How to Elimate Chemical Odors on a Comforter
Buying a brand new comforter often elicits mental images of how nice your new bedding will be when you are snuggling into your bed at night. Unfortunately, climbing in between the covers is not nearly as pleasant when you get a strong whiff of chemical odors from your new comforter.
Chemical odors in bedding are often a by-product of safety regulations that require bedding be treated with a fire retardant, or it may be due to pre-treatments to protect against stains or other potential problems.
Tip
Large comforters typically wash and dry more effectively in a laundromat's commercial size washers than they do in smaller home machines.
Warning
Do not use a comforter with a strong chemical odor. Chemical odors can aggravate health and breathing problems for some people.
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Pick a detergent with a pleasant scent and wash the comforter using it several times in a row. Read the care instructions for your comforter to find out specific washing recommendations, such as the necessary temperature of the water or whether hand washing is necessary.
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Fashion a clothes line outside your home and let the comforter air dry in the sunshine. If possible, leave the comforter hanging outside for several days to help air it out.
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Spray the comforter with a fabric freshener product. Cover the comforter in a duvet, if desired, to help minimize any remaining odors.
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Contact the manufacturer, if the scent is still present. If a chemical smell is still strong after multiple washes and airing it out, there may be something wrong with the chemicals that were used to treat it to begin with, or with the materials used to manufacture it.
The Drip Cap
- Buying a brand new comforter often elicits mental images of how nice your new bedding will be when you are snuggling into your bed at night.
- Cover the comforter in a duvet, if desired, to help minimize any remaining odors.
- Contact the manufacturer, if the scent is still present.
References
Writer Bio
Jen Davis has been writing since 2004. She has served as a newspaper reporter and her freelance articles have appeared in magazines such as "Horses Incorporated," "The Paisley Pony" and "Alabama Living." Davis earned her Bachelor of Arts in communication with a concentration in journalism from Berry College in Rome, Ga.
Photo Credits
- Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images
- Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images
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