Large washing machine for duvets: why XXL
Dry, a duvet doesn't weigh much, but wet it becomes heavy and bulky. In a normal household machine it has hardly any room to move: the water doesn't reach everywhere, the filling clumps, and the machine reaches its limits when spinning. In the 18 kg drum the duvet lies loosely, gets evenly wet and is evenly spun out again.
Then there's the drying. At home a thick duvet often hangs on a rack for two or three days. In the 20 kg dryer at the laundromat it is usually dry within an hour, and nicely fluffed up too.
If you're looking for an XXL washing machine near you, the Laundromat Ludwigsburg has three of them. You don't need an appointment and you don't have to drop your duvet off at a laundry service and wait for days: here you wash and dry your duvets yourself, in a morning or after work.
How much does it cost to wash a duvet?
Washing and drying a duvet at the Laundromat Ludwigsburg usually costs €19.50 to €22.50, or from €14.60 to €16.80 with the discount card. That's €13.50 for the large washing machine plus 40 to 60 minutes in the dryer.
If your pillows fit into the drum as well, you wash them along with it at no extra cost. You're welcome to bring your own down detergent; at the payment terminal detergent costs €0.70. More worked examples, from singles to families, are under How much does a laundromat cost?
How to wash your duvet with us
- Read the label. It tells you how hot you may wash and whether the duvet can go in the dryer.
- Put it in loosely. Place the duvet in one of the three XXL machines, don't stuff it. One large duvet per machine is ideal, pillows usually still fit in as well.
- Wash gently. Detergent from the terminal (€0.70) or your own, for down a delicates or down detergent. Leave out fabric softener.
- Pay and start. Choose the XXL machine at the payment terminal, pay, press Start at the machine.
- Dry thoroughly. Into the 20 kg dryer, book 40 minutes first. Then knead the duvet and feel whether the filling is dry inside. Add 10 to 20 minutes if needed.
Which fillings can go in the machine?
| Filling | Washing | Drying |
|---|---|---|
| Synthetic / microfibre | usually no problem, temperature as on the label | fine in the dryer |
| Down / feathers | with a mild detergent, as on the label | dry for a long time and thoroughly, otherwise the filling smells musty |
| Wool, camel hair | only if the label allows machine washing | as on the label, often not in the dryer |
| Silk | not in the washing machine | – |
When in doubt, always follow the care label on your duvet. If it shows a crossed-out washtub, the duvet doesn't belong in a washing machine, not even the large one.
Washing a down duvet: keeping it fluffy
Down duvets cope well with the machine if you wash them gently and dry them very thoroughly. The most important step is the dryer, not the wash.
- Only one duvet per XXL machine: down needs room so that water and detergent reach everywhere.
- Mild down detergent, no fabric softener: fabric softener makes the down stick together, so it won't fluff up as well afterwards.
- Shake it out in between: after the first 40 minutes in the dryer, take the duvet out, break up any clumps with your hands and keep drying.
- Better 10 minutes too long: if moisture stays inside, the duvet will smell musty after a few days.
The same goes for down pillows, but they dry faster. If you wash pillows and duvet together, simply take the pillows out of the dryer a little earlier.
How often should you wash duvets?
Bed linen belongs in the machine regularly, the duvet itself less often. Many people wash their duvets twice a year, for example when switching from a summer to a winter duvet. It's worth doing more often if pets sleep in the bed, after a cold, or if someone in the household reacts to house dust.
Please don't wash pure pet blankets for dogs or horses with us. People with allergies wash at the laundromat after you, and we couldn't guarantee the machines are clean enough for them otherwise. Your own duvet is of course welcome, even if the cat sometimes sleeps on it.
Washing several duvets at once
Several duvets are best washed in parallel: the Laundromat Ludwigsburg has three large XXL washing machines with 18 kg side by side, plus four dryers with a 20 kg drum.
That way the whole family's duvet change is done in about an hour and a half, while the bed linen runs in the 8 kg machines next door. Exactly how long each step takes is explained under How long does laundry take at a laundromat? For sleeping bags, curtains and jackets, read the guide Large washing machine at the Laundromat Ludwigsburg.
Bringing your duvet to Ludwigsburg
Nobody wants to carry a wet duvet far, but a dry one in a bag is easy. By car you can park right outside on Stuttgarter Straße or in the car parks at the Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or at Karlsplatz. By bus 421 or 533 you get off at Karlsplatz, 3 minutes from the laundromat. The trip is also short from Kornwestheim, Bietigheim-Bissingen or Freiberg am Neckar. We're open Monday to Saturday from 6 am to 10 pm. Directions & parking
You'll find the Laundromat Ludwigsburg in the town centre next to the Friedenskirche, opposite the Residential Palace. From Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen or Stuttgart-Feuerbach the S4 or S5 gets you to Ludwigsburg station quickly, and from there it's about a 9-minute walk to us. If you want to wash duvets and are looking for a laundromat near you with a large washing machine, you're in the right place.