With summer fast approaching, duvets will need freshening up as they will trap more moisture, body oils, and dust, just like pillows. Even though we may not see it, dust mites and bacteria can also contribute to the unpleasant odour that duvets can give off. While most households tend to use duvet covers, this isn’t enough to keep them clean.
However, duvets can feel cleaner without running them on a wash cycle. After putting duvets in the washing machine or leaving them to soak in the bath, they can take forever to dry, given their bulky nature. For those short on time, bedding experts at De Nachtwacht, a Belgian sleep shop that specialises in bedding, beds and other sleep-related products, recommend following a simple task every four months to freshen your duvets.
To care for your duvet, the first thing to do is make sure you fluff it up daily.
Try to make some time every day (or at least every week) to fluff up your duvet. This will create air between the down, distribute it evenly in the duvet and ensure that your duvet remains nice and bouncy.
When you don’t have the time to wash duvets, they must be aired out. The pros said: “The best thing you can do for your duvet is to regularly air it outside.
“This will release the perspiration that your duvet absorbs at night. Airing the duvet outside every four months is sufficient.”
It’s crucial to only do this on a dry and sunny day, but never hang your duvet in full sun. Very high temperatures can cause the down to lose its natural moisture and therefore its elastic and insulating properties, which, in turn, will make your duvet “much less pleasant to sleep under”.
Also, if it’s cloudy or has rained recently, the air will be more humid and will not be as effective for airing out your bedding.
A mix of sun and shade is ideal. If you hang your duvet a couple of hours before the area becomes shady, you’ll be in good shape.
Leave your duvet out for several hours; around four to five is about right.
Instead of airing out duvets, some may decide to vacuum them; however, this is “not a good idea”, as you will damage the cover, and you run the risk of creating holes.
