Snuggling up in fresh bedding has to be the ultimate home comfort, and a great way to feel instantly relaxed – whatever kind of a day you’ve had.

If washing duvets is something you’re less than familiar with, you’re not alone – a quarter of Brits have never washed their duvet. However, keeping your duvet clean is essential and has plenty of benefits. It keeps dust mites at bay and helps minimise allergens that can irritate your eyes and nose.

Feel like it’s time to take action? Make duvet washing a breeze and get that fresh feeling back with our easy duvet cleaning guide.

How to wash a duvet
1 Before washing your duvet, check the label. If it’s dry-clean only (wool duvets sometimes are, for instance), it’s best left to the professionals. Look up a service in your area that does home colllection and delivery to save you lugging your duvet round town.

2 If you’re washing a feather duvet and you spot any stains, shake the feathers away from the affected area and use a spray-on stain remover before washing.

3 Check the maximum load for your washing machine. If you’re washing a duvet that’s more than around 4.5 togs (check the label for the tog rating), it’s likely to be too big to wash at home, unless your washing machine has a large drum. As a general rule, make sure there’s room for the duvet to move around. Otherwise, find a laundry service that collects and delivers – or try a service duvet wash at a good local launderette.

4 For washing duvets that are small and lightweight enough to fit in your washing machine, fold the duvet and roll it out inside the machine so that the weight is evenly spread.

5 Once your duvet’s clean, air dry it thoroughly. Then add soft bed linen, dive in and prepare to drift away – no sheep-counting needed.