How to wean a duvet cover from absorbing laundry during washing

Some housewives regularly face a problem: when washing, laundry gets stuck in the duvet cover. Let's try to figure out why this happens and whether there are methods that allow us to avoid such incidents.

Why does laundry end up inside the duvet cover?

There is no magic in the fact that pillowcases and sheets end up inside the duvet cover. This phenomenon has a completely material basis. Or rather, a few basics:

• Firstly, it all depends on the design of the drum and the washing system. If the water inside the machine splashes very actively, vortices and jets arise, which immediately pick up lighter things and move them in different planes. It is not possible to do the same with a duvet cover: it is too heavy. But one part of it - the slot - still turns out to be too tough for the water. The waves separate the two layers of fabric, and everything that happens next is quite natural - small towels, pillowcases and sheets fall into the “open mouth” of the duvet cover. Next, the tank makes a turn, the “jaws” close, and the duvet cover “swallows” everything that is inside it.
• Secondly, the fabric from which the duvet cover is made matters. More slippery materials (eg silk, polyester) are not as susceptible to water turbulence. Natural, and even heavy fabrics - linen, cotton - are highly likely to absorb everything that is nearby.Fun fact: if you put two duvet covers in the drum, one of which is thin silk and the other thick and cotton, then by the end of the wash the first will be inside the second.

Effect on the washing process

It cannot be said that getting other things inside the duvet cover somehow affects the quality of the wash. Powders and gels dissolve in water, and the fabrics from which bedding is made have good water permeability. A normal cycle of 40–60 minutes is enough to remove all kinds of contaminants from the material.

Problems can arise in two cases:

• when there are stubborn stains on things - to get rid of them, the laundry needs to be soaked in special solutions with bleaches, solvents or enzymes;
• if the person who uses the bedding is prone to allergic reactions. The fact is that the more densely the laundry is crumpled, the worse microparticles of washing powder are rinsed out of it. The solution may be to use hypoallergenic products, which, even if they remain between the fibers of the fabric, will still not cause harm to health.

Solution

Most often, housewives resort to radical measures - they sew up the “mouth” of the duvet cover. This is effective, but impractical - if you have to wash several sets of clothes, then sitting with a needle in your hands will take about an hour. But then you still have to undo the threads to tuck in the blanket.

A faster method involves using rubber bands. The side of the duvet cover on which the slot is located is folded like an accordion and rewound into several wraps. This is faster than sewing, but there is a risk that during the washing process the elastic will burst and get stuck in the drain hose or create a clog in the drain.If this happens, you will have to disassemble and clean the machine yourself or call a technician (of course, not for free).

There are also safe methods:

• Sew buttons with eyelets to the slit or sew in a zipper. This design helps not only during washing - it also prevents the blanket from slipping out of its “clothing” when a person actively turns over in his sleep.
• Buy special laundry bags - they are made of the finest but strong mesh, which allows water to pass through perfectly, but prevents the duvet cover from absorbing the rest of the contents of the drum.

Summarizing the above, it can be argued that the washing machine is to blame for “eating” things. So, you can avoid such situations even at the stage of choosing this home assistant - just ask your friends what models of “washing machines” they use and whether they have observed the “hungry duvet cover” effect. However, if you are not yet planning to purchase new equipment, it is enough to improve the bed linen itself by attaching fasteners to the slots.