They were either neat freaks, or they had longhaired cats or dogs which were allowed to lounge on the bed. Even shorthaired cats can shed an amazing amount, and the one medium hair cat that we had could really cover all available surfaces with her soft, silky fur.
Our two cats are currently sleeping on my bed - on my washable bed cover, that’s on it just because of them. My shorthaired cat sheds enough each week to make a whole new cat, so everywhere they sleep gets a washable cover.
Wow, you lucked out. I’ve only owned one wool sweater that I liked (lamb’s wool, so it wasn’t itchy) and while home for the weekend from college, I decided to wash it. For god only knows what reason, my dad, who never does anything with laundry, decided to be helpful and put things in the dryer before I got to the machine. The sweater would have fit a four-year-old when it came out 
This thread is interesting. I never gave any thought to the possiblity that a comforter might be dry-clean only, but I’ll keep the advice here in mind the next time I need to replace one.
What’s the stuffing/batting made of?
A polyester/cotton blend of that sort should be able to survive regular washing and drying, although too high a dryer setting might melt the polyester, so use some caution with that, if you choose to try it.
You will be taking some risk, of course, by running it through regular wash. It is up to you whether or not you wish to try that.
Regular polyester/cotton blends of clothing do OK in the dryer, but if I put in a comforter, I would not set it on high heat, better to run it a couple of cycles on warm. And open the door and shift it so the wet parts get exposed.
Beware though that if it’s big and puffedy, it may come out of all this much flatter and thinner.
See here
Can I machine wash a dry clean only comforter?
and here
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/household-faq/124839-can-you-wash-down-comforter.html
That is correct. If you have a top load washer that uses a rotating paddle (virtually all of them) then you risk bunching up the center filling material. It’s not coming un-bunched in the dryer. The filling has basically been torn internally from the stitching. It won’t be completely ruined but you’re not going to be very happy with it.
If you have a newer front loader the paddles on the sides are rounded and probably won’t snag it. If you don’t have a front loader go to a Laundromat that does.
I wash all my duvets by sticking them in the bathtub with some wool wash detergent and tromping them around like a vat of grapes. More work than sticking them in a washing machine … but then you also don’t have to run around looking for a laundromat with a big machine for it.
Nobody seems to be commenting on this. Is it true? Is it a bit misleading (as a “water wash” is still less destructive than a washing machine?)
Oh, and I’m surprised no one else has mentioned Dryell, or however you spell that.
Great Mitch Hedberg reference!
Spam reported.
I know that this is a spam-necromanced thread, but
In other words, you turned your comforter into a quilt. The process of stitching together all of the layers is precisely what “quilting” is.
I washed many pounds of wool and mohair and angora rabbit fur using this method and never ended up with a felted mess:
Fill washer with cold water.
Add detergent, liquid is best.
Very carefully stuff the item into the washer.
Close lid and play on The Dope for a while.
Gently smoosh the item up and down a few times.
DO NOT AGITATE.
Spin out water. Spin out again.
Repeat for rinsing.
Lay it flat to dry. Or use dryer set on low heat with some tennis balls or a clean sneaker in it to break up the stuffing.
For wool sweaters or slacks, put them in a lingerie bag first
Try looking for a discount dry cleaner. The cheap-o chain I use cleans comforters for $19.99.