When it comes to laundry routines, most people know the drill with bed sheets and can regularly clean them without much hassle. However, washing the duvet and pillows can be more of a chore. For many households, these bulkier bedding items are often ignored simply because they’re awkward to clean and rarely fit inside a standard washing machine.
Over time, this can lead to an invisible build-up of bacteria, allergens, and general grime – even if many would like to turn a blind eye for the sake of their own comfort. According to a cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie, aka the Queen of Clean, there is an easier way to refresh and disinfect these items – no washing machine, no dry cleaner, and definitely no struggle.
In an Instagram video, she explained: “On a beautiful, bright, sunny day, get your duvet out on the washing line”.
The expert recommended leaving the duvet out in the fresh air and sunshine, as “the sun is a natural disinfectant so will help to kill germs and bacteria.”
And there is only really one requirement: that the washing line is “robust” enough to support the weight of a duvet.
Pillows can be treated the same way — just hang them out in direct sunlight for a few hours to refresh and sanitise.
To enhance freshness, use fabric spray and cover them in “thick, quilted pillow protectors”, which should be washed “at least twice a month”.
The cleaning enthusiast added that doing so will “eliminate the need to wash your pillows”.
For stained bedding, she suggests spot-treating with hydrogen peroxide – even for “yellow staining” – before rinsing gently.
The expert noted: “Only certain pillows can be soaked in the bath; feathered pillows and foam pillows most certainly can’t be.”