Duvet cleaning should be carried out four times a year to remove stubborn stains, bad odors, dead skin, accumulated moisture and dust mites. It is sometimes possible here to clean your duvet in the washing machine when the capacity of its drum allows it. However, due to its dimensions and thickness, this bedding item may stubbornly refuse to go into the washing machine. Of course, in this case you can decide to drop off your duvet at the dry cleaners or go to the laundromat to take advantage of a more welcoming washing machine. However, these solutions are neither economical nor practical, which is why we offer you these very ingenious alternative tips for washing the duvet without a machine, from home and effortlessly! Thanks to hand cleaning, your bedding will be clean, fresh, spotless and ready to give you a cozy and peaceful sleep.
First of all, however, remember to check the label carefully. Some fragile models (such as feather down) may require additional care. Furthermore, dry cleaning may be necessary depending on the filling.
Airing and shaking your duvet, the crucial step before washing
The duvet can in the long run cover yourself with fur, hair, crumbs and dust. It is therefore crucial to shake it well outdoors, for example on the balcony or terrace, to remove most of the dirt. After that, take the time to vacuum the entire surface with your vacuum cleaner, preferably fitted with a very clean special textile nozzle. Shaking and vacuuming the duvet is a good habit to get into more regularly and a very important preliminary step before washing for optimal results.
Choose the right cleaning product
The choice of maintenance product is essential. Indeed, a product that is too abrasive risks damaging the fibers of the duvet and damaging its filling. In particular, it is appropriate to ban the use of bleach which is very irritating and risks causing the textile to yellow. For a convincing result, we recommend a gentle detergent (preferably a liquid detergent) and/or soap. Marseille soap is ideal here for restoring whiteness to the duvet while washing it gently.
Clean your duvet in a bathtub
If you have one, the bathtub is the ideal solution for cleaning a duvet. This allows it to soak and have plenty of room to carry out very effective washing. Fill the tub with lukewarm water, add a mild detergent and/or soap, then gently submerge the comforter. Use your hands to massage each section, focusing on spots. Now it’s time to soak everything for a while. If the duvet is not very dirty, allow 10-15 minutes. Otherwise you can go up to an hour to allow the household products used to penetrate the fibers. Once the duvet has soaked sufficiently, there’s nothing stopping you from using a soft brush to gently scrub the duvet and remove any stains.
Next, empty the bathtub and fill it with clean water. Rinse the duvet thoroughly and repeat several times to ensure that there are no traces of cleaning products left. You can then gently squeeze out the excess water and lay it flat to dry. We explain the spinning and drying step in detail below.
Don’t have a bathtub? Fall back into the shower to clean the duvet
Certainly, the shower will be less practicalbut it will give you results just as good as the bathtub. To do this, this time we will use the shower head to thoroughly soak the fabric. Then, rub delicately with detergent and possibly a soft brush in order to thoroughly “scrub” the stubborn dirt. You will then just have to rinse.
On a similar principle, nothing prevents you from washing the duvet outside, on a clean tarpaulin and with a garden hose.
For a few stains, you can do more targeted cleaning!
Stains of sweat, pee, blood, mold… like the mattress, the duvet comes in all colors! Moreover, we can take inspiration from removing stains from the mattress to remove the duvet. This can thus avoid having to clean it completely at the slightest trace. In particular, you can dilute white vinegar in water and rub the stain with this mixture to remove a stain. It works particularly well on grease stains. Then leave it to act for a few minutes before rinsing with a damp cloth. If necessary, use a hairdryer to dry the treated area more quickly.
The extra tip: when removing stains, rub the stain inwards and not outwards to limit marks.
Cleaning the duvet is good! But how to dry it properly?
When you clean a duvet completely, spinning and drying are as important as the cleaning itself. Indeed, in addition to being extremely unpleasant, sleeping with bedding that is not completely dry can promote the appearance of mold and unpleasant odors. So we’ll start by wringing it out well. without twisting or pulling itwhich could damage or tear it. The best thing to do is to fold it and press it against the wall of the bathtub or shower to remove as much water as possible.
Let it drain well before putting it to dry. To dry it without a tumble dryer, we recommend drying flat for several days. You can of course dry it in the Sun if possible. It is even recommended, because it will refresh it, eliminate bacteria and restore its shine. However, do not overdo it to avoid discoloration. Once dry, all you have to do is put everything back in place!