Are you supposed to wash duvets if they are full of feathers?

[TrillianAstra]

And if so, how?

I did this once and totally ruined it, the feathers all clumped in sections!

Take it to the launderette to get it professionally washed and dried. If it isn't dried properly (which is quite a tricky job to do) then the feathers do clump together, smell and may mildew.

I've washed our 4.5 tog kingsize feather duvet in our washing machine because the cat weed on it.

I just shook it really well when it came out and dried it on the radiator and it's been fine.

Would have been easier to tumble it for a couple of hours but don't have a tumble drier so figured regular shaking and radiator heat would do the trick, which it did.

Yes, you can.
I wash mine in the washing machine, then put it in the dryer with 2 clean tennis balls. The tennis balls prevent the down from clumping. I also wash my down coat and jacket and son's pillows, they are all down as well. (I learned the tennis ball trick on a message board)
Good luck!

You should only wash duvets it a washing machine with a special duvet programme. Otherwise the cycle will be too harsh and it'll make the padding go all clumpy. Another way to make sure the padding stays in tact is to put the duvet in a netted bag.

I managed to ruin a feather duvet by washing in a too small machine then it stank!!! and i did put it outside too.now i tell dh to take his feather one to the dry cleaners and i borrow a friends much bigger machine for my manmade duvet.
in case you're wondering we don't share a bed 'cos he snores something chronic and likes lights and tv on etc, i like dark and silence!
We meet socially tho i know too much inf.!!

is it pocketed? the trad goose feather ones are sometimes made of a special sanitised material so you only have to wipe them and air them - the instructions would be sewn into the corner of the duvet. the new (cheaper) breed of gfd duvets apparently go in the machine but watch out for the words "downproof cotton' or be prepared for an explosion of feathers. pocketed duvets will retain their shape well for obvious reasons.

watch out when taking to the launderette - i went in to enquire about a month ago and was told by the worker that it could cost a LOT. she showed me a single pair of gooose down pillows she was 'drying' - they seemed perfectly fine and dry to me but she told me that she had already put in £7 worth of drying and was still going to carry on drying them as "they smell" - i could not smell it tbh - it might have just been her opinion but i would loathe to receive a bill for £30 at the end of it!