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How to Wash and Bleach a Comforter
Time to clean your white comforter? Follow these steps to learn how to bleach your white comforters, blankets and quilts safely.
When it comes to washing your bedding, it’s not just about the sheets. That big bulky comforter also needs a wash from time to time. Whether you have a synthetic or down-filled comforter, we’ll show you how to wash it right. First, it’s best to wash your comforter in a front-loading washing machine since it’s large and bulky. If you don’t have one, laundromats have front-loading washers and also have large capacity dryers, which can make it easier to tumble dry bulky items.
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Steps to wash your comforter for front-loading HE machines
Load washer
Add your comforter. As comforters can be bulky, it’s best to wash it alone with no other items to avoid overloading the machine.
Add detergent and bleach
For synthetic-filled comforters: Add detergent and bleach in their appropriate dispenser compartments.
For down-filled comforters: Add detergent and color-safe bleach together in the detergent compartment.
Select cycle
A heavy-duty cycle with hot water and an extra rinse will give you the best performance. Then start the wash.
Tumble dry
To dry the comforter, select a hot dryer setting, and tumble dry the comforter with a few clean tennis balls to restore its loft.
TipBe sure the comforter is completely dry — this is especially important with down. Look for damp clumps and add more drying time if necessary.
If the comforter is down filled, you cannot use regular bleach. Instead, use Color Safe Bleach, which is a non-chlorine bleach that contains peroxide. It removes stains and brightens garments with colors that can’t be washed with regular bleach.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you use bleach full strength to treat a stain on a comforter?
No. Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach should always be diluted with water first before allowing it to contact any soft or hard surface. Don’t give in to the temptation to apply full strength bleach to stains — in time the area that was exposed to undiluted bleach could end up with a hole. Instead, if you have a stain on a bleach-safe comforter you can always pretreat with a bleach and water solution made with ¼ cup bleach added to ¾ cup water. Apply the bleach and water solution to the stain and then immediately machine wash the item using detergent and ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach.
- How do I treat a stain on a down-filled comforter?
Use Liquid Clorox 2® for Colors to pretreat stains before washing. For small stains, apply Clorox 2® directly and let it sit for 5–10 minutes, then machine wash using detergent and more Clorox 2®. For large stains, dilute Clorox 2® with water using a ratio of 1 capful of Clorox 2® per quart of water before applying the solution to the stained area. Let stand for up to 1 hour, then machine wash as usual with your favorite detergent.