If you live in Northeast Ohio, you most likely have several large comforters, wool blankets, quilts, and flannel sheets to keep your family warm during the winter months.

Those items require special care when they are put in the washing machine and need to dry out. Here are a few helpful tips to properly clean your bulky winter bedding.

The first thing you should do is check the care label on your items. The care labels will give you valuable information, such as whether or not your winter bedding is washable. For example, wash your comforters alone in your washing machine and tumble dry on low heat. Heavy duty liquid detergent should be used in order to get the necessary enzymes required to break apart the stain molecules.

It’s also important to not overdose your bedding on detergent, which can get stuck in the fibers of your comforter.

For wool blankets, most of them can be washed but double check the care labels. Cold water and a gentle cycle can help you wash wool blankets. And these items need to be either air dried or tumbled with air only in your dryer.

Flannel sheets need to be washed and dried separately since they do not deposit lint like other items. Air dry flannel sheets or dry on low-temperature settings so you do not over dry and cause wrinkles.

Finally, winter bedding items can at times lead to loads larger than your residential washing machine or dryer. Save up your quarters if this is the case and you need to head to your local laundromat.