washing a duvet

I have an extra large machine so can was mine and most of my friends duvets without a trip to the laundrette. A 4.5 is going to be quite thin so i would wash in the machine and then chuck over the banister turning every day until it is dry. I do this with a super thick 13tog one so a 4.5 should be no trouble. My local market sells anytog doubles for £5 but I just can't bring myself to throw something away that is still servicable and just need a wash even though it would probably be cheaper just to bin it and buy new.

Just a quick note to remind you all to be very careful about dry-cleaned duvets. I'm sure most (all, I sincerely hope!) dry-cleaners know about thoroughly airing duvets which have been cleaned, as it's EXTREMELY important to get all the solvent gases dispersed. These can be lethal. There have been cases in the past of people sleeping in dry-cleaned sleeping bags and never waking up. I may be over-reacting, but I'd always rather wash, for this reason.

Purplegirl, you said 'I know it will fit in the washer as its smaller than a load of washing' but sadly that doesn't mean it will be OK in the machine. OH has explained to me that the trouble with duvets (even lightweight ones) is that they absorb a load of water and become really really heavy, and can break the bits holding the w/machine drum in place - or something like that.

Our family always has a laugh at this - when we go through Norwich to visit family (we live in southern England); always see a washeteria with a big sign that says they have the biggest machines and can wash all size duvets. Standing joke is that one day we will bring all the duvets along to leave them to be washed and pick them up again on the way back.

Morrisons sell cotton covered duvets for about £10. Cheaper than the local launderette. The old ones can be donated to the RSPCA as pet bedding.

It depends on what your duvet is made of. If it's hollow fibre fill etc, it will probably go a bit lumpy, you could put tennis balls into the tumble drier whilst it dries but that is only really worthwhile if it is a feather duvet to regain the loft in the feathers. If I were you, I'd go for the Makro special at £16. By the time you factor in your time to wash and dry it, costs to do so, travel to and from etc etc, you'd be just as cheap to buy a duvet from Makro. Well, that is what I would do anyway. Would it be possible to just wash the bit that your pooch peed on or not, rather than washing the whole duvet, if it was at the edge of the duvet or near the corner etc, perhaps you could just run the patch of it through in the bath or something, and foot stomp it to dry it.