Doonas should be washed at least twice a year to maintain hygiene. BetterBed brings you two ways of washing your doona in this article – using a washing machine and by hand. Let’s start with what you need to do before you begin washing your doona.
Before You Wash
Before you begin washing your doona, whether by hand or in a washing machine, you should read the care instructions given on the product label or packaging. This will help you understand the best way to wash your doona while retaining its quality and shape.
For some doonas, the care instructions state ‘dry clean only.’ If such is the case for your doona, do not wash it at home and take it to the dry cleaners instead.
Other care instructions might state the type of washer you need to use, like ‘front-load washer only.’ If you see this, it indicates that a top-load washer might get damaged because of the weight of the wet doona.
So, it is important to read these instructions carefully before washing your doona to avoid damaging both your doona and your washer.
Also, make sure no seams have come loose and there are no tears in the fabric before putting it in the washing machine so that the stuffing or fill doesn’t come out when washing.
How to Machine Wash a Doona
Once you have ensured that your doona is machine-washable and you have the right washer, you can follow these 7 simple steps to wash your doona.
1. [Optional] Pre-soak the doona
If you haven’t washed your doona in a while and it has become too dirty, you can pre-soak it for about 15 minutes in cold water with some light detergent. This step is optional and depends on your preferences, so you can skip it and go right to the next step if you want to wash the doona in the washing machine directly.
2. Load the doona into the washing machine
Load the doona into the washing machine, so it is not cramped too tightly or bunched up. A laundry hack to ensure that your doona doesn’t bunch up during a cycle is to load the washing machine with a couple of tennis balls along with the doona. The tennis balls help distribute the weight evenly and create gaps between the folds of your doona.
But make sure the tennis balls are of good quality and their neon dye doesn’t run and stain your doona. You can also wrap the balls in a sock before you put them into the washer to avoid this.
3. Add detergent
Add gentle detergent to the dispenser in the washing machine. Do not use harsh chemicals or bleach to wash your doona, as this will affect its quality. If you want to use a fabric softener, try making one at home using a few drops of essential oil like lavender oil or chamomile oil mixed with half a cup of white vinegar. Commercial fabric softeners might be too harsh for some doonas.
4. Wash on a gentle cycle
Unless otherwise stated in the care instructions, wash the doona on a gentle or delicate cycle in cold water. Another exception to this rule is if your doona has dust mites. Dust mites are killed when the temperature is above 50℃, so you need to wash your doona with hot water in this case.
5. Rinse
Rinse the doona properly until no soap or detergent particles are left on the doona. If your washer has the option for an extra rinse, use it to rinse the doona twice to ensure it is entirely soap-free.
6. Tumble dry
Tumble-dry your doona (and tennis balls, if you’ve added them) after it is rinsed. Set the temperature low as using a high temperature to tumble-dry a doona will cause it to shrink. If you’ve added the tennis balls, they will create gaps in the folds of the doona when it is drying and fluff it nicely.
7. Air dry the doona
You might think tumble-drying your doona is enough, but if you want to give your doona a fresh and clean scent while preventing a musty smell, you should line dry the doona under the sun. Spread it evenly over the line to ensure it retains its original shape as it dries.
How to Wash a Doona by Hand
Though washing a doona by hand is more time-consuming than doing so with a washing machine, it is still very much doable and a good option if you don’t have a washing machine. You just need a bathtub or a very large container, and you can get started with the following steps.
- If you are using a bathtub to wash your doona, clean it thoroughly to remove any soap residue or grime before inserting the doona into it.
- Fill the bathtub with enough water that you can submerge the doona completely. A general recommendation is to fill three-fourths of the bathtub.
- Add in some gentle detergent and swish the water well to dissolve and mix it properly with the water.
- Dip your doona into the water gently until it is completely soaked. Delicately churn or move the quilt in water without squeezing it to remove dirt particles.
- Once you are satisfied with the wash, drain the tub completely and refill it with fresh water to rinse the doona.
- Repeat the previous step till the doona is fully soap-free.
- Roll the doona to remove all the extra water and allow it to dry more quickly.
- There are two ways to dry the doona now: lay it flat on a sheet or mattress pad under the sun or line dry it. If you choose to line dry the doona, make sure to spread it evenly to prevent it from bunching up when drying.
Conclusion
A clean doona protects your health and gives you stress-free sleep, but it is important to do so the right way to prolong the life of your doona. BetterBed hopes the process given in this article was helpful to you. If your current doona is past its prime and you want to replace it, read our review on the best doona to find the right fit for you!