duvets, wash or dry clean

Lark123 sadly charity shops where I live don’t want duvets. I live in a fairly quiet area. I’ve held onto these king sized duvets for ages. My visit to the tip was eye opening though with so much seemingly serviceable stuff being thrown.

I know the feeling, although I’m also creaking!

Oh, I was thinking about my old duvet instead of concentrating.
It was down filled, and a real palava to clean.
It had gone flat, grey, and lumpy after years of service.
A bit like me.

Nor is mine, MissA. It’s full of sheep. Well, their fleeces. Though Shandy’s post has now got me worried!

Artificial duvets don’t seem to suit us. I’m too hot in them and Dh is too cold. . We could have separate ones, I guess, though I don’t think I’d like the look of the bed, to go by what I’ve seen in countries where they use that system.

I took my super king wool Devon Duvet for specialist cleaning. Even though I was reassured it would be treated gently, they washed it too hot and it came back felted. I did receive compensation, but the staff were very aggressive about it as the money 'came from the shop budget'. Not my fault, everyone knows wool shrinks in a hot wash! Don't they ....

My kingsized duvet was about £17 from sainsbury.
It isn't feather filled, though.

No charity shops round my way take duvets or soft furnishings. It has to go the tip unless you can find a specific charity outlet.

I’ve just put a super-king duvet into the cleaners. It’s costing £20. The duvet cost £140 so no way is it cheaper to buy new!

Oldbat1

I’ve this afternoon taken my perfectly serviceable feather duvets to the tip! Even local dogs homes don’t want them. My family won’t use them due to allergies plus they take up too much space in my cupboard.

If they were in good condition, could they not have been donated to a charity shop who might, if not able to sell them, pass them on to another organization; say, a shelter of some sort?
Dog homes likely wouldn't take them as they would get dirty very quickly and duvets are not easily or quickly laundered or dried unfortunately.
You must feel badly that your family couldn't take them either.

I take mine to our local laundrette, they have industrial machines for washing and drying come back smelling fresh and nice and fluffy if that makes sense. I took our winter one the other week and it was about £20.00

Their budget, I would imagine, plus their washing/drying facilities.

Floradora9

Sadly it is more expensive to have them cleaned than to buy a new one. I remember someone here said they replaced theirs every year and used the old one to line their loft.

I'd rather have them washed and reused, even if it is more expensive (which I don't actually believe at the prices quoted on this thread) than send perfectly serviceable duvets to landfill.

What are people thinking of who do that? What a dreadful waste of resources.

Sadly it is more expensive to have them cleaned than to buy a new one. I remember someone here said they replaced theirs every year and used the old one to line their loft.

I’ve this afternoon taken my perfectly serviceable feather duvets to the tip! Even local dogs homes don’t want them. My family won’t use them due to allergies plus they take up too much space in my cupboard.

I have down duvets for every bed and when necessary only, I machine wash, then put in the dryer.
I usually dry two cycles to assure that all feathers are completely dry.
If it's a dry, sunny day I too hang them on the line to freshen, then vacuum pack them away till the all-to-soon summer is over.

I have had my down duvet laundered a few times and it comes back as good as new.

I used to wash the child sized duvets but they were always slightly lumpy.
I have two king sized duvets which I alternate, but haven't had them cleaned yet.

We have a local garage with a huge washing machine. Two duvets fit in and you can set your phone so that it tells you they are ready for collection. £8. I dry them on the line. If we need to (bad weather) we pay the local cleaners to wash, but its £12 for each duvet.

My duvets say DO NOT DRY CLEAN.

Feather or down duvets must be dried in a large tumble dryer to avoid clumping. Best to take them to the dry cleaners as usually have large capacity machines.

Same as Esspee. 4.5 Anti Allergenic super kings. Easily washed in my machine which has a larger type drum.

I’ve got two king sized duvets, one summer and one winter As they are too large to go in my washing machine so they go to the dry cleaners at the change of season to be washed in their large machines.
As others have said, around twenty pounds each and back they come all fresh and clean in a zipped up bag.

silverlining48

I never wash or clean them though my summer one is very thin and may fit into my new washing machine which is a bit bigger than the old one, so may wash but not too worried.
Ooh just spotted, don’t wash them if they are feathers and down, they could and probably will, go all clumpy.

That’s why I take ours to the laundry - nice big tumble driers.

I wash feather and down pillows at home - putting them in the tumble drier (which I rarely use now) means they come out nice and fluffy, like new.

I bought a 4tog duvet made by Silent Night from Amazon. It’s synthetic filling and it washes beautifully in my machine.

MayBee70

They used to sell anti allergy duvet covers/protectors but no one sells them any more. You can buy mattress protectors but not duvet protectors. I don’t know why they suddenly stopped selling/manufacturing them.

I have plain white brushed cotton covers on our duvets, then the patterned covers on top of these.
Likewise I have plain white pillowcases underneath the patterned pillowcases.
It all helps keep them clean.

I Judy hang mine over the line to air , picking a sunny day , I turn it over a couple of times so the uv kills anything lurking , it’s good if it’s a breezy day as well as sunny , really freshens it up