I don’t see a place to ask short one-off questions of the OMD collective (point me to it if there is a thread I didn’t see!).
Tl;dr Question: Should I get my down comforter professionally cleaned?
Backstory - Inside fill is Canadian duck down in sealed cover. It has always been covered with a duvet cover (which does get regularly laundered). It has not been shared with puppers. It has no noticeable odors or problems, though I’ve recently suspected that my bedroom isn’t ventilating as well as it should.
Officially, the comforter says dry clean only. I’ve owned it for 5.5 years now (used about 50-75% of the year) and have never had that done. Internet opinions range from clean it 1-2x/per year to every 3-5 years to 7-10 years to never. Internet also disputes whether you should have professional dry clean vs. professional laundering (not dry clean!) vs. DIY with commercial sized laundering equipment.
In hindsight, I also realize that the appropriate time to be airing it out and/or laundering is during hot/dry weather. Ooops.
If it were me I’d probably just air it out once as soon as it’s warm enough outside in the spring and then once before it’s too cold in the fall and call it good. Unless you’ve spilled something or something like that I wouldn’t worry about professional laundering, especially if you’ve always got a duvet on it.
How to you prevent or minimize piling on knits (leggings, sweaters, etc.)? My leggings (CHEAP) pill like crazy - I don’t really wear them out in public, but it would be nice to have a pair I could wear in public (with a tunic).
I hate the idea of the chemicals used for dry cleaning - I don’t know that they have any adverse health impacts, but YUCK (my imagination says they do - I am extrapolating from MSDS sheets and organic chem lab).
Can’t prevent pilling unless it’s possible to keep them from rubbing against anything and usually leggings are going to rub some during wear. The best way to make it look nicer is to get a sweater shaver and shave the pills off. Smooth synthetic fibers pill less because the structure of the fiber itself is like a smooth tube and doesn’t catch on itself.
A while ago I saw people talking about good sunscreens, but I can’t remember which thread. What do you all like? I am not an outdoorsy person so I have never really used any, but need to get some at this point. Thanks in advance!
I was not on that other thread, but I use Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry Touch sunscreen (SPF 45) with the “helioplex” label (broad spectrum UVA-UVB). A long time ago a dermatologist recommended that it was just as good as some fancy prescription stuff. The most important thing, she said, was that you want to use one that protects against both UVA and UVB. It’s non-greasy and does have a scent but it doesn’t smell like a weekend in Margaritaville. I don’t use it daily or anything, only if I am going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time.
I like Banana Boat, but I know a lot of people think it’s too greasy. I tend to put it on right before getting in the water which might have something to do with differing opinions.
I agree with @Ckni27. I have a down comforter which wears a duvet and while I launder the duvet regularly, I just take the comforter outside about 3x a year and beat it with a broom while it hangs over a branch or a clothesline, etc and then I air it out for a full day in the sun away from any potential bugs. Has always worked great for me.
My yard has a lot of leaves and pine needles in it. Can I just make sure that there aren’t any sticks or rocks in the yard and then mow it all up with my push mower that collects the clippings in a bag? I don’t have a mulching blade and I don’t plan to buy one in the next few weeks.
Also is it okay to use a mixture of leaves and pine needles around the base of shrubs to help them through the winter, or would pine needles be too acidic? I think they’re white pines if that matters.
Yes you can use a mower and acidity shouldn’t be too much of a problem. If you’re really worried about it, keep an eye on the shrubs next year and amend with a little lime if desired.
I think the pine needles thing is a myth. There’s a very old pine tree on my property and the ground around it is not more acidic then the rest of my yard.
By the by, I’ve successfully used disposable razors as sweater shavers before. Not as quick as a sweater shaver, and possibly not as good an output, but it works to get things passable.
I wear sunscreen every day and I use a mineral one on my face because my face doesn’t like the chemical ones anymore. Stings. So I look for mineral, broad spectrum so it covers UVA and UVB, and a high SPF. I really like Australian Gold Botanicals because it meets all those requirements, goes on nicely, doesn’t smell and is tinted so I pretend it’s foundation. But it’s also not great if I do want more coverage and wear foundation. The foundation doesn’t go over it well. So I also use Make P:rem. It has everything I want and foundation goes over it well. It has a fragrance I don’t love (but it’s not a sunscreen-y scent, like tropical) and leaves a little bit of a white cast but it accepts foundation so sometimes that’s the right one. I’ve heard good thing about Elta MD but it’s too pricey for me so I haven’t tried it. For everywhere else on my body, I like Alba Botanica sunscreens.
I don’t use it daily or anything, only if I am going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time.
So I look for mineral, broad spectrum so it covers UVA and UVB, and a high SPF. I really like Australian Gold Botanicals because it meets all those requirements, goes on nicely, doesn’t smell and is tinted so I pretend it’s foundation. But it’s also not great if I do want more coverage and wear foundation. The foundation doesn’t go over it well. So I also use Make P:rem. It has everything I want and foundation goes over it well. It has a fragrance I don’t love (but it’s not a sunscreen-y scent, like tropical) and leaves a little bit of a white cast but it accepts foundation so sometimes that’s the right one. I’ve heard good thing about Elta MD but it’s too pricey for me so I haven’t tried it. For everywhere else on my body, I like Alba Botanica sunscreens.