It’s highly essential to keep your comforter clean like your other bedding items and bedsheets. However, comforters are the most challenging bedding pieces to clean due to being voluminous and having expensive delicate fillers, plus the washer’s size and capacity to be able to wash comforters matter too. Thereby, naturally you would be concerned enough to learn whether you can wash a king/queen-sized comforter in your washer or not.
So, let’s read ahead to learn the justifications added regarding this query.
Washing A Comforter In My Washer
A king or queen-sized comforter can be washed in a washer at home only if the washer has a large capacity of 5.0 cu. ft. because such a big comforter requires more space to get agitated and tumbled so that it can get cleaned, and a drum capacity of 5.0 cu. ft. has the needed room for the comforter.
As per your preference, some of you may use a full-size comforter, a queen-size comforter, or even a king-sized comforter too. Thereby, when it will come down to washing these large-sized bulky and fluffy comforters, surely you would like to know if you can put these comforters in your home washer or not.
Thus, below the answers have been shortly explained.
King-Size Comforter:
You can wash a king-sized comforter in your home’s washer but the washer has to have 5.0 cubic feet or a larger drum capacity, otherwise, you can not wash a king-sized comforter using your washer at home.
Being much bulkier, fluffier, and larger size than a queen or full-sized comforter, a king-sized comforter naturally requires a large space in the washer. In this case, if you wish to wash a king-sized comforter using your washer, you must purchase or have a washer with a huge capacity of about 5.0 cubic feet or even more so that the bulky king-sized comforter fits in the washer’s drum.
And the washer should have no agitator.
Queen-Size Comforter:
A queen-sized comforter also can be washed using your washer at home only if the washer you got has a larger capacity of about 3.5 cubic feet or more than a regular washer.
Typically, a high-efficiency washer with a washing drum of large capacity is a prerequisite for washing a queen-sized comforter properly at home because a queen-sized comforter is also a heavier and fluffier one. As a result, while contemplating washing a queen-size comforter at home, having a washer of 3.5 cubic feet capacity at least without an agitator is a need so that the comforter fits snugly but doesn’t cram.
And it’s always better if your washer’s capacity is more than 3.5 cubic feet as it will allow a queen-sized comforter to get cleaned up well.
Full-Size Comforter:
You possibly can wash up a full-sized comforter in your home washer. A full-sized comforter doesn’t happen to be as much larger, bulkier, and fluffier as a king or queen-sized comforter, it’s more like a regular comforter for everyday use during winter, thus, most times it happens to fit home washers.
However, while washing a full-sized comforter in your washer, make sure that the comforter is fitting into the washing drum loosely and the washer doesn’t have an agitator.
Will A Comforter Damage A Washing Machine?
Generally, a standard washing machine with a usual capacity ranging between 3.1-4.0 cubic feet comes with the capability to hold laundry weight between 5-7 kilograms, whereas, a larger capacity washing machine of up to 5.0 cubic feet can hold weight up to 10 kilograms or more. Thereby, a comforter regardless of a full, queen, or king-sized comforter is very less likely to damage or break a washing machine.
However, if you put a large comforter such as a king-sized comforter in a small capacity washer, it might damage or break the components of the washing machine. This is because the comforter will get really heavy in wet conditions and susceptible to causing damage to the washing machine since the washer will be unable to bear its load.
3 Factors That Determine If You Can Wash A Comforter In A Washer
There are a few factors that determine whether you should wash a comforter in your washer or not. Below these factors have been explained, consider them before you wash your comforter in a home washer.
Material Of The Comforter:
The filling material of a comforter is the first factor that directly decides if a comforter is suitable to be washed in a home washer or not.
Usually, down, down alternatives, wool, or silk is the most common comfort filler, however, as per experts’ guidelines, only the comforters with down or down alternative fillings can be washed in a washer without getting damaged or shrank.
And, if you have a wool or silk-filled comforter, you should never wash it using a washer because such comforters are meant to be dry cleaned only, washing them in a washer will damage or shrink the comforter.
Size Of The Washer:
Different sizes of comforters require different sizes of washers too, especially if it’s a home washer because not all home washers have enough room to make a comforter fit inside.
Thereby, before putting your comforter check the size of the washer, if the washer capacity is between 3.1-4.0 cubic feet, you can put a twin or full-sized comforter, at most a queen-sized comforter can be washed. And to wash both a king and queen-sized comforter, you must have a large-sized washer with a 5.0 cubic feet capacity to wash the comforter properly without damaging it.
The Washer Must Not Have An Agitator:
Washing a comforter in a washing machine with an agitator is strictly prohibited as an agitator can rip the comforter. Thus, the washer you will be using to wash your comforter should not have an agitator, or it should have a removable agitator.
What Size Washer Can Wash A Comforter?
If you have a standard-sized washer, it’s capable of washing a twin or full-sized comforter properly. It is because a standard-sized washer comes with a regular capacity of 3.1-4.0 cubic feet which is spacious enough to make a twin or full-sized comforter fit inside loosely.
A queen-sized comforter can also be washed in a standard-sized comforter as a washer has to have a capacity of 3.5 cubic feet at least to make a queen-sized comforter fit in the drum. However, the bigger the capacity of a washer, the better it’s to wash a queen-sized comforter.
Also, if you want to wash a king-sized comforter in a washer, the washer tub’s size should be 5.0 cubic feet, or at least 4.5 cubic feet so that a bulky comforter like a king-sized comforter fits in the drum snugly at least.
How To Wash A Comforter In A Washer?
Knowing the entire washing process is essential for washing the comforter without damaging it. Therefore, to help you in washing a comforter in a washer, all the steps before, during, and after washing a comforter have been described below.
Spot Treat Any Stains And Repair Any Tears:
If you find any stains on the comforter, you must do a spot cleaning before putting the comforter in the washer. Start off by moving the comfort fillings from the stained spot, then damp the stain and lather a stain remover such as Zout/Woolite or a mild detergent, and let it rest for 20 minutes. After that rub gently with a soft bristle toothbrush and wash the stained area.
Put The Comforter In The Washer:
Next, make sure that you got the right-sized washer with sufficient space to make the comforter fit loosely inside the washer tub and without an agitator. Then, put the comforter in the washer.
Select Water Temperature, Washer Cycle, And Detergent:
As per the care labels of comforters select a cold or warm water setting on the washer, then select the largest weight capacity setting, and lastly, put the washer on a delicate or gentle cycle setting. After that, pour a fragrance-free, additives-free, and mild laundry detergent, and turn on the washer to start washing your comforter.
Dry The Comforter:
Once your comforter is rinsed well, take it out from the washer, give a nice shake to remove wrinkles, and put it inside the dryer with a tennis ball to help in distributing the filler evenly while getting dried. And, the comforter must be tumbled on a very low heat setting.
Take the comforter out every 30 minutes from the dryer and fluff to reallocation the filler so that it dries evenly. Take out the comforter from the dryer only when it’s fully dry.
Final Thoughts
Any comforter can be washed in a home washer with a large capacity of 5 cubic feet because it’s the ideal size of a home washer that not only offers enough room for a large comforter like a king or queen-sized comforter to fit in the drum loosely but also ensures proper cleaning.