Laundry can already feel like a dreary chore. But washing and drying a comforter is particularly tedious, in my experience. I asked our resident laundry expert for tips on drying comforters faster. Carolyn Forté, the executive director of the Home Care & Cleaning Lab, shared the methods she uses at home to quickly dry this bulky piece of bedding.
Before learning about Forté's foolproof methods, I spent a lot of time wrestling my comforter in and out of the machine, shaking it out periodically to ensure that every part of it could dry thoroughly. It took forever. (And that's before I had to stuff it back into the duvet cover — another annoying chore that got a lot easier once I asked the Home Care & Cleaning Lab for tips.)
As it turns out, Forté does recommend adjusting the comforter periodically to help it dry thoroughly. But combined with her other tips, I find I have to do this far less often during the cycle. Using the correct settings and products can make it much easier to dry a comforter, even a heavy one.
Here are four simple tips on how to dry your comforter faster. And if you've got another laundry conundrum on your mind, read more about the laundry hacks Forté uses at home.
Choose the Bulky Bedding cycle on your machines. This special washing machine setting ensures that heavy materials—think everything from comforters to washable rugs—are fully soaked during the cycle. You’ll also find this setting on dryers. It extends the drying time and increases the amount of heat in order to fully dry your bulky item.
Use dryer balls. They help to reduce drying time by absorbing any excess moisture. "Dryer balls also help fluff the comforter and its filling," Forté says. Just three to four dryer balls should get the job done.
Reposition and fluff it regularly throughout the drying cycle. As mentioned above, this step is key in order to dry your item as quickly as possible. The goal is to make sure every part of your comforter is exposed to heat.
Select the Time Dry cycle on the dryer. If you prefer to have full control over the drying time rather than leaving it up to your machine’s sensors, go ahead and select the exact amount of time you’d like.
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."
