Why use a big washing machine for a duvet?
When wet, a duvet soaks up water and gets heavy. In the drum at home it sticks to the wall: the water does not reach every spot, the filling clumps, and the machine groans during the spin. In the XXL washing machine with 18 kg, the duvet has room to move and is washed and spun evenly.
The second advantage is the dryer. A thick duvet can take days to dry in a flat. In the dryer with a 20 kg drum it is usually dry within an hour and comes out fluffed up.
Washing a duvet in 5 steps
- Check the care label: it tells you the permitted temperature and whether the duvet may go in the dryer.
- Load it loosely: one large duvet per XXL machine, no stuffing. One or two pillows usually still fit in.
- Mild detergent: from the machine (€0.70) or your own; for down, a down or delicate detergent. No fabric softener.
- Pay and start: choose the number of the XXL machine at the payment machine, pay, press the start button.
- Dry thoroughly: first book 40 minutes, then knead the duvet. If the filling still feels damp inside, add 10 to 20 minutes.
Which fillings can go in the machine?
| Filling | Washing | Drying |
|---|---|---|
| Synthetic / microfibre | usually fine, temperature as on the label | well suited |
| Down / feathers | wash gently, as on the label | dry long and completely, otherwise the filling smells |
| Wool, camel hair | only if the label allows it | only as per label, usually better air-dried |
| Silk | not in the washing machine | – |
How often should a duvet be washed?
You wash the cover often, the duvet itself about twice a year, for example when you swap between a summer and a winter duvet. More often makes sense after a cold, if the dog sleeps in your bed, or if you have a dust mite allergy.
Bringing a duvet to Bad Cannstatt
Packed dry in a big bag, a duvet is easy to take on the Stadtbahn or S-Bahn, and you carry it home dry again. The Stadtbahn line U13 stops at Uff-Kirchhof, a 2-minute walk from the laundromat. Many people bring duvets on Saturday, because Wash&Go laundromat Bad Cannstatt is open until 10 pm then too. For curtains, sleeping bags and thick jackets there is a page of its own: washing XXL laundry.