How to Wash a Duvet Inner

The average person sleeps for 8 hours a day, which equates to one-third of their life. This is a lot of time spent in bed, so knowing how to care for your bedding is essential.

The most time-consuming part of bedding to take care of is the duvet inner, mostly because it’s challenging knowing how to approach washing it. One option is to pay to have your duvet washed at a dry cleaner, but this can be costly. You could also hand wash your duvet inner, but this will likely take a while and can be inconvenient.

As there are many types of duvet inner, you’ll need to take care of it depending on the fabric. For example, you would clean a silk duvet inner much differently than you would a microfibre duvet inner. This guide will show you how to wash your duvet inner the easy way. Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is a duvet inner?

A duvet inner is what sits inside a duvet cover. Essentially, a duvet inner is an insulator that traps in warm air and body heat to keep you warmer and more comfortable at night. They are much more comfortable and breathable than a regular blanket.

Duvet inners come in many different variations, fills and styles, depending on your preference and the season. For example, summer duvet inners may be a lot lighter than winter duvet inners, or you might just want a really thick duvet inner.

Why it’s important to keep your duvet inner clean

A duvet cover helps to prevent common wear and tear, but issues can still occur over long periods of time. Regularly cleaning your duvet inner will hopefully keep the following at bay.

Prevent dust mites

Dust mites are pesky bugs that can cause a range of health issues. These health issues may include watery eyes, allergies and asthma attacks. People with asthma can experience worsened symptoms, so it’s important to clean your duvet inner regularly to remove any mites. Feather duvet inners can also add to this problem by contributing to the dust build up, so make sure you’re taking proper care of your feather duvet inner if this is the case.

Prevent mould occurring

Mould is often caused by humidity, sweat and moisture. This makes bedding, particularly a duvet inner, more susceptible to growing mould. It can then release several substances that may cause wheezing, respiratory problems and skin problems. Cleaning helps to prevent conditions forming where mould could grow, and helps to stop you from getting sick as often.

Prevent build-up of dead skin and sweat

Some people sweat a lot during the night, even in winter. Because you spend such a long time in bed, things like dead skin can also fall off in your bedding. Even if you have a duvet cover, these gross things can make their way into your duvet inner, and even your mattress, over time. Washing your duvet inner regularly can prevent a build-up of unwanted bacteria.

A better night’s sleep

Dust, mould and other issues can wake you up in the night, sneezing and coughing. Interrupted sleep can negatively affect the quality of your overall health and makes it harder to control stress levels. Experts recommend that adults should get a full eight hours of sleep every night, but if your sleep is constantly interrupted, it might be worth giving your bedding a clean. Preventing nasty build-ups before they happen, with regular cleaning, can help you get a full night's rest.

How often you should wash your duvet inner

This depends on several factors, including:

How often do you sleep in your bed
How many people sleep in your bed
Your duvet cover, or if you use one at all

Duvet inners don’t need to be washed as often as duvet covers and sheets, but they should still be cleaned from time to time. If you have a duvet cover, generally, you’ll want to wash your duvet inner every three months.

How to wash duvet inners

Always follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions in the first instance, which can usually be found on the care label of your duvet inner. If this tag has come off, or become illegible, these are general instructions for most common duvet inners;

1. Remove your duvet inner

Depending on the type of your duvet cover, you may need to undo buttons at one end or unzip. Then, carefully pull out your duvet inner so that you don’t cause any damage. You might need to gently give it a bit of a tug as you guide it out of the duvet cover.

2. Place duvet inner into your washing machine

Gently place your duvet inner into the washing machine. To prevent damage and allow for enough room, it’s best to only wash the duvet inner on its own. If you’re struggling to fit the duvet inner in your machine, you can always take it to a laundromat near you. Laundromats usually have larger machines and are generally quite cost-effective. All of the same directions will still apply when using a laundromat machine.

3. Add in special detergent

For feather and down duvet inners, you may want to use a specific detergent that won’t cause any damage. If you have a wool duvet inner, use a washing liquid that is designed for wool. A feather duvet inner will need a very delicate detergent. Otherwise, use a gentle liquid detergent. If you have allergies, keep this in mind when choosing a detergent. How you wash it and what you use is also something to keep in mind while looking at different types of duvet inners.

4. Start the washing cycle

Be sure to use a gentle cycle so that you don’t cause any damage to any seams. We also recommend using lukewarm water as cold water can damage the filling of your duvet inner. Never wash your duvet inner with hot water, as this could shrink it or damage the lining of the inner.

5. Put the duvet inner into the dryer

We think it’s best to put down and feather duvet inners into a tumble dryer, as this is a good opportunity to fluff up the duvet inner. Hanging the duvet inner on the washing line will take a long time, and is the perfect condition for mould to grow. Whatever the material, put the heat for the dryer on low so you don’t cause damage. Also, shake the duvet inner out before putting it into the dryer to give it a head start and remove excess moisture. You’ll want to keep checking it every now and then, to make sure you don’t overdo it.

When in the dryer, you may want to put a few tennis balls in the machine. This can help to prevent build-ups of fluff. However, if you have a wool or microfibre duvet, we recommend hanging them out on the line to dry.

6. Fluff the filling

Now that your duvet inner is dry, spend some time fluffing and distributing the filling so that it’s even. This way you won’t have any unsightly lumps or bumps.

How to remove stains from a duvet inner

This will depend on the stain, i.e. bodily fluids, sweat or food. You could use a home remedy like white vinegar as a spot cleaner before putting it in the wash. Otherwise, use a specialist spot-cleaning product. Depending on the severity of the stain, you may need to let it sit for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the washing machine. Some stains may require another go, so be patient and gentle when trying to remove stains from your duvet inner.

Time for a new duvet altogether?

Washing your duvet inner is super important, as mites, mould and build-up of bacteria can happen easily. All of these gross things can wake you up at night or affect your sleep. So, if you want to get the best sleep possible, ensure you’re properly cleaning your duvet inner.

It may seem like a challenging task, but if you follow the instructions for your variety of duvet inner, it should be simple. If you’ve tried everything in this guide and your duvet still looks a little bit sad, we have a huge range of duvet inners available now at Briscoes.