How Do You Store Bedding Between Seasons?

Bedding that comes out of storage smelling musty, or spotted with mildew, almost always failed at one of two steps: it was put away before it was completely dry, or it was put away dirty. Both give mould and pests something to feed on. The fix is a short checklist, not a special cupboard.

Before it goes away

1. Wash everything first. Body oils and skin cells left in fabric are food for mildew and insects. Wash on your usual cycle — the bedding washing guide covers temperatures.
2. Wash the duvet if it is due. A seasonal change is the natural moment; if it is machine-washable, do it now while you have the chance. See how to wash a duvet.
3. Dry it completely. This is the step people rush. Damp in the middle is what causes musty smells months later, so dry thoroughly and check the core by feel.
4. Air it before folding. A short spell in fresh air removes lingering moisture from drying and any storage smell from last year.
5. Fold loosely, not tightly. Sharp creases pressed into fabric for months can set into permanent lines; a loose fold stores better.

Choosing the container

• Breathable bags win. Cotton or linen storage bags let fabric breathe and keep dust off at the same time — the best default for anything stored for months.
• Use plastic only for the short term. Sealed plastic traps any remaining moisture. It is fine for a week or two, risky for a whole season.
• Be cautious with vacuum bags. They save space, but compressing down and similar fills for months can damage their loft, and any moisture is sealed in with them.
• Add cedar or lavender if you like. Their scent is pleasant and cedar is a traditional deterrent for moths; refresh them occasionally.
• Label the bag. Write the size and what is inside, so you are not opening every bag to find the winter duvet.

Where to keep it

1. Choose cool, dark and dry. Heat, light and damp are the three enemies; a bedroom cupboard beats a loft or a garage for most homes.
2. Keep it off the floor. In a cellar, garage or on a concrete floor, moisture travels through solid surfaces — use a shelf or a raised box.
3. Avoid damp-prone spaces. Basements, unheated outbuildings and rooms with condensation will undo every step above.
4. Do not squash it in airtight and forget it. If bedding is stored somewhere risky, check on it once mid-season rather than discovering the problem next year.

What not to do

• Do not store it dirty "just for a few months". Oils and dust are exactly what attracts pests and mildew.
• Do not store it damp. A duvet or sheet that felt dry on the surface can still be damp in the middle.
• Do not seal it wet in plastic. Plastic traps moisture; combine it with damp bedding and you have created the ideal conditions for mould.
• Do not store bedding in the same space as paints, solvents or strong smells. Fabric absorbs odours and will smell of them for weeks.

When you take it out again

Bring bedding out a day before you need it and air it, then give anything that smells even slightly musty a wash rather than trusting it on the bed. A quick sniff test and a spell in fresh air is usually all that is needed if it was stored properly.

If you keep a small, rotating inventory — one set in use, one in the wash, one stored — the whole system stays simple, and nothing sits unused in a cupboard long enough to become a problem. Pairing the routine with airing the bed each morning keeps the set in use dry enough to store well when its season ends.

Storing a duvet specifically

1. Wash and dry it fully first, since a duvet is the item least often cleaned and the most awkward to launder later.
2. Use a large breathable bag rather than vacuum-compressing it. Months of compression can flatten down and similar fills.
3. Fold or roll it loosely, not stuffed into a tight corner where damp collects.
4. Rotate it with the season, so summer and winter duvets trade places instead of one sitting unused for years.
5. Air it before use. A day out of the bag clears any storage smell before it goes back on the bed.