Ok, pretty new to washing blankets in general, but finally got a dryer a while back that can dry on low heat, which seems to be a requirement for many blankets, especially down. Today, I'm trying to wash and dry an older blanket I found in a storage bin. It's a comforter, but not down and I suspect either poly or cotton filling. I've washed it twice in the washer so far and still the wash water is brown. Could it be that dirty, should I yet wash it again, or is something coming out of the blanket? It is blue in color. I've been using gentle cycle and a gentle detergent, no fabric softener. Thanks!
When I have clothes that are really dirty, I put it through the wash part, then the next step drains it half way, then I advance the timer to where it drains it all the way, and then I start frrom the beginning again.
Even before then I pre-soak in the washing machine, for up to 12 hours if something is really dirty. Soaking doesn't wear fabric out like washing might (does it?) 50 years ago I think pre-soaking stops working after an hour but new detergents have enzymes and I think they take time to work, or maybe better put, they keep working, if something is really dirty. Enzymes are catalysts so they should be able to keep working, but soap and plain detergent, idont' think does. Might elp to agitate for a minute every few hours, but I don't do that.
Yet the draining water is brown. No trace of blue?
Has it never been washed before? If it's old, it should have but maybe not. Maybe that's why it's so dirty.
Did it look dirty everywhere before you started washing? If it was evenly dirty and didn't show it, it might well not show it if you quit now.
I would finish up this cycle, dry it, and use it for a while, and decide then if it's still dirty. If it's still dirty, the previous owner (your grandparents?) must have used it a lot when it was dirty. Do you think you're better than they are? If they can use it when it's dirty so can you.
If you use a top sheet, you don't even touch it, so it's not like the dirt will come off on you. So use it half or 3/4 the time you normally would and then wash it again.
It was in a storage bin in an enclosed outdoor space alongside of my house. I wasn't able to find some lightweight down blankets and turned out they were in the bin too. However, I washed them both a week ago and they turned out fine with a single wash.
Yes, it was visibly dirty just about everywhere!
Well, I ran it through a wash/rinse cycle four times today. By the time I reached the fourth cycle, just mild brown water after I did a second rinse. Hard to believe it could have been that dirty and why the down throw in the same bin did not show nearly this much dirt.
I've washed and am now in the process of drying it. That's as far as I'm going to go. If there are still any issues when I try using it over the next few days, I'm just going to buy another. The down throws turned out great and are quite warm, but being throw and not twin size, they are a little small for the bed. This comforter is twin and should be dry soon. Not sure if it has cotton or poly filling, but will see how well it keeps warmth tonight. Of course, I couldn't find any washing instructions on it, so used the same process I used with the down a week ago.
My only guess, aside from it really being that dirty, is that dye or something else was dissolving with every wash. Just a guess.
A quick update on this comforter. After thoroughly drying it last night, I was going to try it out on the bed, but it still had a smell so decided to try a vinegar, baking soda, soap soak in the sink overnight. Today, still some brown residue so drained, filled and did several hand washes and rinses. No matter how many times rinsed, still some brown residue. It looks like small particles in the water each time. Only guess I can make is that something in the comforter is dissolving each time it is washed. Maybe the dissolving started when it was in the bin in outdoor protected storage so long. Anyway, trashed it after 6 or so times trying to wash in the sink. Time to get a new one.
You know, I thought about it and still could as trash pick up won't be until tomorrow. Therefore, I will cut it open to find out and report back.
Right now, I just got done washing a down throw that was in the same bin. It was dirty, much like the comforter, but after a single wash, there was no significant discoloration of the rinse water after the second rinse (a bit discolored after the first). It is drying now. So that points to something dissolving in the comforter even more. Enough theory, time to cut one of the squares and see.....
Ok, so cut open one of the end squares near the edge. Appears to be a flat, white poly filling (probably pretty much flat because I hadn't tried drying it this time). With the square I cut open, perfectly white. Seems intact, but when I gently pull it apart, I could see that the particles I was seeing in the rinse water might be from it. Anyway, without cutting additional squares, which I'm not going to do now, I still don't know for a fact what caused the discoloration and odor, but it has to be some dissolving squares somewhere else in the blanket, or some extremely dirty ones holding dirt. But that much dirt?
I'm not a washing expert, but out of many things I've washed over the years, this is the first item I've ever come across that wouldn't come clean!
No, I guess not. I became more curious than anything else to find out the reason for the discolored water, so went a little beyond what I normally would have. However, when the use of energy (electric dryer and washer) begin to outweigh any possible use of the comforter, it was time to move on. I use low heat on the dryer, but at least 2-3 cycles still uses energy.
On Mon, 4 Jan 2021 11:30:29 -0500, Witherspoon posted for all of us to digest...
I was just thinking... If it's synthetic maybe it's just the filling breaking down and deteriorating? I think 86ing it was the best idea. China has plenty of cheap ones to replace it >:(
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.