Q. I washed a comforter that shrank. What happened?

A. Some natural relaxation shrinkage can show up after cleaning household items such as comforters, bedspreads, and blankets. There is usually a fullness of the backing or shell fabric, causing a puckered appearance. Also, any piping borders, quilting stitches, and seams may be rippled or distorted.

Although many factors can contribute to this type of shrinkage, the major cause is the original fabric not being properly preshrunk or stabilized before the article was constructed. When this occurs, the latent strains of relaxation will appear during any acceptable care procedure.

Some slight shrinkage (approximately 2-4 percent) is to be expected on all household items, but on properly cleaned items that shrink excessively, the manufacturer should be held responsible.

The 70 million people with asthma and allergies in the United States may find a new bedding certification program helpful.
The asthma and allergy friendly certification program, administered by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America in partnership with the international research organization Allergy Standards Limited, has been introducing scientific standards for bedding and other types of products. Medical experts advise that reducing exposure to allergens and irritants, such as dust mites, pet dander and formaldehyde should be a critical part of a patient's asthma and allergy management plan, the foundation says. Only bedding items that pass the rigorous scientific testing protocols and meet the strict standards adopted by Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America are certified asthma and allergy friendly.

The standards are designed to ensure that products don't contain harmful chemicals, can withstand routine machine wash and dry instructions, and under normal use and care, won't allow household allergens to accumulate at high levels.

Click here for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation web pages that will help you find certified products, get information about certification standards, asthma and allergy information and allergen reduction tips and tools. And, of course, be sure to send your special laundry to Blanc Plume.