Washing your comforter or duvet can seem like a challenge on par with mountain climbing. And will it even fit in the washer? If it does, how many weeks will it take for this thing to completely dry?

Fear not - with proper care, your synthetic or down comforter is designed to last many years. And while a duvet cover should be washed every few weeks, the interior of the duvet only needs cleaning every few years. Natural down filling, whether goose down or duck down, as well as synthetic fibers, can be washed repeatedly over the course of their lifespan.

Taking care of your comforter or duvet also means protecting it from hidden undesirables. In addition to dirt, body oils and sweat, allergens such as dust mites on your comforter can create uncomfortable sleeping conditions. And if your comforter or duvet has any holes or tears, stitching or adding an iron-on patch will help preserve the item.

To simply freshen up your duvet or comforter, you can place it in the dryer on a low heat setting with a few clean tennis balls, and run the machine for 20-30 minutes. This will help fluff up the material and redistribute the filling in your duvet. Of course, before washing you should always check the care label to see the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the duvet. If the label says "Dry Clean Only," you should leave the job to professionals.

To ensure a fully cleaned comforter, a laundry booster may help. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner increases the performance of any laundry detergent when cleaning items such as comforters and duvets. It can also be used to clean the inside and outside of your washing machine. Click here to learn how to clean a conventional washing machine, and here for H.E. directions.

Directions for Cleaning Comforters and Duvets

For H.E. Washing Machines:

1. Pre-treat spots as needed with full strength Simple Green.
2. Add comforter to washer. Place your comforter loosely into the washing machine, spreading it out as much as possible to avoid clumping together.
3. Add 3 clean tennis balls. These will help the down from bunching.
4. Pour laundry detergent into dispenser.
5. Turn the washer on and let it run through the full cycle.
6. Check for suds. Once the cycle is complete, check for any remaining detergent or suds. If any exist on the comforter, run another wash cycle without any detergent.
7. Remove comforter. Gently remove the comforter from the washer to avoid tearing the fabric cover.
8. Dry. Place the duvet or comforter into an extra-capacity dryer. Add tennis balls to prevent clumping. Add fabric softener as desired and set the dryer to the lowest heat setting before starting the machine.
9. Fluff periodically. Every 20 minutes, remove the comforter or duvet and gently fluff the material to evenly distribute the filling.
10. Continue until dry. This may take 2-3 hours to completely dry.

FOR CONVENTIONAL WASHING MACHINES:

1. Pre-treat spots as needed with full strength Simple Green.
2. Start washer and allow to fill with water.
3. Pour detergent into water.
4. Add ¼ cup of Simple Green for heavily soiled duvet or comforter.
5. Dampen and pre-treat. For heavy stains, dampen material before pretreating with full strength Simple Green.
6. Add comforter. Place your comforter loosely into the washing machine, spreading it out as much as possible to avoid clumping together.
7. Add 3 clean tennis balls to the load. These will help the down from bunching.
8. Let the washer run through the full cycle.
9. Check for suds. Once the cycle is complete, check for any remaining detergent or suds. If any exist on the comforter, run another wash cycle without any detergent.
10. Remove comforter. Gently remove the comforter from the washer to avoid tearing the fabric cover.
11. Dry. Place the duvet or comforter into an extra-capacity dryer. Add tennis balls to prevent clumping. Add fabric softener as desired and set the dryer to the lowest heat setting before starting the machine.
12. Fluff periodically. Every 20 minutes, remove the comforter or duvet and gently fluff the material to evenly distribute the filling.
13. Continue until dry. This may take 2-3 hours to completely dry.