Some of the liquid Purex are enzyme free but read the back. Its what I use for down and always I have clean fresh smelling results. I think the ALL Small and Mighty is enzyme free, but again read the back. I haven't had to order any special down detergents that by reading the ingridents are no different from enzyme free Purex anyway.

If the down comforter clean and has it been used in a duvet or has it been used directly?

What's the covering?

It has a very high thread count cotton cover. We used it as a mattress pad because it was too hot as a cover, even in winter. Now I wonder what the enzymes in tide would do to it. We don't have any Purex liquid. What about just using a little bit of Woolite? Maybe too much suds?

I'd let the dry cleaners deal with this as it's unlikely to be pure down and weigh that much.

Down comes in different weights..I could see a heavy weight weighing that. Down comforters are not hard to wash but you probably need a laundramats 60 pounder. Once its wet it's going to weigh way to much for a home machine.

Enzymes will destroy the down..enzymes eat protein and down is a protein.

Did you have any duvet cover or matterss pad covering over this? How long have you used it since it was last washed?

We don't use it on top of the bed, we put it under our bottom sheet. Thanks for the tip about enzymes. I will try to find the enzyme free Purex and if I don't I'll just use Woolite (about 2 teaspoons to just get it wet. It isn't that dirty. It was brand new when we decided to use it that way or give up on it altogether.

you can find the purex at walmart. look at the ingredents and be sure there are no enzymes in it. here is a bottle of purex that is without enzymes.

If your down is twenty pounds dry its going to be way to heavy for a home machine once its wet. I'd never risk it.

I just washed one with Tide Simply clean and sensitive. It came out great. It takes a long time to dry.

What's the limit for a home front loader? I have a king size level 4 down comforter that I want to wash. It's not 20 lbs. I can wash level 2s okay.

PS don't use percil. The smell is too strong. I can't get it out of this one comforter for some reason.

Dollar General also has that version of Purex or my DG does.

Jn3344...what Persil did you use on a down comforter?

Speciality Down detergent vs Purex liquid. Anyone know what would make these so different from each other? Both are enzyme free, both use much gentler surfactants. Does the Down detergent have som e special ing. And if so what is it?

Roc I understand about water resistant coverings on down comforters, but don't understand what a speciality down detergent would do to allow water to enter thru the covering....most down comforters have a water resistant covering, some better than others. This is mostly to prevent the down from escaping. It can make a deep clean more challanging. Comforters like this need lots of water and much more room to freely move than most home machines can provide.

I recommended enzyme free Purex liquid because its a gentle detergent, I've used it for years on down with no ill effects, only clean, and healthy Down.

I dried mine on low heat over at least 6 hours. With two clean heavy athletic shoes. The loft was great when I finished. I have two more twin sized comforters to wash. I think another key is getting them adequately rinsed.

As much as I like Persil, another reason I would also avoid it because it has a lot of enzymes.

Thanks to all of you. I checked the Walmart online catalog and they have many flavors of Purex. I didn't see the natural ingredients version but they have a baby version that says dermatologist approved for baby skin for $3.97 for a small jug. If that is He I can use it. I will check today. I'll look for the others too.

I was looking for the ingredients in the "down washes" I can't find Miele but this is Revivex

https://mcnett.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/208569846-ReviveX-Down-Cleaner-Globally-Harmonized-System-GHS-Safety-Data-Sheet-SDS-

Purex Natural Elements has sodium laureth sulfate which is what is found in shampoo.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/01/01ca00d9-5983-4562-bff3-8bbc51d61b22.pdf

Tide simply has "biodegradable surfactants" on my bottle but dyes and some other stuff if you look up the ingredients

http://www.pg.com/productsafety/ingredients/Tide_Simply_Fresh_Clean_Sensitive.pdf

It would be interesting to know what chemicals they use to process down in the manufacturing process.

Thanks for a lot of info. It looks like the only natural Purex that is natural Is lilac flavored--not one of my favorites, but I think the baby flavor has a mild scent, only I don't know until I get to Walmart if it is He. Probably not if used just for diapers.

Read the back of all the Purex when you go to the store as some do have enzymes.

Thank You Wekivk for pisting the ing. List I will read them today.

Sulfates are in most detergents.

Yes sulfates are a very broad category but sodium laureth sulfate is usually found in personal care products.

I had never heard of down washes until I needed to wash my pillows. I've never used Revivex -- I used the Miele and had good results. It took the yellowing and most of the stains out of the coverings.

Like everything else, there's specialty and general. Everyone uses what they like.

Given the cost of a down comforter these days I would spend an extra $5 and get the down wash. Maybe that's just marketing and Purex is just as good. But if Purex was just as good it would be advertised for down seems to me -- added bonus.

Unless it was, I'd go with a specialty product. Of course, the sleuths here may uncover something to the contrary.

@mamapinky -- It's not about letting the water through. That will happen with/without the product. For me, it's about how well the product will clean the tight cotton covering as well as washing the down without harmful effect. That's all. As I said, I had ancient pillows that never had been washed. They were looking pretty bad. They looked very good after washing with the Miele stuff -- for better or for worse.

SLS is in most laundry detergents..there are other names for this sneaky stuff.

Mamapinky0 - I used Persil Pro Clean Original. The scent is like stuck in the down.

Jn3344, I'm sorry to tell you that your going to have worse issues than the scent left in the down. Persil has enzymes, quite a lot of them. Down can not be exposed to enzymes. Some enzymes are responsable for removing protein stains, Down is a protein, the enzymes will have targeted the Down causing it to break down, destroying it. This is not a possiable or maybe or might situation its a definite even from one wash.

As for the remaining scent, Persil liquid can be quite strongly scented but should only leave a mild clean scent behind. You may have residue left behind which will require extra rinsing.

I have washed our king size down comforter and my husband's down pillows many times in our front loader. I just use Charlie's Soap, like I use to wash everything. They always came out clean and lovely. They do take forever to dry. That's just the nature of down.

Today we did it. Went to Walmart to get Revive X and go to the laundromat. What a hassle. Three clerks couldn't find it after we tried 4 times. Then went to the service desk; no help. They called and assistant manager and he took me to sporting goods because it is for down jackets; no luck; he went to sports desk and the clerk didn't have a clue. Went back to groceries and bought the smallest Purex free and clear for babies (dermatologist approved). Trip to the laundromat and spent $6.54 for a 6 load washer and washed on wool cycle--cold water and short spin. Added the smallest line on the measuring cap after the prewash cycle and in27 minutes it was done. Dried for about 28 minutes and my wife thinks it's dry--lets go home. Then it felt damp in places and it's laying on the spare bed finishing up. This took almost an hour and a half. Anyhow this saga is over and the down did not get harmed in the process.

Whew! And bravo

I was thinking that there was something in the baby purex that would be harsh for down. But I can't find the info now. I have run out of my Miele down wash and went with La Blanc down wash for the next time I wash things.

Mine is in the dryer right now. It will take at least 5 hours to dry, just in time for bed. I just use a small amount (like less than a tablespoon) of liquid Ivory Snow. (I've washed it so many times, one of these days I'm afraid it will explode.)

I wouldn't use Persil either, too much scent.

Never use any detergent that has enzymes. You will be replacing the down filled long before you want to.

We are cleaning out my parents home and I am on the second down comforter, twin and not as tight a weave on this one. There is yellowing on the cover but the last one had it too and it came out with the Tide Simply so I will use it again. Did a prewash and wash/soak x 1 hour. I added stpp too and then washed with just stpp and double rinse. Now to dry.