Wash duvet

What should one consider when washing a duvet?

How can I wash my duvet ?

Depending on what kind of duvet you have, you can wash the duvet differently. This depends on the cover of the bedding, the filling e.g. polyester, down, feathers, or wool, and of course the duvet quality. It is important when properly washing the duvet that you put the duvet alone and not with other textiles in the washing machine. A duvet, for example a down duvet requires a lot of space, so depending on the size and weight of the duvet the drum of the washing machine could become too small and tight. Alternatively, if the duvet does not fit into a standard washing machine drum at home, you can simply take it to the cleaners who provide this service for cleaning duvets, such as a down duvet with down and feathers, as well as pillows, bedding, and sleep blankets.

Wash blanket with down and feathers - How to do it correctly?

There are bed branches that offer professional blanket cleaning as a service, which can be particularly useful for blankets made of down and feathers, as well as down pillows. Before you clean the blanket, whether you want to wash the blanket at home or hire a service for cleaning: Make sure to check the care label, which tells you the treatment method for your blanket, down pillows, down blankets, and more.

 Wash blanket - Properly clean and care for down comforters

The down duvets and down pillows available today in the manufacturer's bedding store require significantly less care than older models of down duvets. A down duvet must be shaken out regularly and aired out, so that the duvet as a duvet maintains its loft and size. By introducing air through shaking out the duvet and pillow, the air in the duvet creates a so-called climate buffer. The filling remains loose and light, so that shaking up in the morning after getting up serves a good purpose.

Air out down duvet

Shaking up means that the down and feathers, which get slightly compressed overnight. Feathers and down are better distributed to make the surface filling larger, so that moisture, for example in the form of waterlogging, which occurs at night due to sweating, can escape. Especially for allergy sufferers, regularly shaking out the duvet is recommended, as the skin flakes and dirt particles accumulated overnight are removed, thus providing no habitat for dust mites. Simply shake the blanket or pillow (down duvet, down pillow, down duvets) out in a relaxed manner and place them in a location where the air can reach the sleep items well.

Tipps für richtiges Lüften

Do not place the duvet directly in the sun or outside in wet weather . Due to the heating of the down duvet inside, where the filling is located, temperatures can reach up to 70 degrees Celsius. This makes the down brittle and causes it to lose its natural fat film. If there is too much moisture in the duvet, mold can form. To ensure you enjoy your duvet and matching mattress for a long time, you can place the down duvet in the oven to dry it at a maximum of 37 degrees Celsius .

Washing duvet in the washing machine

Before you place the duvet in the washing machine drum of the washing machine , you should read the care symbols or washing instructions beforehand. Down must be washed gently, for example, to maintain its quality .

Washing the duvet - Washing down with the right detergent

With down , it refers to the underfeathers of ducks or geese, thus natural products that require special care. Down is definitely washable, but it needs a delicate detergent, preferably a down detergent that washes gently and carefully. Detergents like regular detergent and fabric softener can actually damage the down in the duvet , causing it to clump together in the worst case. Washing in the washing machine is an unnatural process for a duvet filled with down and feathers, such as with several down duvets or a single down duvet, as in nature, down is not exposed to such large amounts of water. Therefore, regular detergent and fabric softener should not be used under any circumstances, but rather a really good delicate detergent, for example BIO down detergent or wool detergent.

How often should you wash a duvet?

With a duvet that has a filling of down, feathers, polyester, or cotton, it can be washed about once to a maximum of twice a year. Every few years is sufficient, as long as the duvet and bed linen do not show significant dirt. Bedding items, such as duvets, bed linen, pillows, and bed covers should be well shaken and aired out after sleeping, so that the filling can distribute evenly and the moisture can dry out properly overnight. If the bed is not aired regularly, moisture can accumulate under the duvet in humid conditions, which can lead to the formation of mold and also provide a breeding ground for dust mites. What expert advisor tips are there for good airing? It is helpful, for example, to hang it on a drying rack so that enough air can reach the duvet from all sides. Experts and advisors therefore recommend regular airing of bed linen.

Washing a duvet : Which detergent is the right one?

Experts and care consultants recommend a few popular detergents that are best used for cleaning duvets . They give tips that one should use delicate detergent without optical brighteners to achieve optimal results. For down duvets, one should have a wool detergent. For particularly gentle and caring laundry, one can choose a biological delicate detergent to get optimal care. To ensure that the quality of the down filling of the down duvet is not damaged in the washing machine, you should avoid fabric softeners and definitely not bleach the down.

Temperature and degree number when washing the duvet

Bedding can be washed at different temperatures. Ideal for people, such as allergy sufferers, is when the duvet can be washed at 60 degrees. The wash cycle at this temperature destroys the dust mites in the bedding material, so allergy sufferers have no problems while sleeping. Of course, there are also duvets that may only be washed at 30 degrees or 40 degrees. To find out at which temperature and which spin cycle the bedding can be washed, one simply needs to look at the laundry label. The care symbols from the manufacturer recommend these appropriate treatment methods:

• Wash down duvet at 60°C
• Wash microfiber blanket at 60 °C
• Wash feather duvet at 60 °C
• Wash cotton duvet at 60 °C
• Wash camel hair and cashmere duvet at 30 °C
• Wash silk duvet at 30°C

To get the opinion of a consultant or an expert, one should be uncertain about the next wash, then it is best to contact a cleaning service nearby. This service can quickly assist you and tell you which bedding, for example natural bedding, can go into the drum of the washing machine and which cannot.

Washing duvet : Which program for which laundry?

Nowadays, all modern washing machines have special programs tailored to the corresponding duvet filling . If your washing machine does not have a special washing program, then according to expert information - as a tip - you can simply use a delicate or wool wash program .

Washing and/or spinning duvets ?

On the care symbol and laundry label from the manufacturer, there is no extra pictogram for spinning. Therefore, one should look at the laundry labels of the washing machine, which indicate whether to set the laundry in the drum to a low spin speed or high spin speed over 400 revolutions. Tip for washing duvet: A down duvet cannot handle a high spin speed in the washing machine, as otherwise the feathers or down in the filling may break and the fluffiness decreases.

Washing duvet but the drum of the washing machine is too small?

A typical washing machine in households usually has a 5kg drum, where it might get too tight to wash a duvet. Duvets are not always thin, just like in summer. As soon as you switch from a summer duvet to a winter duvet, the washing machine drum can become too small. As a important tip: It is definitely not recommended to forcefully stuff a down duvet or other bedding into the washing machine, as the feathers and down can break. Of course, there are also 7kg drums with a higher capacity, but even here washing a large duvet can be challenging. Cleaning service too expensive for you? No problem! Our tip, if you have a bathtub: Simply wash the duvet in the tub with water and then take it to the nearest laundromat, which has large drum dryers, so that the down duvet and other duvets are fresh and dry again. In our guide, you will also find out how to properly wash bedding and pillows. Mister Sandman is here to assist you as a guide and care expert team.

Washing the duvet - The summary

Here is a small summary of what you should consider when washing a comforter in the washing machine if you are washing fillings like downs and feathers:

• Which detergent? Down detergent, wool detergent, mild shampoo, delicate detergent, or detergent for silk (preferably also in organic quality)
• Choice of washing program: Delicate detergent or wool washing program.
• Tip: Do not fill the drum completely with laundry so that the individual pieces of laundry are not compressed together.

Drying with the dryer

The manufacturer always notes on the label whether the care of laundry for dryer-safe comforters is possible. If so, you can dry the comforter without any problems.

Choice of the appropriate temperature

Down is a product of nature that is used as filling for pillows and blankets due to its great properties. Unfortunately, it is also more sensitive than synthetic materials, making it easier to break, for example, if the temperature is set too high. Therefore, when drying laundry in the dryer drum, one should definitely choose a program with low temperature in degrees to prevent the feathers and down from drying out. Industrial dryers in laundromats are ideal for achieving optimal results.

Wash and dry comforter -
The dryer summary

Even with care using the dryer, it depends on the capacity and size. If you want to wash a comforter that has a filling of down and feathers, then

• The right drying program: Low temperature (30 degrees).
• Which dryer?Industrial dryers in laundromats dry particularly gently and can also dry laundry in a cold state.
• Tip for the right dryer: Simply dry the comforter, bed linen, and more together with tennis balls.
• How long to dry? Gentle drying can take between 4-6 hours.

Whether you have a box spring bed or a mattress from other bed categories, freshly washed and fragrant bed linen is a prerequisite for sleep. Pay attention to the care instructions from the manufacturer when you want to wash the corresponding linen in the washing machine drum and the subsequent drying in the dryer. Enjoy long-lasting pleasure from the high-quality quality of pillows, such as a down pillow and down feather pillow, as well as the down comforter.

Article written on June 13, 2023
Updated on June 26, 2023