Essential Duvet Cleaning Guide
Proper duvet cleaning and care is vital for maintaining freshness and comfort, while extending the lifespan of your bedding. Each type of duvet, whether it’s down, feather, synthetic, or silk, requires special care to keep it in top condition.
A recent study we conducted that bedding items are the most dreaded to wash at home, and for good reason! Washing your duvet on the wrong setting or drying it incorrectly can take away its softness and ruin its comfort. And cleaning bulky comforters can be a real challenge with smaller home washing machines.
We’ve gathered the best duvet cleaning tips from our network of expert dry cleaners to create this handy guide to take your washing woes away.
Download the Essential Duvet Cleaning Cheat Sheet to give you the quick run-down of how the care for any kind of duvet.
- How often should you clean your duvet?
- How to clean a duvet without a washing machine
- Duvet care label instructions
- Cleaning down duvets
- Cleaning feather duvets
- Cleaning synthetic duvets
- Cleaning silk duvets
- Cleaning wool duvets
- Professional duvet cleaning
How often should you clean your duvet?
As a general rule, you should wash your duvet at most every 3 months, and at least every 6. This varies depending on use, how often you switch out your duvet for the changing of the seasons, and whether you have pets.
Chances are you’ll have more sweaty nights during hot summer weather, leading to accumulation of sweat over time. It’s important to wash your duvet more often during summer to avoid dampness and mustiness. Whenever you’re switching your duvet at the turn of the season, make sure you give it a wash before putting in a breathable storage space to keep it fresh over the months.
How to Clean a Duvet Without a Washing Machine?
There are certain scenarios where you may need to clean your duvet without a washing machine. This includes, not having access to a big enough washing machine, only needing to spot-treat a stain, or having a duvet with a ‘dry clean only’ label
Stain treating a duvet at home
- Blot the area with a clean dry cloth to absorb any extra liquid if the stain is still wet
- Apply a stain remover for delicate fabrics
- Let the stain remover solution sit for up to 15 mins
- Blot the are again with a damp cloth until the stain lifts.
- Make sure not to over-wet the duvet to avoid mildew forming in the filling.
Tougher or older stains may need professional help to be lifted, particularly oil-based or blood stains.
Hand washing a duvet
You might be able to hand wash your duvet in a large tub if you don’t have access to a washing machine, however this can come with its own challenges and risks. Duvets are bulky, which makes them prone to holding a lot of water and being difficult to properly dry – leading to mildew. Duvets can also become very heavy when wet, especially those made from down or feather which can clump easily, making it time consuming and difficult to maneuverer.
Professional duvet cleaning
You can opt for professional duvet cleaning if your duvet has “dry clean only” on it’s care label, or for professional laundry services if your washing machine isn’t big enough to handle the duvet. Dry cleaning centres are equipped with large industrial washing machines that can easily fit large items and reduce the risk of damage during a wash.
Check your duvet care label instructions
To know the right way to wash your duvet, always check the care label instructions which will give you clear instructions on the material your item is made of, and the recommended cleaning methods.
Check what the care label symbols mean on your duvet here.
Types of duvets and how to wash them
Down Duvets (Goose & Duck)
Down refers to the the fluffy uncoating of a bird, normally goose or duck. Down has lighter and airier properties than feathers.
How to clean a down duvet:
- Use a large-capacity washing machine to give the down duvet room to move around and rinse properly.
- Wash on a gentle, cold cycle with down-specific detergent
- Double-rinse to make sure soap is properly removed
How to dry a down duvet:
- Use a large-capacity dryer
- Tumble dry on low heat settings and include dryer balls to soak up any remaining moisture
- Check for trapped moisture before removing from dryer
Do down duvets needs professional cleaning?
- Dry clean only: Certain down duvets may have a ‘dry clean only’ symbol on their care label. These should be sent in to a professional dry cleaner to be cleaned properly.
- Large-capacity washing machines: Down duvets especially need enough room to move around during the washing process to avoid clumping. If your washer isn’t big enough, send your down duvet to your local dry cleaner who can process it in industry-grade washing machines made for large items.
Feather Duvets
Feather duvet filling consists of feathers that come from the wings and backs of birds, usually geese and ducks.
How to clean a feather duvet:
- Use a large-capacity washing machine
- Wash on a gentle, cold cycle with mild detergent
- Rinse twice to remove all soap
How to dry a feather duvet:
- Use a large-capacity dryer
- Dry on low heat
- Check for trapped moisture before removing from dryer
Do feather duvets needs professional cleaning?
While feather duvets are usually not “dry clean only”, there’s benefits to sending your duvet to a dry cleaner who can process them in large capacity machines and spot-treat tough stains.
Synthetic Duvets
Synthetic duvet as usually made from a polyester, microfibre, or recycled fibre filling.
How to clean a synthetic duvet:
- Machine wash at home on a normal cycle
- Use mild detergent
How to dry a synthetic duvet:
- Tumble dry on low to medium heat
- Air dry if needed, based on the care label instructions
Do synthetic duvets need professional cleaning?
Typically, synthetic duvets don’t need professional dry cleaning, but can benefit from a professional laundry service if they’re particularly bulky or too large for your washing machine at home.
Silk Duvets
Silk duvets are known for their luxury attributes, which make them naturally resistant to dust mites, mould and mildew.
How to clean a silk duvet:
- Avoid putting in a washing machine
- Spot-clean with a silk-specific detergent
- Dry cleaning is recommended
How to dry a silk duvet:
- Avoid tumble drying
- Lay the duvet flat on a clean dry surface to keep it’s shape
- If hanging, hang on a well-supported supporting to prevent stretching
Do silk duvets need professional cleaning?
Yes, are normally dry-clean only.
Wool Duvets
Wool duvets are hypo-allergenic and temperature regulating, making them perfect for colder winter months.
How to clean a silk duvet:
- Avoid putting in a washing machine
- Spot-clean with a wool-specific detergent
- Professional cleaning is recommended for full washes
How to dry a wool duvet:
- Avoid tumble drying
- Lay flat on a clean service to keep it’s shape
- Gently reshape while it dries if needed
Do wool duvets need professional cleaning?
Yes, professional cleaning is recommended for a full wash, and dry cleaning can offer best results.
Professional duvet cleaning
Unsure whether you should send your duvet to the dry cleaners?
Dry cleaners offer both laundry services and dry cleaning services for duvets, adapting to the needs of the materials and the item’s care label.
Dry Cleaning a Duvet
- Uses solvents (not water) to clean delicate materials
- Recommended for silk and certain down duvets that are labelled “dry clean only”
- Ideal for duvets with intricate stitching or fragile fabrics
Professional Laundry for a Duvet
- Large-capacity machines used for water-based cleaning (ideal for synthetic, feather, and most down duvets)
- Professional-grade detergent and specific settings ensure thorough cleaning and preservation of the duvet’s integrity
Pros of Using Professional Dry Cleaners:
- Convenience: no need to handle bulky duvets at home or risk ruining your duvet
- Ease of mind: Safe for delicate materials that may not survive home washing
- Expert care: High-quality cleaning with professional equipment
Choosing a Professional Duvet Cleaning Service
You can either take your duvet to a dry cleaner near you, or opt for an on-demand door to door duvet cleaning service.
On demand laundry and dry cleaning services like ihateironing come straight to your door to collect your heavy duvets and clean them. The professional cleaners will proceed with stain-treating the duvet, and then either dry cleaning or laundering in large-capacity washing and drying machines.
ihateironing is a network of professional dry cleaners providing the finest dry cleaning and laundry service with convenient collection and delivery at any times that suit you. We operate in London, New York, Brighton, Edinburgh, Oxford, and beyond.