Feather dusters are an excellent, reusable way to keep your house free of dust! They’re typically made from ostrich feathers, which are really good at attracting dust, and help grab and hold onto dirt from your home’s surfaces. But, they do need to be cleaned occasionally to work their best. You can quickly clean your feather duster using everyday items you already have at home!
Soaking and Rinsing
1
Shake the feather duster to get rid of dust. Go outside and give it a good shake to lose the dust. If there’s still dust or dirt left after shaking, you’ll need to wash the duster with soap and water.
- Be sure to wear a mask or scarf over your nose and mouth to prevent breathing in the dust while shaking the duster.
2
Use a vacuum with low suction to remove dust and debris from the duster. High suction vacuums might pull out feathers, so it’s better to use one with low power. Attach a hose to the vacuum and carefully pass it over the duster’s surface to clean it before washing.
- If the vacuum’s suction is too strong and starts pulling out feathers, stop vacuuming immediately!
3
Place a large bucket in the sink and fill it with warm water. Make sure the bucket is big enough to completely submerge the feather duster.
- Clear the sink of any dishes or debris before you start. You’ll want a clean workspace to make sure that no food comes into contact with the freshly washed feathers.
- If you don’t have a bucket available, you can use a large soup pot, pasta pot, or even the bathtub instead.
4
Add soap. Pour a teaspoon of soap into the bucket of water. Gently swirl the water with your hand to completely dissolve the soap, which might create some suds.
- Use a mild dish or hand soap. Stronger soaps meant for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces can be too harsh for the delicate feathers of your duster.
- Consider using soap with a pleasant aroma. Once the feather duster dries, it will keep the scent and double as an air freshener while you dust!
5
Submerge the feather duster in the soapy water. Dunk it until it’s completely underwater. Some feather dusters might float due to their materials, so you might need to hold it down with your hand. Consider wearing a rubber glove to keep your hand from getting pruny!
- Let the feather duster soak in the soapy water for at least a few minutes.
- Gently swirl the feather duster along the bottom of the bucket while it soaks. This helps the soapy water fully penetrate and clean the feathers.
6
Place your feather duster under running water. Take the feather duster out of the bucket and pour the soapy water down the sink. Then, hold the feather duster under warm, running water.
- While rinsing the feather duster, gently massage the feathers with your free hand. This helps ensure the fresh water reaches all the feathers and removes soap from the middle of the densely packed feathers.
- You’ll know the feather duster is thoroughly rinsed when the water runs clear and no longer has any visible suds.
Drying
1
Wrap the feather duster in a clean towel to partially dry. Lay a clean towel flat on a nearby table or kitchen counter. Place the freshly rinsed feather duster in the center of the towel and fold the edges around it to encase it fully. Let it drip-dry for about 10 minutes.
- Roll the feather duster in the towel to help soak up the water from the feathers.
2
After the towel has soaked up the excess water, remove the feather duster and gently spin the handle to twirl the feathers in the air. This spinning motion helps force out any remaining water trapped inside the feathers, similar to a dryer.
- Hold the feather duster away from your body while you twirl it to avoid splashing water on your face and clothes.
- You can also twirl the feather duster by placing the handle between your hands and rubbing them back and forth. This will cause the handle to spin, helping to remove any remaining water from the feathers.
3
Hang the feather duster up to dry in the open air. Use a clothespin or clip to attach the handle to a clothes hanger. Make sure to hang it somewhere with good airflow. Don’t hang it in a closet because it will dry slower.
- If the feathers are still wet, you can hang the duster from your shower rod to avoid getting water on your floor.
- Let the feather duster hang overnight to make sure it dries completely.
- If you need to dry the duster faster, use a hair dryer on a low heat setting to prevent damaging the feathers.
4
Once the feather duster is dry, the feathers might look a bit shrunken. This is normal. To restore their soft shape, gently rub the feathers between your palms.
- If your feathers still look worn after washing and fluffing, it might be time to buy a new duster. You could consider a microfiber duster, which is washable and usually lasts longer than feathers.