Last updated: 7 July 2026
The short answer
Check the care label first, always. Most synthetic duvets can go in the machine on a gentle cycle at 40°C, as long as the machine is big enough. Down and feather duvets can often be washed too, but they need a large drum, a gentle cycle and very thorough drying. The step people get wrong is the drying, not the washing. A duvet that goes back on the bed even slightly damp will smell and can grow mould inside.
Will it even fit in your machine?
This is the first thing to check. A duvet needs room to move to get clean, and a cramped drum just pushes the dirt around. As a rough guide, a 7 kg machine handles a single or double duvet, a 9 kg machine copes with a king, and a super king often needs a 10 kg or larger machine. If yours won't fit, use the extra-large machines at a launderette, which is cheaper than a dry-clean and easy to do.
How to wash a synthetic duvet
Microfibre and hollowfibre duvets are the easy ones.
- Use a gentle or bulky-items cycle at 40°C, or cooler if the label says so.
- Use a small amount of mild, non-bio detergent. Skip fabric softener, which coats the filling and flattens it.
- Run an extra rinse to make sure no detergent is left inside.
- Dry it fully before it goes anywhere near the bed.
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How to wash a down or feather duvet
Natural duvets can be washed if the label allows, but they are less forgiving. Use a large drum so the down can move, a gentle cycle and a cool wash around 30°C. Use a specialist down wash rather than ordinary detergent, and run two rinses so nothing is left in the clusters. If the label says dry-clean only, believe it, since the wrong wash can strip the natural oils that keep down lofty. When in doubt, a launderette or a specialist cleaner is the safer route for an expensive down duvet.
Drying is the part that matters most
Get the drying right and everything else is forgiving. Get it wrong and you ruin the duvet.
- Tumble dry on low heat. Add a couple of clean dryer balls or tennis balls to break up clumps and re-fluff the filling.
- Stop the dryer every so often, take the duvet out, and shake and redistribute the filling by hand.
- Keep going until it is completely dry, right through the middle. This takes several cycles for a big duvet, and down takes longest.
- If you air-dry, do it outside on a warm, breezy day and shake it often. Never put a damp duvet back on the bed.
How often should you wash a duvet?
Every three to six months is plenty for most people, or more often if you have allergies, pets on the bed, or someone has been ill. The easiest way to wash the duvet less is to use a washable duvet protector and clean your covers weekly, which keeps sweat and skin off the duvet itself and makes it last longer.
When to replace instead of wash
Washing revives a tired duvet, but it can't save a dead one. If it stays lumpy after drying, has lost its loft, or you wake up sniffly no matter how often you clean it, it has reached the end. Most duvets last around five years. If yours is due, our guide to down vs synthetic duvets helps you choose the next one, and the tog to GSM converter gets the warmth right.