About ten years ago I bought an expensive goose down comforter from LL
Bean. In recent years the filling began to lose its integrity and
started separating into clumps, the other result being that there are
sections now devoid of down.

Is it possible to defrag the down filling such that it all goes
back together again in one seamless mass? If there were only something to
click on.

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Clarification of Question by nautico-ga on 27 Feb 2005 13:01 PST

A friend suggested I put it in the dryer set on "air fluff" (no heat).
I just did so, but as it is queen size, it's wound like a tight ball
in there. Hard to believe that the down will be able to move around!

Hi nautico,

There are a number of techniques for redistributing the down, all
mechanical rather than electronic.  Solutions posted on the Web
include:

--shake or fluff the comforter

--tumble it in a large dryer at low or no heat with one or more tennis
balls or clean tennis shoes (this is usually recommended in connection
with cleaning, but should help without it)

--lay the comforter on a flat surface and push the down around with
your hands and forearms

--hit the clumps with a Whiffle Ball bat

If those techniques don't work, it may help to clean the comforter or
have it cleaned.  The links below have advice about how to do that.

"Down Comforter Care and Storage" by Pacific Coast Feather on the
Allergy Consumer Review website recommends the hand and bat methods.
http://www.allergyconsumerreview.com/down-comforter-care.html

PageWise's article on down comforter care recommends regular fluffing
and a clean tennis shoe in the dryer after cleaning.
http://mt.essortment.com/downcomforterc_rzuy.htm

eHow's "How to Care for Down Pillows and Comforters" says you should
shake out your comforter weekly.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4158_care-down-pillows.html

Outdoor Adventures Down Outlet recommends fluffing two or three times a week.
http://www.downoutlet.com/product_care.php

I hope this helps.  Good luck with the refragmentation.

--efn

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Clarification of Answer by efn-ga on 27 Feb 2005 22:56 PST

I think I was working on the answer when you posted your clarification.

As you have probably figured out, the comforter does need room to
tumble for the dryer technique to be effective.  That's why I
specified a "large" dryer.  Web advice I found isn't too specific
about this, but does mention using large or commercial washers for
large comforters.

Thanks for the rating and the tip.

Many thanks!

Is your comforter still warrantied by L.L. Bean?  In my local L.L.
Bean outlet store (Tyson's Corner, Washington DC area), there are
large signs posted that if you're unhappy with your L.L. Bean product
at *any* point in time, you should bring it back.  However, that might
not apply as far back as 10 years.  You could call L.L. Bean and
check.

Interesting about that offer from LL Bean, but I think that would be
more trouble than it's worth at this point. I took the comforter to
the dry cleaner this morning. They'll wash it, dry it, and get all of
the clumps of down back together again--all for $20.