Question:

Dry cleaning down coat cost me $27! Could I have washed it?
The cleaners gave me this horse and carriage story about how they have to specially wash it because of the feathers. Could i have washed it in cold water and hung it to dry? I should have added that I don't have a washer and dryer at home. Those tennis shoes in the dryer may get me kicked out of the laudromat. But that's a good trick to know! :)

Answers:

A-Best: Instead of drycleaning, you can also refresh clothes in the dryer (no tennis shoes involved!). There's a product called Dryel. You put the clothes in a bag that's provided with a prepared refresher sheet and let the dryer run for about 20 minutes. This really works! I use it all the time and my drycleaning bills are cut way down! Plus, it smells really nice and fresh. The package also comes with a stain remover which can be used on pretty much any fabric. Instructions are there too. It's easy to do in the laundromat. You can use one drying cycle for 2 Dryel runs. I'm copying the website below. But you can get it most drugstores.  

A: I have washed my down columbia jacket at home several times, cold water, gentle cycle, then put it in the dryer with air only, no heat. no problems at all. but the dryer is key, it won't air dry, and wet feathers smell disgusting, I know. if you hang it in a door way and have a fan blow on it, that might work also. $27 is crazy! I get my wool coat dry cleaned for $8, maybe it's different or dry cleaner prices vary according to location.  

A: Read the tag to be sure.. yep.. that is probably what they did .. Spray with pretreater .. cold wash .. and set on a rack to air dry .. Think of something kinda like a ironing rack frame without the board attached.. You could just as easily use a couple broom handles. Is my check in the mail?  

A: My entire family has goose down coats and I wash them with a pair of tennis shoes. The tennis shoes in the dryer plumps up the feathers. Use low heat. We've never had a problem with our coats being wahsed in this fashion.  

A: next time wash it yourself and when you dry it put a couple of tennis balls in the dryer ,to plump up the feathers  

A: I agree with the Dryel--you can buy it even in the grocery store or Walmart. Or you can wash it on delicate with mild detergent. Put it in the dryer on air dry with a dryer sheet. The sneakers are loud so instead I put in tennis balls. You can put the balls in just as they are almost done if you want, just to fluff it up.  

A: Rather than pay for professional cleaning, you can safely clean many down-filled items yourself. You'll need a low-sudsing, mild detergent. One method: Machine-wash in a large front-loading washer (if your washer is top-loading or small, try the local Laundromat). Another method: Hand-wash in a tub of lukewarm water with the detergent. Gently squeeze soapy water through item; drain water. Rinse with cool water; repeat as needed. To dry machine- or hand-washed items, first use a washer's spin cycle to release excess water or press out water by hand. Then tumble-dry on low. Adding dry towels will speed the process; tennis balls or commercial fluffing rings in cotton socks will help keep feather clusters fluffy. http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=9d96ce908332f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=down%20filled&rsc=ns2006_m3 Laundry TipsIn washing down filled items. wash on the gentle cycle, but when it comes to drying remember that it takes a very long time! I bought LLBean jackets for my ... www.laundry-alternative.com/tips.html - 34k - Cached - Similar pages Obermeyer Frequently Asked QuestionsDOWN-FILLED Jacket or Vest. CARING FOR YOUR DOWN-FILLED OBERMEYER PIECE Washing a down-filled Obermeyer garment is pretty much the same as washing any of ... www.obermeyer.com/faq.html Cleaning Tips - House Cleaning - Carpet Cleaning - Window CleaningDown filled jackets, coats and comforters are machine washable, as long as the outer shell fabric is ... What temperature is best for washing white clothes? ... cleaning.lifetips.com/faq/30324/0/how-do-i-wash-down-filled-jackets-coats-or-comforters/index.html