When it comes to shopping for essential dorm room items, bedding is probably on the top of everyone’s lists. As you peruse the aisles filled with different bedding options, you may be wondering which type of twin XL comforter is best for your needs.

When making your selection, some things you will want to consider include desired longevity – do you need this comforter to last you all four years of college and beyond? Are you looking to update your bedding every year?

Another thing to reflect on is the convenience of washing your comforter. Different materials require different levels of care when it comes to cleaning. Common questions among college students revolve around the laundering of bedding – especially comforters.

You’ll need to make sure you’re comfortable with doing laundry no matter what the item in question is, because however tempting it may be, you can’t just call home every time things need to be washed. But how do you wash your dorm comforter without accidentally ruining it? Can you just shove it in with the rest of your clothing and call it a day? Well, it depends on the comforter.

Whether you're going with a basic dorm comforter that you can re-style every year or plan on overhauling your dorm decor (bedding included) every year, OCM has an awesome selection of dorm comforters to fit every style and budget -- click here to see it. And read on for more information on how to wash any of the different kinds of comforters you may encounter in your college career!

Read the Tags

Chances are, your comforter will already have a tag that includes washing instructions as recommended by the manufacturer. The problem is that these instructions are often presented as symbols, and the symbols are not always particularly self-explanatory. In,  USA laundry symbols, there are six different categories for how to wash or otherwise clean and care for the product, which are as follows:

Machine Wash

Machine wash is indicated by an icon resembling a trapezoidal basin with water inside of it. This category tells you what settings you’ll need to set your washing machine to when cleaning the item in question. There are three subcategories at play here:

1. Temperature
2. Cycle
3. Other
   

The temperature specification will tell you whether your machine needs to be set to hot, medium, or cold. This is indicated by dots inside of the basin icon. One dot means the item should be washed on cool or cold, two means the item should be washed on warm, and three means the item should be washed on hot.

The washing machine will also handle the clothing differently depending on the cycle it is set to. The cycle you should use for the item will be specified by any lines under the basin icon. No lines means that a normal cycle is fine. One line means you should set the machine to permanent press. Two lines means the item should be washed on a delicate or gentle setting.

Finally, you may see either an ‘X’ overtop of the basin symbol or a hand dipped into the basin. The ‘X’ indicates that this item should not be washed, full stop; the hand indicates that the item should be hand washed.

Bleach

Bleaching instructions are relatively simple, and are indicated by a triangle. A plain, unfilled triangle means that you can use any bleach as needed. A triangle filled in with cross-hatching means that when bleach is needed, you should only use non-chlorine bleach. A filled triangle with an ‘X’ overtop means that this item should not be bleached.

Tumble Dry

Of course, once the item is washed, it will usually need to be dried. If the item is able to be tumble dried, the instructions will be represented by a square with a circle inside. Like machine wash instructions, this category has three sub-categories, which are relatively consistent with the subcategories for machine wash.

1. Heat setting
2. Cycle
3. Other
   

Heat setting is usually represented by dots within the circle of the square. An empty circle means any heat is acceptable. One dot means low heat, two dots means medium heat, and three dots means high heat. A filled circle indicates that it is recommended not to use heat when tumble drying.

As with machine washing instructions, the line or lines under the circle and square will indicate the cycle recommendations. No line indicates a normal setting, one line indicates permanent press, and two lines indicates delicate or gentle.

As for the ‘other’ category, this will merely tell you whether or not tumble drying the item is recommended.  An ‘X’ over the circle and square means that the item should not be tumble dried.

Dry

Sometimes, tumble dry isn’t the way to go. Drying instructions are represented by a square with no circle within it. A square with a curved line in the top half, which makes the symbol resemble a letter, indicates that line drying/hanging to dry is recommended. A square with three vertical lines within it means that the recommendation is to let the item drip dry. An item with a square that has one horizontal line in it should be allowed to dry flat. A square with diagonal lines in the upper corner means that the item should be allowed to dry in the shade. If there is an ‘X’ over the square, no drying measures should be taken. An icon of a twisted piece of cloth with an ‘X’ overtop means the item should not be wrung out.

Iron

The ironing instructions will be a straight-forward icon of an iron. Two subcategories apply here:

1. Temperature
2. Other
   

As usual, temperature is indicated by dots within the icon. One dot means low heat, two dots means medium heat, and three dots means high heat. This is the standard across all symbols.

The ‘other’ category will include an ‘X’ somewhere on the icon. If the ‘X’ appears overtop of a cone beneath the icon, this means that the item should not be steamed. If the ‘X’ appears over the iron icon itself, do not iron this item.

Dry Clean

Certain items, like some structured garments, may be dry clean only. Dry cleaning instructions are represented by a circle, and are very easy to interpret. If the circle is present, this item should be dry cleaned. If the circle has an ‘X’ over it, do not dry clean this item.

If you have lost the tag, are otherwise unclear on how you should be washing your comforter, or want to know what the general washing instructions are before you purchase a comforter, here are some tips for how different materials generally need to be washed.

Polyester Comforters

Many dorm comforters are simply made of bonded polyester layers sewn to decorative fabrics. Read the tag for specific washing instructions, but these comforters can generally be machine washed and dried. They are also inexpensive to purchase. Just don’t expect them to last past your first year, or for them to keep you warm in the dead of winter. They are made to be disposable, so there is no need to use any special care methods here. One tip for helping these comforters to last a little bit longer is to tumble dry on low heat rather than high heat, or hanging them to air-dry.

Plush Comforters

Plush or novelty fabric comforters are similar to the polyester comforters in terms of longevity and level of care needed when it comes to washing. They are made to be disposable, so the washing method is the same as mentioned above – machine wash and dry, but do not expect this type of comforter to last you longer than one year. If you are looking for a simple, basic comforter that you plan on throwing in the dorm washing machine and dryer, then this is the option for you. For those with allergies, plush comforters may not be the best material, as the plush tends to retain many allergens.

Down or Down Alternatives

This type of comforter is held in the highest regards in the bedding world. Down comforters are very lightweight, yet very warm and cozy. They will also last you for years. Because of the high quality of the material, you will want to be sure to wash with care here. Many tags on these comforters will recommend that you take them to a professional cleaning service to be washed. If this is not an option for you, or if you need a last minute cleaning job, you can wash these on your own. If you have a very large comforter, you may need an extra-large, front-loading washing machine. Wash the comforter alone, on the delicate/gentle cycle. Use warm water and a small amount of mild detergent. Be sure to put it through the rinse cycle to ensure that all of the detergent is removed. You may want to put it through two rinse cycles. Tumble dry on low heat or hang to air dry. Throw a couple of tennis balls into the dryer with the comforter to help fluff the feathers throughout the drying process.

Duvet Covers

If you have a down comforter, you may want to invest in some duvet covers in order to change the color or pattern from time to time as well as simplify the washing process. Simply remove the duvet from the comforter and check the tag for any special instructions. For cotton duvets, you can use any standard detergent, and these can be washed and dried with similar materials.