Short answer: most duvets, comforters, pillows and blankets can be washed at home, provided the drum is big enough for the item to tumble freely. Wash warm at 40 °C on a gentle cycle with two pods and an extra rinse. Then take the drying seriously: low heat, two to three hours, three dryer balls, and break up the clumps by hand every thirty minutes. Bedding is almost never ruined in the wash. It is ruined by being put away not quite dry.
How often
| Item | Wash |
|---|---|
| Duvet cover and sheets | Weekly, fortnightly at the outside |
| Pillowcases | Weekly, twice weekly for acne-prone skin |
| Mattress protector | Every 1 to 2 months |
| Pillows | Every 3 to 6 months |
| Duvet or comforter | Every 4 to 6 months, or twice a year |
| Blankets and throws | Every 1 to 3 months |
| Electric blanket | Once a season, following the manufacturer only |
Will it even fit?
This is the question that decides whether you wash it at home or take it out. A duvet has to move. If it sits packed against the drum wall, the water never flows through it, the detergent never rinses out, and the filling comes out in rocks.
- Single or double duvet: a 7 to 8 kg machine.
- King or super king: 9 kg and up, or a 12 kg machine at a laundrette.
- The dry test: pushed in loosely, the item should fill about two thirds of the drum with a clear gap at the top. If you have to compress it to close the door, it is too big.
A laundrette for one wash twice a year is cheaper than a replacement duvet, and their machines dry properly too.
Washing a duvet or comforter
- Check the label for a crossed-out tub, and patch any split seams first. A tear becomes a burst in the drum.
- Shake the filling out evenly, then load it loosely, folded rather than rolled.
- Two pods in the drum first, no fabric softener. Softener coats down and kills loft permanently.
- Gentle or bedding cycle, 40 °C. Use 60 °C only for dust-mite sanitising, and only if the label allows it.
- Add an extra rinse. This is the step people skip and it is the one that decides whether detergent stays in the filling.
- Spin at 800 to 1,000 rpm. Higher does not help and strains the seams.
The drying, which is the whole job
A duvet takes two to three hours to dry, sometimes more. Nothing about that is negotiable, because damp down and damp synthetic filling both grow mildew inside the baffles where you cannot see it or reach it.
- Low heat. High heat melts synthetic filling into hard lumps and scorches down.
- Three wool dryer balls, or two clean tennis balls, to keep the filling moving.
- Every thirty minutes, take it out, shake it hard and break up any clumps with your hands.
- Keep going past the point it feels dry. Squeeze the thickest corners and the seams; if there is any cool dampness, it is not finished.
- Finish by airing it over a rail or a line for a few hours before it goes back on the bed.
Pillows, by type
| Pillow | Washable | How |
|---|---|---|
| Polyester and microfibre | Yes | Two at a time to balance the drum, 40 °C gentle, extra rinse, low tumble with dryer balls |
| Down and feather | Yes | 40 °C gentle, two rinses, low tumble for 2 to 3 hours, shake every 30 minutes |
| Latex | No | Sponge the cover only, air dry flat, never submerge |
| Memory foam | No | Agitation destroys the foam. Vacuum it, spot-clean, wash the cover |
Always wash pillows in pairs. One pillow on its own throws the drum off balance on the spin, and the machine will either walk across the floor or stop and fault.
Blankets and throws
- Cotton and cotton blends: 40 °C, normal cycle, tumble low. Easy.
- Fleece and microfibre: cold, gentle, absolutely no softener, low heat or air dry. Softener and high heat are what make fleece go stiff and matted.
- Wool blankets: wool cycle at 20 °C, 400 rpm, dry flat. Treat them as very large knitwear, as in how to wash wool, cashmere, silk and linen.
- Weighted blankets: check the weight against your machine. Anything over 7 kg belongs at a laundrette.
- Electric blankets: remove the controller, follow the manufacturer exactly, never wring, never tumble dry.
Duvet covers and sheets
Two habits save a lot of irritation. Close every button and zip before the cover goes in, or it will swallow the whole load and come out as one twisted rope. And shake each piece out hard before it goes in the dryer, which halves the creasing.
What to wash them with, how hot, and how to get towels soft again is in the best laundry detergent for bed sheets and towels.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Duvet came out lumpy | Filling clumped and dried that way | Rewash, then dry with balls and break clumps every 30 minutes |
| Musty smell a week later | It was not fully dry inside | Rewash and dry twice as long. Do not store until the seams feel warm and dry |
| Pillows still yellow | Oxidised body oil, not dirt | Oxygen bleach soak, then a 40 °C wash, as in how to wash white clothes |
| Flat pillow after washing | Filling compressed, or the pillow is simply finished | Tumble with balls; if it does not recover, replace it. Pillows last 2 to 3 years |
| White streaks on the cover | Undissolved detergent from a packed drum | Rewash with no detergent at all |
Bedding is where fragrance shows most
A bed is the largest surface of fabric you ever press your face into, so it is where a composition reads loudest and lasts longest. Wash the cover and sheets cold with one pod, dry on low with a matching dryer sheet, and make the bed while the linen is still slightly warm. Stripping and remaking the same day, rather than leaving the bed bare overnight, is what makes the difference you notice at eleven at night.
The full linen routine, including frequency by item and how to store a linen closet, is in The Scent Wash Fabric Care Manual.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you wash a comforter or duvet?
Every four to six months with a cover on it, or every two to three months without one. Duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases should be washed weekly, mattress protectors every one to two months and pillows every three to six months.
Can you wash a comforter in the washing machine?
Yes, if it fits loosely. A single or double needs a 7 to 8 kg machine and a king needs 9 kg or more. Pushed in dry it should fill about two thirds of the drum with a clear gap on top. If you have to compress it to shut the door, use a laundrette.
How do you dry a comforter properly?
On low heat for two to three hours with three wool dryer balls, taking it out every thirty minutes to shake it and break up clumps by hand. Keep drying past the point it feels dry and check the seams and thickest corners for cool dampness, because filling that is not completely dry grows mildew inside the baffles.
Can you wash pillows in a washing machine?
Polyester, microfibre, down and feather pillows can be washed two at a time at 40 degrees Celsius on a gentle cycle with an extra rinse. Latex and memory foam cannot: agitation destroys the foam, so vacuum them, spot-clean and wash only the cover.
Why does my duvet smell after washing?
Because it was put away before the filling was completely dry. Damp down and damp synthetic fill both grow mildew inside the baffles, which is also why the smell appears a week later rather than immediately. Rewash and dry for twice as long.
Can you wash an electric blanket?
Only if the manufacturer says so, and only with the controller removed. Follow their instructions exactly, never wring it, never tumble dry it and make sure it is bone dry before it is plugged in again.
Should you use fabric softener on bedding?
No. Softener coats the fibre, which flattens down filling, reduces absorbency on cotton and shortens how long any fragrance lasts. Use a dryer sheet or wool dryer balls instead.
