How often should you clean your doona?

[sangie]

In the midst of spring cleaning and just wondering how often you should clean your doona? And do you machine wash or dry clean?

How do you know when it's time to replace it? We've had ours for close to 5 years and I worry about dust mites and any other nasty things that might be in there.
DH says its fine because I wash the doona cover weekly and I get the actual doona dry cleaned twice a year. I am not so sure and had a dream last night that there were thousands of dust mites crawling through my hair

So what does everyone else do?

[appleal]

Wow - you're much better than me! I wash the doona cover fortnightly and the doona itself I machine wash once in the height of Summer

[RainbowRiver]

Doona between each season i dry clean. Doona cover i change when i get sick of the pattern!

[Phteven]

Every time a child or pet pees on it.

[2plus1is3]

I used to have a washable wool, so it was HUGE and heavy when wet.. It only got washed once a year if that (had to take to laundromat to use massive machine). I'd say your doona is perfectly clean of you're washing it every week!

[2plus1is3]

Oh just saw its the cover u wash weekly.

P. S you DO know that carpets and mattresses actually harbour the most dust mites.... *running off to vacuum*

[Astrid]

Every time a child or pet pees on it.

Same

Ours used to fit in our old washing machine, but now we have to take ours to be drycleaned. In between I will sometimes throw them on the washing line on a sunny breezy day.

[Sopdet]

End of season when I change between my doona and my comforter it gets cleaned (doona at end of winter, comforter at end of summer). I regularly air them and the mattress protector.