Dry cleaning at home.......

[3lilpigs]

Has anyone ever used any of those dry cleaning kits, to dry clean a comforter at home?

I have 2 comforters....one is a down comforter, one just regular material, that both say 'dry clean only'

I really don't want to try and hunt down a dry cleaner and pay more to clean it, than I did to buy it.

Do they work?

:willy:

[Mary Jo]

I have used those before. In my opinion they are like adding a fabric softener sheet in the dryer. They don't do much to actually clean but do freshen.

[justme23]

Most of the big comforters say dry clean only because they don't fit in top loading washing machines. I've never used the dry cleaning kits but I take my dry clean only comforters to the laundry mat and put them in the big front loaders and wash 'em myself. If it has lots of beads, is made of silk or is otherwise delicate then I wouldn't wash it myself... but I have 3 dogs that sleep in the bed, so I don't bother with that stuff.

BTW, dry clean doesn't actually mean it's cleaned dry. It's just washed w/ chemicals we can't get or won't work in a regular machine... so if you're buying a dry cleaning kit that is only being used in the dryer, then it's not really cleaning it.

[dv8grl]

I've washed my down comforter in the washing machine many times.

[jedmatters]

I did not know they made dry clean comforters!

SHOCKING to me.

[SLance68]

I take mine to one of the local laundrymats and they have a special where they will do 2 of them for $ 11.00. They charge the $ 11.00 for one or for two so it is cheaper to bring 2 of them. Mine are just too big to put in my regular washer and that is too cheap to even deal with them. Forgot to say they wash and dry them not dry clean.

[whatever]

I usually wash my bed spreads or comforters in a my washer. No problems here.

[3lilpigs]

Thanks for all the inputs.

This is a brand new comforter that I haven't used yet. There are some patches of silk on it, which is why I guess it says Dry Clean Only.

Still not sure what to do yet. lol. If I knew it was D.C.O, before I bought it, I probably wouldn't have bought it

[captorquewrench]

If it has silk...I wouldn't risk washing it myself. I'd take it to the cleaners. Those home dry cleaning kits are pretty worthless for real cleaning. They freshen things in between cleanings so i'll use it to be able to wear a suit or something a couple times before I take it in, but it's not really clean. IMO those dryer kits are only like a heat activated febreeze and not really a cleaner, in my experience of wearing too much DCO stuff.

[sunniekiss]

I take mine to one of the local laundrymats and they have a special where they will do 2 of them for $ 11.00. They charge the $ 11.00 for one or for two so it is cheaper to bring 2 of them. Mine are just too big to put in my regular washer and that is too cheap to even deal with them. Forgot to say they wash and dry them not dry clean.

I do the same thing. I have 2 really heavy comforters for winter. It is cheaper to take them there than ruin my washing machine.

[SLance68]

Considering every cocktail dress and formal dress I have ever owned all say "dry clean only" and I throw them in the washer and dryer and haven't ruined one yet. I would just wash the darn thing like a normal comforter. I have owned lots of silk shirts and dresses over the years and have never had a problem with any of them.

[justme23]

I'm not saying DON'T wash them yourself, but be real careful w/ silk and beaded things. I have a friend in Oklahoma whose parents own a whole slew of Dry Cleaners, so I have a slight (and I do mean slight) knowledge. When they dye silk it doesn't absorb in to the fabric like it does w/ cotton and other things... it kind of just lays on top of it... which is why they say to dry clean it. That being said, my husband has a god awful silk shirt straight out of the 70s that I absolutely hate and have washed SEVERAL times trying to ruin it and the damn thing just won't die... so certainly, the rules are not fast and hard.