How To Wash A Feather Duster

Did you know that handy little gadget you use for dusting can easily be washed, over and over again? Good quality ostrich feather dusters hold up to washings better than the cheapies, but if your duster is this-close to being tossed because it’s worn down and heavy from all the dirt buildup, give a quick washing a try.

Washing a feather duster takes just a few minutes and can extend the lifetime of your duster, but only wash when needed (once or twice a year should do it).

How To Wash A Feather Duster

• Fill a bucket or sink with lukewarm water and a little bit of gentle liquid dish detergent or baby shampoo. You want the water level to be deep enough to cover the feathers easily.
• Lay the feather duster in the water, completely immersing it. Pick it up by the handle (keep the feathers in the water) then twist the duster fairly quickly left to right so that the moving water will swish through the feathers and push out dust, dirt and any grime buildup. Do this for a minute or two being careful not to break the feathers.
• If you have a double sink, fill the other sink with clear lukewarm water, or empty the sink/bucket and fill with clear water. Submerge the soapy feathers into the water and dunk it up and down a few times, trying to remove as much soap as possible. Do a final rinse under running water until the water runs clear and there is no more soap.
• Gently tap out the duster so excess water sprays into the sink. Then take the duster outside and forcefully shake the duster into the air several times to remove as much water as possible.
• Next, set the duster into a clean pop bottle (large), handle down so that the feathers stick out above the bottle. The pop bottle will hold the duster and allow the feathers to air dry. When the feathers are still damp (several hours later or overnight), take a hair dryer and blow them completely dry. The hair dryer will soften the feathers.

Tips:

• If the feather duster handle is too thick to fit in the soda bottle, try cutting the top of the bottle to make room. A tall vase will work too.
• If you have an outdoor clothesline setup, hang the duster on it to dry. It’s perfectly fine to dry with the feathers down.
• If you find the feathers get a bit staticky, stick the duster handle down into a tall soda pop bottle and bring it into the bathroom when someone’s having a hot shower. The humidity will fix that problem right up!
• Shaking the feather duster out after every dusting job will lengthen the time needed between washings. You can do this outside.

For dusting tips, see Dusting: Tips, Tools & Prevention.

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