Having my duvet laundered

I have started to use 'All weather' duvets that are two layers popped together, so can be split for washing.

I can’t stuff the duvets into the covers anymore because of painful hands( no help from hubby)...so I’ve gone back to sheets and blankets. Anyway I only ever had a 3 tog duvet... and that’s too hot for me!!

Surely it depends on the duvet. Synthetic ones can be very cheap.
Ours is an all seasons goose down from John Lewis, though not the most expensive kind. I think it was one of their 'special buys' in the sales. We've had it for several years - it's beautifully light and warm.
Each part goes to be laundered in turn as the seasons change. The cost of laundering is an awful lot less than a new duvet.

Actually, if you have a tumbler dryer there is no reason why you shouldn't wash your duvets yourself. One at a time following the instructions on the label on them.

I put four tennis balls in the dryer with anything that has feathers or is supposed to be fluffy when dry. They literally knock the lumps out of the stuffing.

I have washed a bright red winter jacket that is stuffed with feathers too in this way and it looked far better than when it had been dry cleaned.

You’re a woman after my own heart Juggernaut. I am trying to cut down on buying so much cheap stuff because of the environmental damage. It’s very difficult to be truly ethical where clothing/textiles are concerned but I think it would help if we bought less, kept stuff for longer and threw away less.

It is not usually the done thing in UK, but here in France and neighbouring Switzerland just 17 kms up the road, we regularly put the whole bedding out of the window every day including pillows. Once or twice I year, we put the whole duvet on the wash stand and let it air in the warm sunshine for the whole day. Works wonders, pillows too, although we do wash these in the machine regularly. Thank heavens for inward-opening windows!

Our local charity shops wouldn't accept my old duvet - against health and safety apparently,

Just wash it. I have put mine in machine loads of times & it is fine- I have tumble dried them too. Modern machines are very good & can cope with duvets easily.

Our duvet (superking) is a Siberian Goose Down one which came from John Lewis about four years ago.
It's two duvets, a 3.5 tog and a 7 tog which can be used separately or poppered together for winter.
The 7 tog gets dry cleaned every summer, with the 3.5 tog being dry cleaned in autumn.
It costs about £25 a year for cleaning, but they cost in the region of £550, so they won't be going for pet bedding any time soon!

Take it to launderette. Won't cost a lot to wash and tumbledry.

Dog shelters would be very happy to take your old duvets or blankets...dogs wouldn’t bother if they had been laundered or not

We don't have a summer/winter duvet - come the cold weather we put our dressing gowns on the bed

I know, you make such a good point, - it is so frighteningly wasteful. Also at my recycling centre they won't take old duvets into the clothing and textiles area, but have to bin them into the land-fill bins. It is dreadful.

I have managed to machine wash my 13 and 15 tog duvets recently. They are only cheap ones and have survived and feel the same as before.

I also cut up and hem some old duvets and made them into dog beds. When I have enough dog beds of my own I take the extras to the rescue kennels near me.

I have also used them as cushion stuffing when I had an awkward sized cushion. I didn't take the filling out, but folded the duvet lightly over to get the shape and thickness I wanted, sewed the folds in place and put it in the cushion cover. It works really well for a roll shaped cushion too.

I don't like duvets at all. What comes out during the winter months is a large merino wool blanket which is dry-cleaned every year. I purchased it in Spain through a company in the UK. I like weight with warmth. Then I have a feather quilt on top of that and a large throw to cover the whole bed.
I have the same wool blanket beneath me too. Warm ? You bet.

Hahah. 3 posts mentioning dog rescue centres in quick succession!

I have very little room to store a thick winter duvet over the summer, so I always buy a new 'budget' one the following season and pass the old one on to the local dog shelter, who are always grateful. Also the homeless hostels here are always happy to accept them. I can however make my summer one last a little longer as it will go in my washing machine and takes up less room! I do always try to buy ones with cotton or cotton mix covering. Those ones with shiny, slippery fabric coverings feel horrible and never seem to stay in place. I don't do feathers.

Our local branch of Dog's Trust are only too pleased to have second-hand duvets passed on to them. That's where the charity shop that I work in sends them when they're not quite 'good enough to sell on'.

Also consider the PDSA for any old/stained Cot Bedding.

Near us there is an animal sanctuary which welcomes old duvets as bedding for the pets..

I have down duvets which are well over 30 yea4s old. I hang them in the windows every second day if there’s no rain as the sun kills off any mites in there, then at end summer or winter wash and dry them in the local launderette.
Putt8ng them out in the sun using bedroom window, is done in Germany and Austria. ! Daily, if not raining. It works. The6 are fresh and free from wildlife.

Food for thought! I hadn't thought of buying a new duvet rather than having it cleaned. I'm sure the charity shops would be glad to take old duvets.

I wish we had a local launderette. You'd think they'd be fairly accessible here in the West Mids conurbation. But no, they're like hens teeth.

Whenever the weather is fine, I hang my duvet out of the bedroom window to air. It's out there today. I do wash them when I change from winter to summer, my 8kg machine will take the summer one, but not the winter one, which I take to the local laundrette for about £7 and dry it on the line.

Recently I had a 13.5 tog single duvet laundered and it cost £16. (I'm passing it to a family member and wanted to be sure it's clean. I didn't want to risk overloading - and breaking - our washing machine.) I was a bit surprised at the cost of cleaning but I would far rather carry on using something (even at this cost) than throw it away and buy a new one. Also the £16 was paid to a local business - the launderette - and not to a national chain, so at least it's "keeping things local".

There are now plenty of duvets on the market which are suitable for washing in a domestic washing machine - even the older smaller capacity machines. Plus you can get them in "All Seasons" format a 9 tog and 4.5 tog which can be used separately or clipped together. I got mine from the Fine Bedding Company, king size washes perfectly in my 6kg capacity washing machine.

I use my summer 4.5 tog in winter and summer which makes it easy to launder in my washing machine.In winter or any chilly night I have a cellular blanket that can go on top of my duvet. But then I don't share my bed so do not have to contend with objections to my methods.