I need the help of all the seasoned homemakers out there. We recently bought a comforter set. The set has a comforter, bed skirt, shams and decorative pillows. Now, the problem is when we unpacked it, there is a musty smell. I can't exactly describe the smell very well. It is not a terrible smell per se, but it is strong and it is there.
It says specifically only to dry clean. I got this on Black Friday sale for $50 and I do not want to spend an equal amount of money dry cleaning it. Is there any way to get rid of this smell? I am guessing that when it says "Dry clean only", it would be tempting the powers that be if I wash is even on gentle cycle.
Please do let me know in the comments if you have any ideas. My in-laws are coming this weekend and I need to do something about this before that.
I truly appreciate your help.
6 comments:
We have both a dry clean only quilt and comforter, and I have washed both on the gentle cycle and then allowed them to air dry afterwards. There are very few dry clean only items that I actually dry clean. When my husband was still in the military, his dress uniform and anything made of wool went to the cleaners, everything else, gentle cycle with no problems as of yet.
Are any of the smaller pieces of the set made out of the same material as the comforter? You could always try washing a pillowcase to test it first.
If you feel more comfortable, you could try that Dryel stuff. I have never used it, so I have no idea ow it works. Perhaps somebody else has tried it?
BTW- I received your email and will be writing back to you at some point today. Peapod willing, anyway. ;o)
I'll second Mrs Brigham. Dryel has worked great for me in the past, and when I couldn't use Dryel, I've handwashed using Woolite.
I haven't ruined anything *yet*. :)
You may want to try this idea to see if it works before washing it in the washing machine, especially if it is ONLY an odor problem and NOT dirty.
I would place everything in a new, large trash bag and liberally sprinkle baking soda over everything. Baking soda absorbs odors very, very well. Close up the bag and leave it for a day or two. Then shake everything out well to get the baking soda off. Then do a sniff test. If the odor persists, then you will have to actually risk washing the set or dry cleaning it.
I like the idea of test-washing a smaller piece of the set just to see how washing will effect it.
Let us know what happens!
I have also have washed dry clean only items with Woolite in cold water (and line dry) and had good results. The only draw-back is that it may cause lots of wrinkles.
What is the comforter made of?
Also wondering: Can you take it back and get another set at sale price?
Thanks for your comments everyone. The smell is a "new" smell. It is not essentially a bad smell. I am afraid that it would be there even if I take it back and get a new set. I think the material is polyester. It is only an odor problem, its brand new.
Maybe I could wash the sham as the test piece...
I was going to ask what it's made of. If it's polyester, it's probably okay to wash. I even wash our dry-clean-only wool blanket. (You can do a search on my blog for how to do that, if you're interested. It's about the most gentle form of washing you can do.)
If you're still worried about washing it, hang it outside for a while to let it air out. That may be all it needs.
Or if all else fails, spray it with Febreze.
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