Pulling Out the Winter Comforters? Wash Bulky Bedding Detergent-Free

October 21, 2026

Sunny bedroom with a fluffy white comforter and knit throw on a wood bed, a folded comforter on a bench by a fall window

It's the first cold night of the season. You pull the winter comforters down from the top of the closet and spread them across the beds.

They've been folded away since spring. They feel a little flat, and they could use a fresh wash before anyone sleeps under them.

If you're pulling out the winter comforters, you can wash bulky bedding detergent-free. EcoWasher® EXL handles the heavy loads in cold water, with no detergent to rinse out of thick fill.

Short answer: Check the care label, use a washer big enough for the comforter to move freely, and pick a cold, gentle cycle. With EcoWasher® EXL, no detergent goes in. Then dry the comforter completely.

Why bulky bedding is a big laundry job

Comforters are the biggest things most families wash. They're thick, heavy when wet, and they only fit one at a time.

In fall, they all come out at once. Every bed in the house gets its winter layer the same weekend.

Detergent is part of what makes the job tricky. Thick fill holds onto whatever goes in the drum, so people often run extra rinses to get it all out.

That's a common reason people search for better ways to wash bulky bedding. A comforter that comes out stiff or flat doesn't feel cozy.

Drying takes time too. A thick comforter can need a long, low cycle before the fill is dry all the way through.

Then there's the measuring. How much detergent does a king comforter need? Too little feels like a wasted wash, and too much is hard to rinse.

Tip — If your comforter fills the drum with no room to move, take it to a larger front-loader or a laundromat-size machine. Room to tumble helps it come out clean and fluffy.

Why detergent-free makes sense for thick bedding

The idea is simple. EcoWasher® mixes ozone into your cold wash water before it reaches the drum. Then the ozone returns to ordinary oxygen.

No detergent goes in, so there's no detergent to rinse out of thick fill. You never need laundry detergent again.

Start with your home. Winter bedding comes out soft, bright, and fresh, ready for the first cold night. EcoWasher® also helps extend the life of the washer you already own.

Next, think about time. There's no measuring for a king or a twin. Every comforter gets the same easy start: load it, pick cold, and press start.

Duvet covers and pillowcases fit the same routine. Every layer of the bed gets the same cold, detergent-free wash.

Then there's comfort and the planet. Cold washes are gentle on thick fabrics, and fewer plastic jugs go in the recycling bin.

Money comes into it too. Our cost-per-load breakdown shows how the numbers add up over a year.

A bedding weekend with EcoWasher® EXL

Friday evening, you check the care labels on every comforter. Most say cold and gentle, and you set aside a wool throw that says dry clean only.

Stainless steel auxiliary hose for pre-treating
Replaceable desiccant dryer cartridge
About 16 × 10.5 × 3.5 inches and 8 lb
AC 100–240 V, ozone at 0.5–1.0 mg/L
Works with city and hard or well water
2-year warranty with registration
$597 sale, $797 regular

Saturday morning, the queen comforter goes in first, through EcoWasher® EXL. You use the stainless hose on a small spot near the edge. Then you pick a cold, gentle cycle and press start.

Saturday afternoon, it goes in the dryer on low with two dryer balls. Halfway through, you pull it out and fluff it by hand.

Sunday, the two twin comforters take their turns. The duvet covers go in too, since they get washed more often than the inserts.

Sunday night, every bed has a soft, fresh winter layer. The kids pile under theirs right away.

Monday morning, the guest room comforter gets its turn. Family is coming for the holidays, and now the guest bed is ready early.

Monday evening, you wash the summer quilts. Once they're completely dry, they fold into the closet until spring.

By the next weekend, the bedding swap is done, and the washer is back to everyday loads. We help families make this switch, from picking a model to setting it up.

Pro, SE, or EXL for your bedding?

Every EcoWasher® is built so everyday loads never need laundry detergent again. The ladder runs Pro, then SE, then EXL. Pro is not a step down from SE; they are different feature sets.

	Pro	SE	EXL
Best for	Simplest laundry-first setup	Screen plus spot pre-treating	Big, repeated loads
Controls	No screen	LCD touch-control	Commercial-strength
Spray hose	None	Stainless sprayer	Stainless sprayer
Warranty	1 year	1 year	2 years
Sale price	$337	$397	$597

Regular prices are $397 for Pro, $597 for SE, and $797 for EXL. See all three on our EcoWasher model comparison.

EXL fits big households, hosts, rentals, and small businesses that wash lots of heavy bedding week after week. Its desiccant cartridge keeps the unit's internal environment free of excess moisture during heavy, repeated use.

Everyday home bedding fits Pro or SE too. EcoWasher® Pro is the simplest laundry-first model, and EcoWasher® SE adds an LCD and a spray hose.

Each unit serves one washer. Our guide to choosing SE, Pro, or EXL walks through each one.

Getting started before the first cold night

Check behind your washer for the cold-water inlet and a nearby outlet.
Mount EXL on the wall behind the machine.
Connect it to the cold-water line, using the EcoWasher setup guide.
Wash each comforter on a cold, gentle cycle with no detergent, then dry it completely before storing.
Register your unit to activate the 2-year warranty.