How to clean a synthetic or feather duvet

Because you probably aren’t cleaning it enough. - by Laura Barry

While many of us are more than capable of ensuring our bed sheets are washed once per week, very few of us are actually on top of keeping our duvet clean.

The ever-present duvet is a breeding ground for bacteria. It collects dust mites, sweat, skin cells and more throughout the night, and if you haven’t washed your duvet in the past 12 months, it’s probably home to more than 20,000 dust mites.

Gross, right?

So here’s how to wash your duvet cover so you can sleep soundly, and without the company of a few thousand dust mites.

Synthetic duvet cleaning

Wash in a large machine on a normal spin cycle at 60 degrees Celsius, or as high as the care label says.
Dry in the tumble dryer, or direct sunlight outside in summer

Feather duvet

A feather duvet can be cleaned one of two ways, check the care label for suggestions

Dry cleaning by a professional service

Partially fill a bathtub with hot water and dissolve a mild detergent into it.
Submerge the duvet into the water, squeezing to work the water through every part of the duvet
Drain the bath and repeat the process, sans detergent, to rinse
Gently roll the duvet up to wring out excess water before removing it from the bath
Lay flat in direct sunlight on a warm day to dry, which can take up to 48 hours
If you have a large tumble dryer, 15 minutes or so when almost dry to fluff up the feathers will work nicely

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Looking for some bedroom inspiration? Watch the video below.

Laura Barry

Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.