What to do of old worn-out down comforter?

10 years ago

Hi,
I have had this down comforter for more than 16 years and it's now showing its age. The cotton shell is wearing out in several places thus exposing the down inside, and it's coming out from several places.

(It started out as a high quality comforter but my kid has been very harsh on it).

It's torn at so many places that it's not possible to mend it.

Is there a place/way for me to get it "refurbished" or is there a nice way to recycle or repurpose it for anything else?

All ideas welcome!

Featured Answer

liriodendron

10 years ago

Google down refurbishers. I believe there are still some in NYC.

It may not be worthwhile to refurbish it, however, if the original down wasn't very high quality.

Refurbishing is pretty pricey, but was quite common when expensive goose down was the commonest filler. That was before down comforters were for sale at Target!

There may be some places which will make a sewed-on recovering (as opposed to a duvet), but these tend to the comforter uncomfortably heavy.

Can you mend it by hand? Many of my down comforters have been in service for nearly 75- 90 years, and they have scads of mends. I do have three real goose down comforters and there were recovered in the 70s by my MIL. They are my "best" ones, saved for guests beds.

I believe my comforters have always been washed, not dry-cleand (certainly all the ones I have owned, and my inherited ones once the came in to my care.)

I doubt a down comforter would be welcome at an animal shelter since shelter bedding must be able to stand up to frequent and vigorous washing. Washing a down comforter is a labor-intensive and time-comsuming job.

Some possible uses of a comforter no longer useful because of excess wear:

Keep a clean one, not compressed, in a plastic bin in your car during the winter. If stranded it would keep you warm.

You could roll it up into a semi-firm bolster, encase it in a tight cover and use it on a day bed to lean against.

If all else fails: rip it apart and compost the down. It will provide nitrogen for your garden after it decomposes. I have done that with some old feather pillows that had become terminally musty.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

chelz0r
10 years ago
If you don't need it for personal use, you can always donate it to your local animal shelter. I know mine is always thankful for old blanket/comforters/towel donations for the animals!
Annie Deighnaugh
10 years ago
You may be able to mend the cover so it doesn't leak feathers by using iron-on stabilizer or a stitch witchery with another fabric to kind of glue the shredded spots back together, but then you'd need to use a duvet cover to keep the comforter protected and attractive.
Related Discussions
When it is 'patina of age'? Just worn out?
Q
Comments (23)
I think the thing that often looks off around here is the contemporary interiors placed in 100-150 year old houses. The renovation is often near-gut, so this is okay--often only the shell was salvageable, so it's a consistent interior. However, the prefinished or engineered floor is often so "slick" compared to the rest of the Workmanship, which is generally imperfect and sometimes borders on shoddy--that they just look strange. ----- In my 50 year old house one of the dilemmas I am facing is how to keep it modernist-slightly brutalist but also not try to do 1963 bathrooms (in particular) and kitchen. I don't particularly want formica in the kitchen--I want an undermount sink and it's small enough that I want the entire counter to be heat-resistant. What I really want to use again is soapstone. It's not that such a material absolutely would Not have appeared--I've seen some natural counters in older (highly "architectural") houses. And while this house is specifically architect designed, it was relatively purposefully filled with cheap materials because it was meant as an price-conscious alternative to the IM Pei houses a neighborhood to the east. Quartz would look the most like the originals --but I may be pushing the "organic modernism" aspects of the house a bit: there is a raw wood and sheathing ceiling at the top that is meant to reference the 18th and 19th century attic.
...See More
Okay, fed up, worn out and have had enough!!
Q
Comments (35)
Obviously, you're looking at your shortterm problems. As you should. However, for the long term? if your husband is a school teacher, there's absolutely NO reason why you couldn't get a parttime job in the evening. Work a couple of nights a week at a store, or in a restaurant, WHILE your husband is a father to his children. Being a teacher, he has regular hours. You wouldn't be the first couple to work opposite shifts so that the family can be taken care of. My sister worked days, my brother worked the overnight shift for YEARS when my niece was little so that they DIDN'T have to use daycare. There's a huge added benefit, too--your children should have the enormous opportunity to spend time alone with their dad. It's a good thing for you to be out of the house several hours a week, so they can have that. Actually, whether or not you have a job, you SHOULD be making sure there are several opportunities a week for them to spend time alone with their dad--it's vital to them both. And what about working from home? I know many, many women who have found ways to make money from home, so they can raise their children AND help with the family finances. I used to smock children's dresses that sold in upscale boutiques, some women I know make between $50,000-100,000 a year recipe contesting. Another woman was doing work at home on her computer for a local mortgage company. Others have done done things like: call the subs for the local school district or hospital; made crafts throughout the year and had a home sale before the holidays, in home childcare, yes--can collecting or picking up stuff from the trash on trash night to resell at flea markets or on E-bay. Assess your skills, and then put your thinking cap on and figure out a way to make them pay. You have to be a little creative to make it work, but it's definitely possible, and if being home with the kids is important, you have a lot of incentive to make something like that work. Also, have you spoken to someone who can help you with your budgeting? I don't know what kind of expenses you have, but it does seem a little unreasonable that a teacher's family is in this desparate a financial situation. Teachers generally start at $50,000/year (around here, it's more like $60,000) and their salaries just go up and up---especially if they take on extras like clubs, independent studies, coaching and other activities. But in any case, teachers make good money--and many have other good paying jobs in summer. So it may be that having someone who can help you organize what you've got coming in would be a very important step for you to take at this point, so that you can get back on track. Look, I totoally 'get' that you want to be there to raise your children yourself--that's admirable, and I think--very important. IF (and only if) it is doable. From what you're describing, right now, it's not for your family. You DO need more money coming in. You do need to sit down with your husband and brainstorm what solutions you can come up with that will let you make a little extra money, that will have minimal impact on the kids. They are out there. And once you get through the next 2 weeks, it is time to really figure out what you're going to do to prevent being in this same situation over and over and over. Good luck to you
...See More
Worn down with kitchen reno
Q
Comments (41)
Well, the broken butcher block may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. In our center island, we are doing a piece of quartz 80% of the way and a butcher block top the other 20%. They are supposed to butt up against each other to form a single surface. That means the adjacent side of the quartz cannot have an edge on it. That was well communicated before templating and at templating but they put an edge anyways. That means the quartz and butcher block would not come together properly. We based the length of the quartz on a standard width butcherblock countertop, 25". By reducing the size of the quartz part, the butcher block top would now not be wide enough. I gave the quartz company two options. Redo the whole slab at the correct length or pay the difference between a standard butcher block size and a custom one. They decided on option 3 and will be having a custom block made themselves. Now I get to return my butcher block and get a new one for free. A lengthier process, but financially a better outcome.
...See More
How do you get out of your comfort zone?
Q
Comments (40)
rob, take the class and then show the hospital that you have the skill and maybe they will create a position for you. It sounds like a great skill to offer in a hospital and I'm guessing they will see the need and you will be able to fill it immediately. And as Nicole said, it's a skill you can apply in other areas of life. It reminds me of my friend who went to a very large bank and spoke with them about having a Director of Supplier Divirsity meaning a person who made sure that all racial and cultural companies were considered when procuring services for the bank. They had never thought about it before he met with them and brought them his ideas. That was quite a few years ago and wasn't something anyone else was doing. I think it's pretty common now. But someone had to bring up the idea. Why not you?
...See More
lazy_gardens
10 years ago
You can remove the down and use it to fill pillows or add it to pillows that need topping up. Use PAPER grocery bags. Slice open each compartment and scoop out the down onto the bag. Do it outdoors on a CALM day.

You can pack it firmly for storing - fold the top of the bags over twice and staple them.

Animal shelters do NOT like down-filled or poly-filled blankets because of an animal rips it open, it's all over the place.
Jamie
10 years ago
I know a dry cleaner will replace the ticking or cover on down pillows. It is my understanding that when I get my pillows back they have the same down inside. Not sure whether they'd do the same for a comforter?
localeater
10 years ago
Nobody could be harsher on their comforter than my DS. He is 14. I bought the down comforter for him when he was 5. To this day, he drags it around the house. Kittens and dogs jump on top of the trailing edges 'for a ride'. It is used for sliding down stair cases. I have found it on the lawn, in a tree, and I found out he brought it to sleep away camp(where they sleep in a lean-to.
He also refuses to use it with a comforter cover- 'it doesn't feel the same".
So yes, it is patched. I patch square by square as needed. I patch with whatever I have lying around as long as it has a very tight weave. Sometimes, I double the patch. I stitch the tear, glue over the stitching, then cover the ripped square with a decorative fabric patch. This boy will be sleeping under this comforter in his first apartment and I think the patches will represent a road map of his childhood.
I can't imagine any seamstress telling you it cannot be salvaged. Good down is expensive and a resource that should not be wasted. I hope you can get it fixed near you- good luck!
Fun2BHere
10 years ago
Localeater, what a sweet post. I love your son's attachment to his comforter and your determination to keep it patched up. It reminds me of one daughter's attachment to a furry Snoopy pillow. Just like your son, the daughter couldn't go anywhere without it. I fought to find times to wash it when it wouldn't upset her. Then, one day, I actually found a duplicate pillow. I was overjoyed because I thought I would be able to switch them out and be able to wash them more often. Sadly, the new pillow just didn't feel the same and languished unused while the old pillow remained velcroed to her hand. I smile when I remember. Thank you for reminding me.
localeater
10 years ago
Fun2BeHere: Your wording 'velcroed to her hand' is so apt. It made me laugh out loud- truly.
As my son's obsession has lingered I have gotten much more deliberate about my patch selections. The latest was the logo off a Lax tournament t-shirt. I had to line it because it was just a cotton t-shirt, but I hope it will make him smile when he is 25!
Lisabeth Rosenberg
3 years ago
Definitely time to throw this out. What the shell degrades to such a degree down will continue to leak. A good comforter can give up to 20 years of use if it was filled abundantly with a high grade of down, had a superior shell and is well-maintained. However, under the best of circumstances over time the fibers of the down break down, thus loosing loft. A quality comforter is a long term investment properly cared for.

Taking a look at some review sites showing products with high review scores by Casper and Brookline . I owned a luxury linen store and these comforters are OK but using the minimum standards. When down i s not specified we can assume that they are using duck down.

Let's just say that there is a WIDE range of standards when it comes to quality in a down comforters. This type of comforter is more like a thick blanket.

The finest comforters are filled with goose down, and it is billowy and light. The shell woulds be of a Batiste Swiss cotton. It fluffs up as it fills with air and feel very light and they are very very warm.. Heavier mixes have a higher feather content always maintaining the strictest standards for cleanliness.
IdaClaire
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Hopefully disposition of the old comforter has been sorted by now, as this thread is fast approaching turning seven years old.
teresa Cruz
2 years ago
My mother put every used blanket and old clothes into beautiful quilts when we we

kids. They were warm and loved because of the familiar fabrics. My sister and I still have ours 50 yrs later. Not sure what happened to the ones my brothers had.

What to do of old worn-out down comforter?

liriodendron

Comments (11)

chelz0r

Annie Deighnaugh

Related Discussions

lazy_gardens

Jamie

localeater

Fun2BHere

localeater

Lisabeth Rosenberg

IdaClaire

teresa Cruz

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US