Maintain your freshness and fluffiness of your down, feather, or polyester-filled duvet using your washing machine to prevent unnecessary dust and allergens in your bedroom.
You’ve mastered the
how to properly wash your bedding
Regularly changing bedding helps reduce allergens beneath the sheets, yet have you ever considered cleaning your duvet? It’s common for people to never wash their duvets after purchasing them. Despite being enclosed in a cover, your duvet still encounters flakes of skin, dust, oils, perspiration, animal fur, and various debris, thus needing similar care as your other linens.
cleaning routine
As with other bedding and linens. Cheryl Mendelson, Ph.D., author of
Home Comforts: The Craft & Knowledge of Maintaining a Home
shares advice on cleaning this often-overlooked bedding, techniques for washing, and whether you can
use the dryer
Continue reading to learn when and how to clean your duvet to maintain its freshness and extend its lifespan.
Related:
The Correct Method for Cleaning aComforter
What Is A Duvet?
To start with: What sets a duvet apart from a comforter?
These items serve somewhat distinct purposes (with differing maintenance procedures—as shown here for cleaning a comforter), yet they’re commonly confused. A duvet consists of an inner filler encased in a removable protective fabric cover. You ought to launder the duvet cover regularly—at the same frequency as your bed linens—because it directly contacts your skin. Typically stuffed with materials like down, feathers, wool, or polyester fibers, these inserts offer adjustable warmth levels and can easily be replaced accordingly. That insert is precisely what this tutorial on cleansing a duvet addresses. In contrast, a comforter comprises one integrated section of bedding typically paired with coordinating pillowcases; since its outer layer isn’t detachable, thorough washings must occur more often than those needed for a duvet.
How Frequently Should You Clean Your Duvet?
As your duvet insert is enclosed within a protective cover, it doesn’t require washing as often as your bedsheets. For maintaining its condition and extending its life span, it’s advisable to clean a commonly used duvet every two to three months. Additionally, consider laundering it when the seasons shift and bring about new allergens.
very
At the least, you should wash your duvet every year to get rid of dust mites, even if it’s stored away.
Cotton duvets are an excellent option for people who have allergies since they can be washed more often than those filled with natural materials and dry much quicker.
Considerations Before Getting Started
Although duvets are typically safe for machine washing and drying, it’s crucial to understand the specific requirements of your particular model. Certain materials may demand extra attention when being washed. Keep these factors in mind prior to placing your duvet into the washer.
Check The Care Label
Duvets come in various materials for both their outer cover and internal stuffing, which means you should start with checking the manufacturer’s label before cleaning them. This tag will provide particular care guidelines. Should the label suggest:
dry cleaning
When you wash your duvet in cold water using the gentle cycle of your washing machine, or dry it on a moderate setting with a tumble dryer, these steps will help prevent issues like color fading, shrinkage, rips, or other damage to your bedding.
Inspect The Duvet’s Condition
Next, inspect your duvet for any rips, tears, or spots. Repair all holes prior to washing; otherwise, you might find yourself with nothing but loose filling in your dryer. Address any stains beforehand (the process is outlined below).
Use The Right Machines
To wash a duvet at home using a washing machine, you’ll require a front-loading one.
large-capacity washing machine
And the “front-loading” component is essential, as Cheryl Mendelson, Ph.D., points out in her widely read book.
Comfort at Home: The Craft and Knowledge of Maintaining a Household
The abrupt movements inside a top-loading washer may cause the down to become compressed or displaced from its correct position, leading to uneven distribution, or they might damage fragile seams and partitions.” If your appliances aren’t meant for handling oversized items like comforters during wash, rinse, and spin cycles, a big duvet could harm the spinner. “Consider,” she advises, “that when using an at-home dryer for your [comforter], you must account for both its expanded dried state and its increased volume when wet.
If you lack sufficiently big washing machines at home, think about going to a laundromat equipped with commercial-size units. Although they usually charge slightly higher fees per load compared to regular ones, these larger machines can help maintain your laundry quality at home.
What You Need
- A gentle laundry detergent (we recommend one suitable for sensitive skin)
- A powder-based stain remover for added strength, such as OxiClean (optional)
- Balls made of wool (or clean, high-quality tennis balls)
- Several spotless, color-fast towels
- Washing machine sink or bathtub (optional)
- Mild powdered detergent (optional)
How to Wash a Duvet Using a Washing Machine
Step 1: Verify the Tag Once More!
After removing the duvet cover, make sure to check the care label on the insert—particularly if it contains a natural filling—to confirm whether it can be washed in a washing machine. Additionally, as Dr. Mendelson points out, “Feathers and down typically emit a potent, somewhat disagreeable odor when damp. Don’t worry though; this scent will dissipate once dried.” (Furthermore, whenever feasible, expose such naturally filled duvets to direct sunlight for airing.)
Step 2: Insert the Soap
Include just one-third to half of the
laundry detergent amount
Before you add the duvet to the empty washing machine drum, you would run water with detergent through it. This helps ensure even distribution of the soap. Distributing the soap evenly can be challenging because it gets trapped within the stuffing of the duvet (which is precisely why this step is necessary).
extra rinse and spin
Cycle), so be careful not to use too much detergent. At this stage, you have the option to include your powdered stain remover either in its specific compartment or directly inside the drum.
Step 3: Choose The Cycle
The most secure cycle option for your duvet overall will be a cold/warm settings.
wash cycle
, which is the most gentle on fabrics. Nonetheless, sanitization occurs at higher temperatures. If you’ve recently recovered from an illness or haven’t washed your duvet in some time, you might consider using this method.
warm/cold wash cycle
To eliminate any additional bacteria.
Add an extra rinse and spin to your cycle selection to make sure that all of the laundry detergent will be flushed out of your duvet; fillings are often dense and have a tendency to hold onto soap. If you still see or feel residue on your duvet following the wash cycle, rinse and spin again.
When dealing with a particularly thick or king-size duvet, utilize your washing machine’s “heavy-duty” cycle. This setting might not be present on every washer, but when available, it employs additional water and a slower spin speed for more thorough soaking and rinsing of your bedding.
Certain appliances allow you to select a spin speed. Remember that opting for a slower spin rate will retain more moisture within your duvet (causing it to spend additional time in the washer), yet this approach helps maintain fragile seams. Faster spin speeds remove greater amounts of water from your comforter, thus reducing overall drying time; however, they might damage the material or stitches. The choice is yours.
Step 4: Check If It Is Still Wet
After your duvet completes the washing cycle and all detergent has been thoroughly rinsed away, inspect it for moisture levels. Should you find that it remains excessively damp—often due to thick stuffing—activate another spin cycle (which might be marked as “Drain and Spin”).
clean, dry towels
The towels you’ve collected will absorb much of the dampness and can be thrown into the dryer afterwards.
How to Clean a Comforter Using Only Water
Step 1: Get The Tub Ready
Pour warm water into your big laundry basin or bathtub. Mix one-third to half the usual quantity of detergent you would use for a typical washload—ideally, a gentle powder detergent—into the water prior to submerging your duvet completely.
Step 2: Immerse the fabric completely in soapy water
“Submerge the duvet in soapy water and allow it to soak for several minutes, squeezing out any air bubbles with your hands,” advises Mendelson. “Clean it by softly pressing the bubbly water through…”Do
not
“Swirl.” Grip both edges of the comforter and carefully move the stuffing in small portions to ensure that the water and detergent fully penetrate throughout.
Step 3: Rinse
After you have cleaned all areas of the fabric, remove the soap bubbles and rinse the duvet with fresh, warm water until there is no more visible or noticeable soap residue.
soap residue
.
How to Air Out a Comforter
Step 1: Prepare The Dryer
Completely clear out the lint filter prior to drying your duvet to ensure maximum airflow within the dryer. Next, opt for a low heat setting or an air-dry option; some models may include specific settings like “bedding” or “bulky.” The care label from the manufacturer can be particularly useful here. Should your duvet contain polyester filling, it should
dry more quickly
And might withstand higher temperatures. However, if it contains down or feathers, warmth could degrade the stuffing.
You can alternatively allow a slightly wet duvet to dry naturally in a space with good airflow.
Step 2: Include Dryer Balls
Into the dryer drum, insert three or four
wool dryer balls
The dryer balls will hop about and disturb the stuffing inside your duvet, leading to better drying and continuous plumping. They also stop the duvet from bunching up on one side of the dryer. As Mendelson suggests, adding two or three clean tennis balls or even a pair of old sneakers can aid in breaking down any lumps.
When placing a wet duvet cover in the dryer, arrange it as loosely as possible to enhance air circulation.
Step 3: Review The Status
After 30 minutes, examine the duvet and separate it if it has clumped together. Keep running the dryer and inspect it at intervals of about 30 minutes each until completely dry. The duration can vary based on factors like size, thickness, and fill density, possibly requiring multiple drying cycles to ensure thorough drying.
If you have some free time, hanging your laundry on a clothesline on a bright, windy day for drying (particularly after it has been pre-dried about half way in the tumble dryer) can add a nice fluffy texture.
A duvet is considered properly dried when the stuffing feels lightweight and uniformly spread throughout. For those with down- or feather-filled comforters who can afford extra time, allowing them to air-dry for an entire day is advisable. As Mendelson emphasizes, “It’s crucial to ensure that items filled with down or feathers are thoroughly dried. Failing to do so may result in unpleasant odors and mold growth.”
Shake out your newly washed duvet by grabbing two opposite corners and giving them a firm shake several times.
The Duration Required for Cleaning a Duvet
Starting from the beginning until the end, cleaning and drying a duvet (particularly one filled with down or feathers) might consume more than four hours, making it unsuitable for late-night starts. Given their size and bulkiness, duvets typically demand extra wash/rinse-spin and drying stages.
Suggestions for Prolonging the Cleanliness of Your Duvet
- If you plan to replace your bulky duvet insert with one more suitable for warmer weather, make sure to clean it and allow it to air dry completely over 24 hours prior to placing it in a big, hermetically sealed bag for storage.
- Always use a cover over the duvet insert whenever you’re sleeping.
- Should the stuffing inside your duvet start shifting towards one side, you may either place it in the dryer along with some dryer balls or vigorously shake it to redistribute and fluff up the fill.
Eliminating Stains from a Duvet
Perspiration, natural skin oils, and moisturizers can lead to staining of a duvet gradually. To prevent this, take proper care measures.
pre-treat stains
, you can address spots using some lukewarm water, a mild stain remover, and a clean cloth. Move the duvet stuffing aside from the soiled part, wet it slightly with water, and permit the stain remover to penetrate the problematic area (for older stains, consider letting it rest for several minutes) prior to dabbing gently. For stubborn stains, use a clean toothbrush to lightly brush them before proceeding with your regular washing process.
Seasonal Upkeep
A duvet has the potential to endure up to 10 years based on its quality and care routine. Regular washing at intervals of six months to one year along with covering it properly can help preserve the stuffing inside. Additionally, a thick, feather-filled duvet might
Too warm during the summer months.
Replace it with a thinner duvet or bedding option. For storage, detach the cover and launder the duvet. Ensure it’s entirely dried before putting it away. Crease it neatly and keep it in a ventilated storage sack beneath your bed. Alternatively, use vacuum-sealed bags to reduce the size of synthetic or feather-filled comforters for compact areas. When warmer days come back around, retrieve the duvet from storage, allow it to breathe, and fluff it up again. Then slip it into a fresh duvet case.
Spending some time washing your comforter every couple of months ensures you sleep peacefully without dealing with dust mites, plus it keeps your comforter soft and fresh throughout the year. Having cleaned your comforter, how long has it been since you last did this?
washed your pillows
?
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