What you can’t see, can’t hurt, right? When it comes to bedding and bed linen that’s not always the case. A dirty duvet can be a hot bed of germs and bacteria and cosy spot for pesky dust mites. Add in a nightly dose of body sweat and it stands to reason even luxury duvets need a regular clean.
How often should you wash your duvet?
While there are no hard and fast rules for how often you should wash duvets, the general advice is once a year. However, factors such as illness, spills and whether any pets sleep on the bed can also affect how often it needs a good clean.
If you’re sensitive to dust mites, AllergyUK recommends enclosing mattresses, duvets and pillows within a breathable, allergen-proof case. Cotton mattress protectors and pillow protectors also protect from spills and stains. Protecting your bedding is preferable to frequent washing as this can weaken the duvet and pillow fabric and filling.
How to wash a natural or microfibre duvet
When you’ve treated yourself to a luxury duvet the last thing you want is for it to lose its loft or to go lumpy after a wash. While we recommend professional laundering, if you have a large capacity washing machine it can be possible to home wash a synthetic, down and/or feather duvet if the care instructions say so, and you follow the advice.
Laundry brand, Persil, offers the following washing guidance:
How to wash a duvet with synthetic fillings at home
Duvets or quilts with synthetic fillings can usually be washed at home, but some domestic washing machines do not have a large enough capacity to allow the duvet or quilt to move around freely in the drum.
- If your item fits into your machine use a gentle cycle, with minimum agitation
- You can use a normal spin setting
- After washing a duvet or quilt, make sure you have completely dried and aired it before using it again
How to wash a feather or down duvet or quilt at home
Check the care label of feather and down-filled duvets and quilts as you may not be able to machine wash your duvet but it may instead require dry-cleaning.
- If you can wash your duvet or quilt in a washing machine, wash it on a gentle cycle using a non-bio detergent
- After washing, make sure to completely air and dry your duvet or quilt before use
The advice above is taken from persil.com
Washing machine capacities and professional cleaning
If you can wash your synthetic or feather duvet, you’ll ideally need a washer dryer. Otherwise, you’ll need a strong airer, ample drying space and plenty of patience. Damp duvets are heavy, slow to air dry and take up a lot of room. For best results, avoid hanging a damp duvet over a radiator as this can encourage the growth of bacteria and mould. Machine-washing your duvet at a local launderette will enable you to wash and fully dry your duvet in one go.
Keeping your duvet fresh in-between washes
Dust mites love a warm, damp bed and pulling back the duvet when you get up will help the bed air and cool down. It’s also the perfect opportunity to fluff up your feather or synthetic microfibre duvet by giving it a good shake inside or outdoors. While sunlight naturally deodorises and disinfects bedlinen, sticking a duvet in direct sunlight can weaken the filling, so shake or dry the duvet in a shady area or a well-ventilated room.
When to upgrade your duvet
Your bed should feel like a place you want to jump into. If it’s not, your duvet may be to blame. A flat or lumpy duvet could simply need a good shake to evenly distribute the filling. However, if the filling is escaping through the casing or you feel it’s lacking in any one of the following areas, it could be time to upgrade.
Reasons to upgrade to a luxury duvet:
- Comfort: Just like anything else duvets wear with age. A Tielle hotel quality duvet provides the lasting comfort you need for better Zzzzs.
- Warmth: While a 10.5 hotel quality duvet will provide year-round comfort in exceptionally hot weather you may want to switch to a 4.5 duvet or use bed blankets for cooler nights.
- Allergies: Switching to a hypoallergenic duvet can help reduce allergens like dust mites, making it ideal for allergy sufferers. Read our eczema and allergy friendly bedding guide.
- Size: A duvet needs to adequately cover a duvet unless you’re a fan of chilly drafts. Find out what size bed sheets and covers you need in our expert bedding guide.
- Features: While cotton is naturally moisture-wicking and temperature regulating, new fill fibres such as Tencel® also come with sleep-enhancing benefits.
Genuine luxury duvets such as our hotel-quality duvet range combine exceptional materials, superior fillings and exceptional craftsmanship to create longer-lasting luxury. On average Tielle pillows last about 3 years, or 1,000 sleeps. To find out if you need to upgrade your pillows read our pillows guide. Our 7 tell-tale signs your bed or bed linen needs an upgrade will also help you get the best night’s sleep.