No matter what kind of machine you have or how big it is, you will always have something that won't wash well in it. I don't know about this particular king-size comforter you're dealing with. I do know that comforters come in all different materials, characteristics, and lofts. Some big ones wet right down, slosh around and wash fine. Some small ones maintain their loft even when wet and won't wash worth a darn. It all depends. I'm thinking that between size, material, and loft, this one of yours may be of the sort that your machine just won't handle.

It's just a machine. It works the way it works. How does it do on other big loads?

How does it do on other big loads?

So far so good I suppose. I've only done one big load of clothes; I guess it will just take me a while to become accustomed to not seeing a full tub of water!

Which Cabrio model do you have? I have the 6600 and I have not had any trouble with my big comforters but I do have one puffy jacket that can be a problem. For the comforters to put them in (1 per load) I figure out which is the longer side and feed it into the machine around the outside edge leaving the wash plate uncovered (mostly). I do keep an eye on it at the beginning of the wash cycle to make sure it is completely wet. For the jacket, when the wash cycle starts I check on the jacket and usually I have to push it down into the water repeatedly to get it soaked because otherwise parts of it will not get submerged because of the air inside it. Pillows can also be a bit of a challenge, unless all your pillows are the same kind and same age.

Joanne

Isn't there a blanket/comforter special cycle that fills the tub all the way up?

beanwabr,

I too had the same problem with my Cabrio when I had it. I washed a twin sized comforter and some parts came out dry and a crusty booger still remained on it!!!
That was not the only problem I experienced.

After trying various cycles and ways of loading clothes I decided it just was not the machine for us. Six months later I was allowed to trade the Cabrio with the impeller in for the one with the agitator. HUGE difference.

Have you noticed twisted clothes (and where the clothes are twisted they are dry??), and that if you do a big load the clothes on top rarely get time submerged under the water? How about set in wrinkles that don't even iron out?

It seems like many people LOVE their Cabrio with impeller. I wanted to LOVE it but it just did not meet my expectations - clean clothes.

Hope you too do not experience the same problems I did. Or if you are that you have the option of trading it in.

Thank you all so much for your replies! Today I decided that I didn't really like this machine as much as I thought I would. My hubby took it back to Lowes and got a store credit refund which he used towards a Bosch 4.0 front loader ... we'll have to go pick it up on Thursday as they were out of stock at their store. I hope this will work out better! I really want to be able to clean my king size comforter at home; my main concern now is how it will work, such as dancing around in our mobile home laundry room. Any advice on this please?

lulundave: yeah, my clothing was coming out twisted and severely wrinkled, but was fine after putting it in the dryer. Sounds like you've been there done that too!

I've got a bosch and my king fluffy comforter comes out clean... and thoroughly 'wet' (spun out well...but damp all over)

Hope you like this one

plumbly22: I'm looking forward to getting mine tomorrow ... what is the cu ft on yours? This will be a 4.0 and I'm hoping this size will work fine.

BTW, what is the largest size you can buy for home use? And what are the sizes of the ones at the laundromat (all I know is triple size, but I mean cu ft wise). Thanks!

I have the samsung VRT and it washes my abnormally large/fluffy king size down comforter with noooo problem. It comes out so white and fresh. I know it is supposed to be dry cleaned but my dogs sleep on it and it would cost an arm and a leg to have it done weekly!

beanwabr...

I'm not sure what size... I think it's 3.8... it's the 500 series model, about 20 months at my house now. Cleans well, but to be fair, I always use the extra rinse option due to skin issues in my family members... the charlie's works great for the problems they have/had... all are greatly imnproved since the switch on soaps...

hope the bosch works well for you.

I'm sorry you couldn't get your comforter clean. When I washed ours, (in the agitator-less Cabrio) I used the bulky wash feature with a "deep soak" extra, and the huge washer was almost filled with water (!). Oh, by the way our comforter came out squeaky clean. It is hard at first to understand that the Cabrio washers push soapy water through the clothes (spray, spin)rather than swishing the clothes about in a tub of soapy water. Once I figured out how to lode the washer, very few things came out twisted.

Try all these suggestions for a while. If you're still not happy, I'm sure Sears would switch it out for another machine. If comforters is the main issue here, then I would suggest switch to a front loader and Sears makes the HE5t which looks like a good machine.

Good luck.

I have a comforter that won't wash properly. It has a kind of velvet like surface that sticks to itself like velcro, so my washer can't get it to move properly. I get some parts that are clean, and others that aren't. On the other hand though, I have lots of other comforters that wash just fine, but they don't have the same velvety surface, so my washer moves them just fine.

I did a little surfing on the net. Seems like the Whirlpool Cabrios didn't get the best reviews and you are apparently not the only one to have this problem. One review I read stated that small loads came out fine but that their Blankets and conforters didn't get clean either.

It could be a low water pressure issue or a siphoning problem, but I do not know if the top loaders can have a siphoning problem like the front loaders can if the drainage isn't placed properly.

I'm not sure where you bought it, but if you got a warranty on it I would definitely call and report the problem and make them fix it.

I just bought a Whirlpool Affinity from best buy and got the additional 5 year coverage and they have a lemon policy which states that after three repairs, if there is still a problem with the washer, they will replace it with a brand new one.

My Afffinity is a 3.5 cu. ft. and I have washed all of our comforters in it. They all came out clean, and when checkied during the cycle, they were thoroughly saturated with water.

Washing a king-size down comforter in our Duet today. It seemed to tumble better during the rinse cycles than during wash, perhaps because it had been spun. Curious to see how heavy it is when it comes time for transfer to the dryer.

This is the VERY REASON I don't own a king sized comforter anymore and went with a king sized bedspread instead. I tried washing the king sized comforter in the Duet and it was just stuffed too full to tumble...I ran the spin cycle to try to get the air out and then washed it. To me, even with it tamped down with water there still wasn't enough room for it to tumble well. I know there are different types of king comforters but all the ones I've seen are pretty thick. I can was a heavy king sized bedspread EASILY though. I have cats so I wash the bedspread every time I change the sheets.

Considering I didn't spot treat, I'm pleased with the results. I wonder whether tumbling during the rinses provided sufficient cleaning action. I spun on medium (didn't want to stress any more than necessary) and was suprised how light the comforter was when I transferred it. Took about two hours to dry, which wasn't a surprise.

I value my comfort enough that I would find a way to have the kind of bed covering I want (this is a fairly thin LL Bean cotton-covered down comforter which will soon be replace by a duvet with separate cover) and then determine how best to clean it rather than choosing something because my washer can handle it. FWIW we don't have any cats and our dog does not go anywhere near our bedrooms.

Beanwabr, did you get the new machine yet? How's it working out?

boxersdaughter,

Yes, last year we took that Cabrio back in exchange for a Bosch 300 Nexxt front loader. I think I like it for the most part (see my post about I'm not sure I like my FL!).

My kids twin size comforters are not a problem; however, I'm still taking my king size to the laundromat as needed; I just feel like their bigger machine, with more water, does a better job in getting it clean.

Thanks for asking!