Our bedding does so much for us, keeping us comfy and cosy for the most blissful nights of sleep. It's only right that we repay our pillows, duvets, mattress toppers, and more by giving them the very best care. Wondering how to look after your beautiful bedding? Our guide on how to wash and clean it is here to help.
How to Wash Your Duvet
The great news is that all of our duvets are machine-washable, and you should only need to wash your duvet once or twice a year.
If you spill a cuppa on your duvet, it’s best to spot-clean the patch with a damp cloth and some warm soapy water, rather than wash the whole thing. Make sure you dry the area thoroughly with a cool hair dryer before you use it again, or allow it to dry naturally outside.
If you feel that your duvet needs a good wash, then follow these instructions (most local dry cleaners will provide this service for you).
How to Clean a Feather and Down Filling Duvet
For a feather or down duvet that smells and feels amazing, just follow these tips.
When your duvet first arrives
If you’ve chosen a natural filling, like duck or goose down, we recommend you air the duvet for 24 hours before you use it. As the filling is natural, there may be a slight odour on arrival, which will quickly disappear with airing.
How to Wash a Feather and Down Filling Duvet
When you come to wash your bedding, it’s always best to take it to a specialist cleaner. Although you can wash it yourself at home, provided your machine is large enough.
Washing should be done on a gentle cycle at 40 degrees, and tumble dry on a low heat until thoroughly dry.
Make sure you’re following those washing instructions to a tee, as using too high a temperature for washing and drying will damage the item. Don't worry, we've popped all the instructions on the labels too.
The Importance of a Dry Down Duvet!
Even when a feather or down duvet feels dry to the touch, there can be moisture left in the fibres – it is important to make sure the core of your item is fully dried, allowing the fibres to separate and re-loft fully. Natural products should not be left damp at any stage of the laundering process, as this can cause the down clusters to decompose.
Once a feather or down-filled item is damaged like this, you may find that there is an unwanted smell that will be hard to get rid of. If drying in a dryer, we always recommend checking the down clusters inside, making sure they feel fully dried to prevent any clumping and unpleasant odours from developing.
How to Dry a Feather and Down Duvet at Home
If you choose to wash your bedding yourself, drying on a sunny day and a washing line will be fine, but try to hang the duvet in the shade to air. Direct sunlight tends to make the down or feathers sweat, which could also produce an unpleasant smell. Airing or drying in a shady area or a well-ventilated room is always best.
Want to learn more about our natural filling duvets? See our duck and goose down comparison guide.
How to Clean a Synthetic Filling Duvet
Our synthetic items are so easy to wash! Just follow these steps.
- Machine wash your synthetic duvet at 40 degrees.
- You can dry your hollow fibre duvet in a tumble dryer on low heat, or outside in the breeze.
- If you choose the tumble dryer, take it out every now and then, and give it a shake to prevent clumping.
Most importantly, please don’t dry clean these items, as this could cause damage. You can, however, take them to be washed by a local expert; the machines might be a little bigger than yours.
How to Clean a Wool Duvet
Good news - dirt won’t get into the fibres of wool; it sits on top, making it super easy to clean and get rid of dust or dirt, so washing is a rare occasion indeed! You can spot clean to remove any small marks with a damp cloth.
If you do need to wash your wool duvet, follow these tips:
- Specify to the dry cleaners that a wool wash is needed.
- Only use the mildest detergents.
- Dry on very low heat, and take your duvet out of the dryer while it’s still damp.
- Finish drying your duvet with nothing but fresh air and the rays of the sun!
How Long Does a Duvet Last?
Even with the very best care, duvets don’t last forever. We recommend treating yourself to a new duvet every five years for comfort beyond compare. Take a look at our guide on when to replace your bedding for more advice on keeping your bed at its best.
How to Wash Pillows
Ah, perfectly plump pillows are just heaven, aren’t they? With our care advice, your pillows will remain a wonderful place to lay your head night after night after night.
How to Clean Feather and Down Pillows
Just like feather and down duvets, natural fibre pillows need a good airing out before you pop them on your bed so that they smell their very best.
When it comes time to wash them, give them a machine wash in a washing machine that’s capable of handling the surprisingly heavy weight of your soggy pillows. Then, air them out for a day or so until they’re completely dry.
How to Clean Synthetic Pillows
Synthetic pillows are so easy to clean. Just wash them at 40 degrees (no hotter, though) and tumble dry on low heat, taking them out and giving them a shake every now and again.
How to Clean Wool-Filled Pillows
Our Baa Baa Bedtime Wool pillows are a fabulous choice for both comfort and their sustainability credentials, but they will need a little bit of love and care if you would like to keep them in tip-top condition.
Washing Wool Pillows
Wool is delicate, so here are some gentle cleaning steps:
- Set the washing machine to a cool temperature, fill with cool water and add very mild detergent or special wool soap.
- Making sure your washing machine is now off, soak your wool pillow in the cold water and detergent for 15 minutes.
- After the soaking period, put your pillow on a gentle rinse cycle.
- After rinsing, put your pillow on a spin cycle.
Drying Wool Pillows
Set your wool pillows out to dry naturally until they no longer drip. Then, finish them off in the dryer on a low heat, adding tennis balls to the mix to prevent clumps.
Give ‘em a Plumping
Wool will ‘felt’ over time with compression and moisture. We recommend daily plumping, and that will keep your pillow nice and lofty. By following our easy and quick tips below, you will ensure that air gaps between the wonderful wool layers are maintained.
Each day, hold the pillow with a hand on both the top and bottom and gently pull the fibres apart. Do this across the length of the pillow.
Sunbathing - It’s Good for Pillows. Too!
As and when you can, a regular dose of sunshine will do your pillow a world of good – UV light is antibacterial and the heat will remove any moisture within your wool pillow. Pop it out for a sunbathe in the garden or on a balcony and let the rays work their magic.
How Long Do Pillows Last?
A good pillow will cushion your head for about two years before it’s time to say goodbye.
How to Clean Mattress Toppers
Keeping your mattress topper as comfy and clean as the day you bought it is similar to caring for your mattress.
- Rotate your mattress topper regularly to keep the fillings evenly distributed.
- Cover the topper with a mattress protector to stop spills, stains, and general wear and tear.
- Spot cleaning using hot, soapy water can help remove any surface marks.
Remember, though, that like when caring for your duvets and pillows, you should dry your toppers thoroughly and never leave them wet. We wouldn't advise dry cleaning either, as the chemicals used in this process can permanently damage the product.
How to Wash Bed Linen
Pillowcases, duvet covers and other bed linen are best washed on a gentle cycle between 30 and 40 degrees. Make sure to separate light and dark materials to keep their colours pristine. For more advice, our bed linen care guide is here to help.
With cotton bedding, a gentle glide over with an iron makes it look extra perfect, while linen and hemp bedding don’t need ironing at all!
Our Bedding Care Top Tips
- Air your bedding regularly – this will help to lift any moisture and allow the filling to re-loft and breathe ready to be put back on your bed.
- Don’t use any deodorising sprays on the surface as these can damage your bedding.
- Always follow our recommended aftercare on the label of each individual item.
- To clean and dry your duvet or pillow there needs to be plenty of room for it to move so a large drum is always recommended. For the best drying, it needs about 50% space around for it to allow to move freely in the drum when washing and 60% when wet.
- Remove excess water with the washing machine's spin cycle.
- Be super careful when removing bedding from the machine to ensure it isn’t damaged. Please do not pull or tug as this can damage the baffle walls which are an integral part of our product. Damage to the walls can cause the filling to move from chamber to chamber and become uneven.
- Pillows can be laundered exactly like duvets. Wash them one at a time so there is enough room to let the pillow move freely.
- Using a pillow protector is recommended to minimise the need for laundering and prolong your pillow's life.
- Dryer balls or tennis balls can be added to the dryer to help the pillow move freely in the machine and let the fibres separate and re-loft beautifully.
- When the cycle is finished, remove all bedding immediately from the machine to prevent damage from the hot walls of the dryer.
- Don’t worry, all of this is simple and you shouldn’t need to wash your bedding often at all. Now relax and take a nap.
Want more advice on keeping your bedding in amazing condition? Give us a call or an email and we’ll be more than happy to chat.
