Home » Can You Wash a Duvet Cover With an Insert?

Can You Wash a Duvet Cover With an Insert?

Update On

If you use a duvet cover for your comforter, eventually you’ll need to wash it. The entire point of the duvet cover is to protect the inserted fluffy material from getting dirty. Occasionally, you’ll also want to wash the insert to get rid of accumulated dirt and any smells.

So, it would make sense to wash them both together. That would spare you the time of keeping track of two different things that are both very large. But, the question is whether that’s a good idea.

If you do it right, you can save yourself time and a little bit of money. But, if you do it wrong, you might have to replace either the cover or the insert. We’ll help you understand how to do it the right way, which will save you time and money.

Can You Wash a Duvet Cover With an Insert?

Can You Wash a Duvet Cover With an Insert

Depending on the materials used, you might be able to wash your duvet cover with the insert to save yourself some time and money. But, there are a few other things you should know before you do it.

The first thing is to check that both are compatible with the washing technique of the other. Duvet covers are intended to protect the insert from dirt and grime, so those have the most liberal washing restrictions.

It’s the insert you need to worry about, especially if it’s made from down feathers. Down feathers make an insert more susceptible to damage while washing in a machine. So, before you throw the insert into the washer, make sure the insert is machine wash safe.

Even if you can wash an insert in a washing machine, it’s not a good idea to put it through regular cleaning. That’s because those cleanings can damage the fibers and other components of a duvet insert, which will increase its wear.

You can wash your insert the same way you would any other bedding, but only do so a couple of times a year. It’s covered, so it won’t get as dirty as your other bedding.

Make sure that you also use the biggest washing machine available. If you use a small machine that’s only intended for the occasional load of socks, you might wind up damaging the insert.

Finally, pay close attention to the washing requirements. If the care tag says you can machine wash but that it needs an air dry, plan to air dry it. The heat from your dryer will damage your duvet insert.

How to Wash a Duvet Cover With an Insert

How to Wash a Duvet Cover With an Insert

Of the two, a duvet insert will always be more difficult to clean than a cover for a pretty good reason: a cover is designed to get dirty to protect the thing it is covering. Naturally, it’ll be easier to clean or there’d be no reason for it.

If you’ve checked your insert’s care tags and it indicates that it is safe for a washing machine, go as gentle as possible when you clean it. Machine safe isn’t the same as durable, and you can still damage your insert if your washing is too aggressive.

Also, cut the amount of detergent you use by about a third. The insert is unlikely to be super dirty, so your goal is likely to get rid of any odors. That won’t require a lot of soap. In addition, make sure the cover is buttoned or zipped up before your start.

Use cold water to clean your duvet cover, the duvet insert, and pillows at the same time. Doing all your bedding at once will save time and be more efficient. Run the rinse cycle twice to make sure you get all of the soap off the bedding before you start to dry it.

You should also dry it using the coolest settings possible. It’ll take extra time, but hot dryer air will easily damage a delicate duvet insert. Also, make sure you use dryer balls to prevent the stuffing from clumping up together.

Pros and Cons of Washing a Duvet Cover With an Insert

There are trade-offs to washing a duvet cover with the insert. We recommend taking a second to think through whether you want to do it. Remember, depending on what the insert is made of, a replacement could be pretty expensive.

On the pro side, it saves time to wash them together. Once they have completed the cleaning cycle – wash and dry – they are in the same place for easy reassembly. This will save you quite a bit of time since you won’t have to wait for two separate loads of laundry.

It will also save you a little bit of money. A duvet cover and its insert are both large items to clean, so if you can wash them together you’ll have fewer cleaning cycles to go through.

Finally, they might be designed to go with one another. Your cover might be designed to go specifically with your insert. If that’s the case, you should keep them together as much as possible.

On the flip side, covers are sturdier than inserts. They also get exposed to a lot more dirt and grime. So, you’ll want to wash them weekly, whereas you only want to wash a covered duvet once or twice a year.

The delicate nature of an insert might also pose a problem. Your duvet insert needs to get cleaned on the coldest, most gentle settings possible. Your cover might need a wash at a higher temperature to get it thoroughly clean. So, it might work best to wash them separately.

Conclusion

Depending on the materials your duvet is made with, you might be able to wash the cover with its insert. This will save you a little bit of time and money. Just make sure that the insert is safe for a washing machine.

If it is machine wash safe, make sure that you follow the cleaning instructions precisely. For example, don’t dry it in high heat to save a few minutes because that will damage your insert. Also, use the biggest machine you can find to make sure the washer has enough room.

If you feel you’ve learned something, feel free to leave us a comment down below. You can also share this article on your social media networks.

Leave a Comment