ANTHEA TYPES: How do i clean a vintage goose feather eiderdown please?

[cremolafoam]

can it be dry cleaned or not?

don't know - I think with feather pillows they empty all the feathers out and repack in a new case, so maybe they'd do that with eiderdown - clean the cover and refill ? I love old eiderdowns - wish I had one !

my dry cleaner launders things like that so it would be worth taking it and seeing what they say

I think they blast the feathers too, so they get cleaned up

dry clean

How vintage is vintage? And hat is it made of? Many dry cleaning companies will not accept genuinely old items as they can't guarantee they won't fall apart in the cleaning process. Are you planning to use the eiderdown? Because dry cleaning is no longer recommended for cleaning bedding, due to the nasty chemicals - and if you did have it cleaned this time by a specialist company you might find it doesn't stand up to regular cleaning anyway.

If it was mine, and I wanted to use it, I would take it to the laundrette and wash it in one of their big machines with soap flakes rather than detergent. Then dry it at home.

I sponged mine and then hung it on the line.

came up nicely.

thanks everyone. yes i was afraid to get it dry cleaned in case the feathers lost their bounce.perhaps a sponging might be better.

It is satin 1940s paisley double one that is currently in use on my bed.it is pale green and pink( but grubby from cat -eugh) and quilted so feather removal would not be possible.
Might take it to the dry cleaner and let him do that air sucky thing and shake his head while telling me "it'll cost you love".

I really doubt that putting in a washer would be good provinciallady. I'd be too fraidy to do that in case the feathers all fainted

I have heard that you can wash old eiderdowns and then put them in the tumble dryer to make the feathers fluff up again.

i haven't tried it but I did do this to my puffa jacket in the 80's

I do the washing machine/cool tumble dryer with mine, too. If you put some of those dryer balls (or tennis balls) in with it the feathers and down get really fluffy!

That would be 'if you put dryer balls etc.' in the tumble dryer, rather than in the washing machine

Well you have the quilt in front of you but I used to be a museum curator and if something is strong enough to be used on a bed every day, it will probably stand up to washing. I would want it properly washed before using it on my bed TBH. It sounds lovely BTW

thanks pl.I am going to take your expert advice.The dry cleaner said a flat no, while at the same time taking in a £2000 wedding dress covered in dentelle and crochet work
I am going to risk it and give it a cool wash.I don't have tumble dryer but it is so big i will go the launderette to dry it.
yes iam ashamed to say i live in squalor thanksto 3 cats and a dog.

You might want to think about using the launderette's bigger machines to wash it as you could crush the feathers in a smaller machine. Depends on how big it is I suppose.

I also have a very mucky cat so I have 3 bed spreads that I get my MIL to wash in her enormous washing machine!

it's really important that you don't let the down dry naturally after washing the quilt because it will lose its fluffiness forever, so I second the advice to wash it at the launderette and then chuck it into a big industrial dryer there straight away, rather than washing it at home and then taking it somewhere else to dry.

WELL IT IS DONE!
I did it at the lauderette and ithas come up well.unfortunately there was a tiny tear in it , so i lost about ahandful of feathers
but the ladies were fine about it and just hoovered tham up.
looks great but has faded a tiny bit.