Bedding question that frankly, I am ashamed to ask

[roaringwater]

I have had a home of my own for 22 years, been married for 20 of those and have quite old children.

However, I am embarrassingly clueless about some elements of housekeeping. While I do change the bedlinen (even I am not quite this filthy), I don't really know what you're supposed to do to keep the actual pillows and duvets clean. To be truthful, every now and again, I just crack and buy some new ones in IKEA. Surely there must be a better way?

Also, I have no idea why I don't know this stuff - my parents' home is immaculate. I was a very studious, bookish child: this was greatly lauded and encouraged and I wasn't ever shown how to do practical things (e.g. figured out for myself how to clean a bathroom when I bought a house.)

Advice from more capable people would be great.

Do people realise how much perspiration you give out over night, never mind the fact you dont swallow while asleep, so yup, drooling on the pillow,mattress.Then theres the dust mites, their poo, if you get a virus, or scabies, you need to wash the pillows and duvet, not just the covers. Would you say, you dont need to wash your shirt, etc, because you have underwear underneath it, I doubt it. A cotton cover wont magically stop bodily fluids passing through, (and yes, of course, ther are a few more I havent mentioned) I cannot believe people dont wash their duvets or pillows. As for replacing them, have seen the dreadful ammount dumped in landfill

Agree with this, I must say I'm astonished that so many people don't wash them.

I purposely bought a very large drum washer, partly so that I can wash pillows and single duvets, it's not often but at the very least once in the summer (easier to dry) the large duvets get taken to the launderette and occasionally thrown over the washing line to air on a good day.

I do find it interesting though that lots of people have very tidy looking homes but not necessarily very clean whereas on a bad day with a large family mine can look a bit untidy but I know things are clean.

I remember someone on here saying they never hoovered behind the sofa either each to their own and I'm in no way obsessive (cleaning is pretty boring tbf) but I like the house to be deep cleaned fairly regularly. Having said that I suppose we all have different priorities some people might think I'm a minger as I like to get a couple of weeks out of my bath towel (but I don't rub my nether regions with it I use a hairdryer and regarding the bedding I always use an old set underneath the duvet and pillows so they're double-bagged to keep them cleaner.

I hoover the mattress at least yearly too, it's a bit of a struggle but Its amazing how much dust (dust mites and their poo) comes out.

I also avoid ever making the bed as it's very unhygienic it traps the night time moisture in, rather fling covers back and open window. Although it looks a lot nicer made up. Actually I only change my bedding every 2 weeks which some people would be horrified by no doubt but by airing the bed and being clean before you get in I think it is ok, I'd love someone to come and change my bedding a couple of times a week but no way do I have time for that!

Feather and goose down can be washed but they must be dried in a tumble dryer to make them fluffy and not lumpy. They take forever to dry.
Synthetic pillows are rarely successfully washed.

I've never washed pillows or duvets either. I don't know anyone who does.

Duvet gets a service wash when switching between winter/summer. Pillow protectors washed once a month, and new pillows every 12-18 months with airing in between.

Never, don't have a launderette anywhere near me and it wouldn't fit in the machine, pillows get replaced every so often when they get lumpy and weird.

Quilts - I get laundered once in a blue moon - but it costs about £20. Pillows - I now try to buy ones that say easily washable and tumble dry - and when they look yukky (probably once every 2-3 years) I'll throw them in the wash. Frankly, though - I never remember my mum doing any such thing - and I didn't bother when my children were children. Life's too short! I do it now because I have the time in my life to think about such trivia!

I used to take mine to the launderette but it was just as expensive as buying a new one. Now I just throw them away at the end of a season. Wasteful I know but it seems the better option

Pillow protectors get washed every few weeks. Occasionally wash pillows but they are never the same. A double feather duvet goes in my washing machine and wash probably once a year in summer before swapping for winter/summer duvet!

If a pillow or duvet looks like it needs a wash then it goes in the bin! The only time duvets get washed is if we are camping and the dog has an accident (luckily infrequently). Too tight to buy new ones for the tent!

I love the fact that some of you give them to the dog. I have a duvet that’s seen better days and thanks to this my three cats are going to be even more spoiled. Thank you

I have to say I am genuinely floored by the number of people saying they’d just chuck away pillows and duvets instead of washing! Start a thread about towel washing and you’re accused of singlehandedly killing the planet if you wash them more than once a fortnight, but here we have dozens smothering the planet with 13.5 tog duvets twice a year and no-one bats an eyelid!

Use a hand steamer to clean these (and curtains etc)

I love the fact that some of you give them to the dog.
always worth contacting animal shelters and ask if donations are needed, most are delighted - but ask first

I used to change my duvet every 3-4years but have now invested in one of those Swedish down systems that clip together. The feathers are in pockets and easy to put in the machine. Pillows I change every couple of years, however my husband usually gets two or three a year. He likes foam and tends to break them no idea what he does in the night.

I just put them in the washing machine, but as PP have said, they’re never the same. I only wash them when they’ve been soiled though.

I wash pillows and duvets , good grief I'm as minging as the next person but it's a bit grim not to,isn't it?

Dry cleaning duvets can cost more than buying new (depending on what type you have).

I use pillow thick protectors and wash those.

We've got mattress protectors and pillow protectors.

My expensive winter duvet goes for a service wash at laundrette when we change to summer duvet. My cheap summer duvets get binned, as they have been sweated on by my partner lol. Occasionally I fling a duvet over the washing line on a breezy dry day to air.

I wash duvets between winter/summer. Have pillow protectors and mattress too, they’re washed every 2-3 months. As I have several beds and it’s a nightmare keeping tabs I write down on pillows the date I bought/started using them (on the tag) as after so many years I discard them.

I didn't really know how to clean my bathroom either, took me a while to get to grips with it.

Fuck me - people wash duvets?

Ha ha - the article @Nanny0gg quotes is from Good Housekeeping and also says pillows should be washed every other month 😂 And duvets x2 a year

But also that 20% of the population never wash them 😁

£20 to wash a duvet? Where is that London?

I go to a local launderette and from memory I'd say it probably doesn't cost more than about £5/6 including using their massive tumble dryers.