How To Wash A Duvet: Easy Cleaning Guide
We often neglect duvets when it comes to washing bedding. While we regularly wash bed linens, we tend to forget to wash duvets or see it as a daunting task, especially during the annual spring clean. Who wants to carry a bulky duvet to the washing machine or laundrette?
However, washing duvets is easier than you might think, especially with the new highly washable duvets available on the market. Here is The Fine Bedding Company’s easy guide on how to wash a duvet.
We’ll cover:
- Can I wash a duvet?
- How to clean a duvet
- How to dry a duvet
Can I Wash My Duvet?
Yes, you can and should wash your duvet. While your pyjamas and bed sheets are the first line of defence, dirt still builds up in your duvet over time.
Washing your duvet is essential for keeping it a hygienic place for you to sleep. One of the biggest pests is dust mites – microscopic mites that can be present in their thousands. They live on the dead skin cells we shed in bed. It’s also estimated that we sweat out about 200ml every night – passing beyond the humble sheet. Washing helps cleanse the product of any accumulated dirt, moisture, and dust; it keeps it hygienic and refreshes the filling. More importantly, washing at 60°C kills dust mites. If people have allergies or asthma, dust mites can make symptoms worse.
Alternatively, our Allergy Defence Duvet is self-cleaning. It uses active probiotics to defend against the four most common allergens: pollen, cat, dog, and dust mite matter. For complete allergy protection, our Allergy Defence collection also includes a also offer a Pillow, Pillow Protector, and Mattress Protector.
Can I Put My Duvet In The Washing Machine?
Always check the label. Most duvets can be washed in the washing machine. However, some duvets may require a hand-wash or specialist washing methods. Just make sure your duvet can fit in your washing machine.
How Often Should I Wash My Duvet?
We recommend a duvet wash every few months (particularly for allergy sufferers) or at least twice a year.
Can I Wash A Feather Down Duvet?
Yes, you can wash a feather down duvet. However, we recommend following the instructions on the label. We’ve written a separate guide for feather down duvets.
How To Wash A Feather Down Duvet.
How To Clean A Duvet
The first thing you need to do when washing a duvet is check if it has natural (feather/down) or man-made fibre filling as this will determine which cleaning method to use.
How To Wash Synthetic Duvets
- Care Labels: Check the care labels on synthetic products for the best washing instructions. As a general guide, the best synthetic products can be washed at 60°C.
- Follow Care Label Instructions: Wash the duvet at the highest temperature recommended on the care label.
- Ensure Proper Fit: Make sure your duvet fits into the washing machine with enough room for the fabric and fibres to agitate and get thoroughly clean. For larger togs and sizes like 13.5 tog king and super kingsize duvets, it's recommended to use a large capacity machine. Most modern washing machines now have a high-capacity drum as standard. Unlike some other products on the market, all size and tog rating options of Spundown duvets will fit into a standard 7kg drum.
How to Wash Natural Duvets
- Handle with Care: Natural duvets require special attention and it's highly recommended to opt for specialist cleaning.
- Feather-Filled Products: Feather-filled duvets can be washed at home, but be aware that the machine capacity may not be large enough, and they take longer to dry compared to products with a man-made siliconised filling like Smartfil® which repels water.
- Thorough Drying is Essential: Proper drying is absolutely crucial for natural duvets. Even if a duvet feels dry to the touch, the filling inside often retains moisture. Failure to dry the duvet thoroughly can lead to the rotting of the filling.
- Use a tumble dryer.
- Add tumble dryer balls.
- Leave out to dry on a sunny day for several hours to ensure complete dryness.
By handling natural duvets with care, ensuring appropriate drying, and considering specialist cleaning options, you can maintain the quality and longevity of your natural duvets.
How To Get Stains Out Of My Duvet?
Mop up any excess liquid as soon as possible. Try and move as much of the filling away from the area you need to clean and tie the area off with an elastic band. Dab (don’t rub) the stain with cold water (hot will set the stain) and add a mild detergent or a specialist stain removal product for more stubborn stains.
Should I Dry Clean My Duvet?
Dry cleaning isn’t advised as it uses chemicals that can affect the filling and be detrimental to your health. Professional cleaning is different as it’s a specialist version of washing at home. See how independent experts test the washability of a duvet.
How To Dry A Duvet?
Now that you’ve washed your duvet, it’s time to dry it. You must completely dry your duvet before putting it back on your bed as moisture can cause mildew to form and damage natural fillings.
How to dry a duvet without a dryer
You can dry your duvet naturally by placing it outside on a sunny day or in a warm room. Natural drying can take longer than tumble drying depending on the weather and airflow, but is the more eco-friendly choice. If you do choose to tumble dry your duvet, we advise using a cooler setting where possible.
Our Night Owl Coverless Duvet is exceptionally quick to dry. Our Linen and Herringbone duvets can be dried and back on the bed in as little as 90 minutes, and our Cotton Waffle duvets in 120 minutes.
Now You Can Care For Your Duvet
Washing a duvet is easy with our duvet cleaning guide. We hope you have everything you need to enjoy better sleep in fresh bedding.
For more helpful bedding advice, explore The Fine Bedding Company blog. If you have any questions, please get in touch here.
