Make Sure Your Duvet Insert Is Always Dry After Washing With This Easy Solution

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

That cozy feeling you get when sleeping under your favorite duvet on a cold night is truly unmatched. The warmth, soft texture, and cloud-like feel of the bedding are part of what creates a peaceful bedroom for a good night's sleep. However, while that insert with fluffy filling is what makes a duvet so great, it's also one of the main reasons successfully cleaning your duvet can be a challenge. The most difficult part is drying the duvet insert. First, it takes way too long. Second, if you're not careful, you can end up with a duvet that still has some damp spots. This improper drying can lead to an uncomfortable, musty odor or even mildew growth, which can harm your health. Luckily, there's an easy fix: after every 30 or 40 minutes of running the drying cycle, pause the machine, take out the duvet, and shake it to fluff the filling.

Sure, this may feel like just adding more steps to your laundry process, but it's ultimately beneficial as it allows the bedding to dry evenly. Down tends to absorb a lot of water. Sometimes it may feel dry on the surface after a short drying cycle, yet the inside may still be wet in some places. By fluffing up the duvet, you're redistributing the filling and exposing all parts to the dryer heat, which encourages even and faster drying. To further promote uniform drying of this bulky bedding, simply add wool dryer balls to the drum before starting the cycle. This will also help prevent clumping.

Whatever you do, whether washing or drying your duvet insert, it's crucial to follow the care instructions found on the label as closely as you can. Different duvet materials or fillings have different cleaning requirements. Before offloading the duvet from the washer, run it through a spin-only cycle first. This will help reduce drying time by squeezing out as much water as possible. Once transferred to the dryer, spread out the duvet in the drum, then add three to four  Budieggs Organic New Zealand Wool Dryer Balls. Don't add other laundry items to the dryer with the duvet — not even the duvet cover or any other bedding. You want to dedicate all the space in the dryer to this bulky bedding for maximum efficiency.

Run the dryer on a low heat setting. Pause the machine every 30 or 40 minutes and remove the duvet for a quick shake before returning it to the drum. This entire drying process can take three or more hours. Before you can declare your bedding properly dry and ready for use, ensure there are no cold spots left. The filling should also feel light and you should be able to spread it out easily. At this point, you can air the duvet insert by hanging it on a clothesline or Biren Heavy-Duty Clothes Drying Rack in a warm, dry spot — either indoors or outside. Lastly, to get your duvet looking extra crispy clean, iron the cover before reinserting the duvet insert, then spread it on the bed. Your cozy, clean bedding is now ready for use.