable blanket that looks nice enough that it can double as a bed spread.

Ideally, I would like to get a machine washable comforter like the ones from Walmart, but with a nicer fabric on the outer shell. That way it would look good on the bed and still easily compress down and fit in my washer/dryer at home.
Maybe the ones from Walmart have more "air" inside the comforter and less stuffing material.
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oregpsnow
10 years ago
I use a lightweight faux down comforter from Target in a washable duvet. You can use a dry clean duvet if you only need to clean it once in a while. The comforter is just enough warmth yet very lightweight and easy to wash in my FL machine. My cat sleeps on the bed so I wash it a lot.

Most fancy comforters are not home-machine washable and will be ruined or wreck your machine. This forum has seen some posts from people washing expensive, real down comforters in a home machine. That can be a mess and if it survives the washer it may take days to dry and may never be fluffy again.

I love the Malden Mills Polarfleece sheets from QVC. Wash like a dream and are comfortable all year.