Pratical information

Feather anddown-filled products: care & cleaning

• General information
• Cleaning:
  washing, bleaching, ironing, dry-cleaning, drying
• Care:

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General information

This section includes all the correct procedures to clean and/or renew the product preserving its properties, its practical qualities and its efficiency.

Manufactured products filled with feather and down are made of at least two components:

1) the filling itself, solely consisting of down and/or feather, a loose material without a proper shape;
2) a primary tick to protect it.

These two components must therefore be taken into account. End products always bear a label with all the symbols related to care and cleaning. In order to be used as filling material, feather and down must go through a series of processing treatments: de-dusting, washing, rinsing, drying and sorting. Washing is particularly important to meet all hygienic requirements provided for by the Italian law D.P.R. n° 845 (23.1.1975) and D.M. n° 345 (10.11.1976). Italy is the only country where a consumer-friendly sanitary law is in force.

Care instructions

The care label gives indications as to the following treatments: washing, bleaching, ironing, dry-cleaning and tumble drying. The European norm UNI EN 23758, referred to on the label, adopts the following symbols:

Washing

Products filled with feather and down can be hand-washed and machine-washed (always use a gentle cycle). Water temperature must not exceed 50° C. Always pay attention to the maximum temperature indicated on the label referring to the tick. Rinse thoroughly. If your washing machine doesn't allow for the selection of different cycles, we suggest that you use a professional laundry. After rinsing, the product can be spin-dried using a gentle cycle. Use synthetic detergents because ordinary ones, even if water is moderately hard, can lead to the formation of insoluble calcareous soaps. These, in turn, settle on the filling material making it more rigid, and therefore more fragile.

Bleaching

Never use products containing chlorine (as for wool and silk). This is indicated on the washing label by this symbol:
Perborate or products containing hydrogen peroxide can be used for bleaching, provided that their composition makes them effective at the temperatures indicated on the label.

Ironing

Maximum temperature of the iron must not exceed 110° C. Do not steam iron. The symbol is:
A knob usually indicates the correct setting not to exceed 110° C.

Dry-cleaning

The following solvents may be used for dry-cleaning: tetrachloroethylene monofluoro-trichloromethane trifluorotrichloro-ethane hydrocarbons, with a boiling point ranging between 150° C and 200° C, and with a flash point ranging between 38° C and 60° C.
The symbol on the label is:

Drying

After washing and spin-drying, air the product in the shade. Direct sunlight may cause the colour to fade, should the fabric be not sufficiently colourfast. If you have a tumble-dryer, we recommend that you use the programme with this symbol:

Tips for care & use

Brush the product, with particular attention to stitching where dust can settle, thus preventing dust mites from proliferating. Do not use vacuum cleaners. Regularly shake and fluff the product to restore it to its original shape and volume. This will also avoid lumpiness during regular use and after washing. Do not use carpet beater. Air it occasionally. Make sure that the product does not get too dirty to avoid excessively harsh washing or cleaning treatments.

Do not store it compressed. Use a cotton cover to protect it from dust and allow a steady flow of air. Do not store in plastic bags to let feather and down breathe. Professional cleaning is recommended to remove stains, as their removal not only depends on the fibrous composition of the fabric itself but also on the type of finishing.