Unlike your flat and fitted sheets, your comforter may not be pressed against your skin all night—but that doesn't mean it stays clean. Sweat, body oils, dead skin, dust, and other debris can still make their way onto the comforter, accumulating over time. Add pets to the bed, and you're also dealing with hair, dander, dirt, and whatever else they track in.
Luckily, you don't need to wash your comforter every time you wash your sheets, so if you've been putting off washing yours, don't sweat it. There's no magic point at which an unwashed comforter suddenly becomes a problem. It's simply a matter of more buildup the longer you go without cleaning it.
What happens after one week?
If you use a top sheet or a duvet cover, probably not much. The sheet or duvet cover provides a barrier between you and the comforter, so there's less direct exposure to sweat, body oils, and dead skin. If you don't use a top sheet or duvet cover, however, your comforter is essentially serving as one—and that's when the washing timeline changes. In this case, aim to wash your comforter about once per week, says Noah Pinsonnault, reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab.
Pets can also shorten that timeline. If your dog or cat sleeps on the bed, your comforter is picking up pet hair and dander, along with dirt and other debris they may track in.
...after a month?
By now, more of the stuff you naturally shed and track into bed has had time to accumulate. If you use a top sheet or duvet cover, you're still within a reasonable window between washings, says Pinsonnault, but the comforter has now gone long enough without a wash that sweat, body oils, dead skin, and dust have had more time to build up. If you're sleeping directly under the comforter without a top sheet or cover, a month is much longer than the recommended weekly washing schedule.
If you have allergies, you may also want to wash your comforter more frequently. Dust-mite debris and pet dander can accumulate in bedding, so more frequent washing can help keep those allergens from building up.
...after two to three months?
This is the point when it's time to wash your comforter—even if you use a top sheet or duvet cover. By then, sweat, body oils, dead skin, dust, and other debris have had plenty of time to build up.
How to wash your comforter when it's time
Come wash day, don't just toss your comforter in with the rest of your laundry. Start by checking the care label. Some comforters require professional cleaning, while others are machine washable.
If yours can go in the washing machine, make sure the machine is large enough for it to move freely. A comforter that's crammed into the drum won't get thoroughly washed or rinsed. If your machine has a Bulky Bedding cycle, use it, since this setting is designed to give large, heavy items enough water and time to get thoroughly cleaned. For especially bulky comforters, a commercial-size machine at a laundromat may be the better option.
How you dry your comforter is also important. Thick filling can hold onto moisture even when the outside feels dry, which can lead to musty odors and potentially mildew.
Some dryers also have a Bulky Bedding cycle, which extends the drying time to accommodate larger items. Dryer balls can also help by keeping the filling fluffed up as it dries. Three to four dryer balls should do the trick.
It's also a good idea to stop the dryer periodically to reposition and fluff the comforter. This helps expose different parts of the filling to the heat, so you're not left with a damp center while the outside is dry.
Before putting it back on your bed, make sure the comforter is completely dry. If the filling still feels damp, toss it back in the machine until all of the moisture is gone.
Brigitt is a writer, editor and craft stylist with nearly 15 years of experience. She specializes in lifestyle topics, including home, health, parenting, beauty, style, food, entertaining, travel and weddings. She has written for Glamour, People, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Spruce, and more.
