hikepat,what I've done with loose feathers is wash them in warm water with some mild dishwashing soap. Stir gently. Let soak a few minutes. While soaking get a beer. Grab a colander (cooking pot with a lot of holes in it). Put feathers in the colander and run under warm water to get rid of the soap bubbles.
Then I put the feathers on a paper towel to get rid of some of the water. Pat with another towel gently.
Place the feathers in a paper lunch bag, keeping a lot of air in the bag close the bag with a rubber band. Chuck the bag and a dryer sheet in the clothes dryer. Run the dryer on fluff for 15-20 minutes or untill well done.
Your feathers will come out like new, and will smell like a mounain meadow to boot!
All kidding aside, the feathers do come out of the bag clean, dry, and in absolutely beautiful condition.