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The Gentle Cycle Era Is Here
If you’re the kind of person who washes your sheets weekly, rotates your hand towels, and whose linen closet smells like a place you’d actually want to be — first of all, we see you, and we respect you. But even the most clean-conscious among us have a few things lurking around the house that we’ve probably never actually put through a wash cycle.
We’re in what we like to call the Gentle Cycle Era: a shift in how we think about caring for the things we love. Luxury doesn’t mean fragile. High-quality textiles — the kind made to last, to soften with age, to feel better every year — are often more washable than we think. We just have to know how to treat them.
So in the spirit of the summer reset (and in partnership with our friends at Boll & Branch, whose Lavé Wool Throw is very much having a moment in our homes right now), here are four things you’ve probably been skipping in the laundry — and exactly how to wash them the right way.
1. Your Canvas Tote Bags
They go to the farmers’ market, the beach, the gym, the grocery store, the coffee shop, and back again. Your tote bags have lived a full life — and they’re carrying more than your avocados. Sunscreen residue, sand, spilled iced coffee, and a season’s worth of general life have made themselves at home in that canvas.
The good news: most canvas and cotton totes are completely machine washable. The great news: it takes about ten minutes of your attention and the rest is hands-off.
How to Wash:
1. Turn inside out and shake out any debris first.
2. Place in a mesh laundry bag to protect the shape and any hardware like zippers or grommets.
3. Wash on a cold, gentle cycle using L’AVANT High Performance Laundry Detergent — it’s powerful enough to lift sunscreen and everyday grime, gentle enough for natural fibers.
4. Use the silicone measuring cup to add 25 ml of L’AVANT High Performance Laundry Detergent — totes don’t need a heavy wash, and 25 ml is plenty for a regular load with lightly soiled items.
5. Air dry flat or hang to preserve the shape. Skip the dryer if there’s any printed design or leather detailing.
Pro tip: Wash all your summer totes before the season really gets going. Starting fresh makes it easier to keep them in rotation.
2. Your Linen or Cotton Duvet Cover
We wash our sheets. We wash our pillowcases. But the duvet cover? It somehow slips through — maybe because it feels like effort to get on and off, or maybe because it’s not touching our skin directly. (It is, by the way. Every night.)
June is actually the perfect moment to address this. If you’re swapping to a lighter duvet or shifting your bedding for summer, take that cover off and wash it before it goes back on. A clean linen or cotton duvet cover coming out of the wash — slightly wrinkled, impossibly soft, smelling like something you want to fall into — is one of summer’s quiet pleasures.
How to Wash:
1. Button or zip the cover closed so it doesn’t become a sail in the machine.
2. Wash on cold with a gentle cycle. For oversized king duvets, make sure your machine has room to move freely.
3. Add 25 ml of L’AVANT High Performance Laundry Detergent using the silicone measuring cup for a lightly soiled duvet cover, or 50 ml if it’s been a while. Then just toss the cup right into the wash — no mess, no residue on the counter.
4. Tumble dry low with two to three L’AVANT Wool Dryer Balls — add a few drops of your favorite Laundry Oil to the balls before they go in. We love the way a subtly scented duvet cover smells at the end of a long summer day.
5. Remove while slightly damp and smooth by hand to minimize wrinkles, or embrace the linen crinkle — it’s the whole point.
A note on frequency: your duvet cover should be washed every two to four weeks, just like your sheets. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
3. Your Pillows
Not your pillowcases. Your actual pillows.
We put our heads on them every single night. They absorb sweat, skin oils, hair product, and everything else that summer brings — and most of us wash the pillowcase and call it done. But the pillow itself needs attention too, and the good news is that most down alternative, cotton, and synthetic fill pillows are completely machine washable. Even some down pillows can handle a gentle cycle. Check your care label, and when in doubt, wash two at a time to keep the machine balanced.
Summer is the perfect moment for this reset. The days are longer, drying is faster, and there’s something genuinely satisfying about putting your head down on a pillow that smells clean and fresh rather than just clean-adjacent.
How to Wash:
1. Check the care label first — most synthetic, cotton, and down alternative pillows are machine washable. Wash two at a time to keep the load balanced.
2. Wash on a warm, gentle cycle. Warm (not hot) helps break down body oils without damaging the fill.
3. Use 25 ml of L’AVANT High Performance Laundry Detergent measured in the silicone cup — pillows don’t need a heavy dose, and using less ensures a thorough rinse all the way through the fill.
4. Dry on low heat with L’AVANT Wool Dryer Balls — add a few drops of Laundry Oil to the balls so every fluff cycle releases a subtle, beautiful scent. Run a full dry cycle, then check: the pillow should feel completely dry through the center before you put it back on the bed.
5. If there are any yellow spots or odor, pre-treat by applying a small amount of detergent directly to the affected area, rubbing it in gently, and letting it sit for up to 15 minutes before washing normally.
Aim to wash your pillows every three to six months — and consider this your reminder that it’s probably been longer than that.
4. Your Wool Throw Blanket
And now, the one that might surprise you the most.
Wool. The word alone probably makes you think: dry clean only. Handle with care. Definitely not the washing machine. We understand the instinct — generations of shrunken sweaters have made us cautious. But the Boll & Branch Lave Wool Throw Blanket has changed how we think about this entirely.
This is a throw that was designed to be lived in. Draped over the couch. Brought outside for a summer evening on the patio when the sun goes down and the air gets cool. Pulled onto the bed as a lightweight layer on those warm-but-somehow-still-chilly nights that are summer’s best kept secret. And yes — it’s machine washable.
Here’s how we approach washing a wool throw with the L’AVANT system:
What You’ll Need:
L’AVANT High Performance Laundry Detergent
Our award-winning formula is free of bleach, dyes, phthalates, phosphates, and parabens — which makes it one of the safest options for natural fibers like wool. It cleans thoroughly without stripping the lanolin that gives wool its softness and resilience.
L’AVANT Silicone Measuring Cup
Precision matters here. Using too much detergent is one of the most common ways to damage delicate textiles — excess soap doesn’t fully rinse out, which can stiffen fibers or cause buildup over time. The silicone measuring cup lets you dial in exactly 25 ml for a regular load, or 50 ml for a heavily soiled one — and then just toss the cup right into the wash with the blanket. No residue on the counter, no guessing.
L’AVANT Mesh Laundry Bag
This is the step most people skip — and it makes a real difference for wool and other delicates. The mesh bag keeps the throw contained during the wash cycle, reducing the friction and agitation that can cause felting or distortion. Think of it as a gentle cocoon for your most loved textiles.
L’AVANT Wool Dryer Balls + Scented Laundry Oil
Wool dryer balls are made for this exact moment. They physically soften the fibers as they tumble, reduce static, and cut drying time — all without synthetic chemicals or dryer sheets. Add a few drops of your favorite L’AVANT Laundry Oil directly to the balls before they go in. The heat activates the scent beautifully, and your throw will come out smelling like the best version of clean.
How to Wash Your Wool Throw:
1. Place the blanket inside the L’AVANT mesh laundry bag.
2. Use the silicone measuring cup to add 25 ml of L’AVANT High Performance Laundry Detergent — a precise, lighter dose is exactly right for a delicate wool item, and using less ensures the detergent fully rinses out without leaving any residue in the fibers.
3. Select a cold, gentle cycle on your machine. The gentler the better — this is where the mesh bag earns its keep.
4. When the cycle finishes, gently reshape the throw while it’s damp — wool has memory, and this is when you can coax it back to its original dimensions.
5. Add L’AVANT Wool Dryer Balls to the dryer with a few drops of Laundry Oil. Tumble on low heat.
6. Check it every 15–20 minutes. Remove while still slightly damp and lay flat or drape over a chair to finish air drying — this preserves the drape and prevents any residual shrinkage.
The reveal: a freshly washed wool throw is softer (and smells better) than when you started. That’s the Gentle Cycle Era in action.
The Takeaway
The things we reach for most in our homes — the throw on the couch, the pillows we sleep on every night, the bag we take everywhere, the duvet we sleep under every night — deserve the same care we give to everything else. And more often than not, they can handle it.
The Gentle Cycle Era isn’t about being precious. It’s about being intentional. Using the right detergent, the right tools, the right temperature — and trusting that the things you love are more resilient than you think.
We’re so glad to be washing alongside Boll & Branch this summer. Their commitment to quality, sustainability, and textiles that are made to last maps perfectly onto everything we believe about home care at L’AVANT.
Now go check what’s on your couch. It’s probably ready.
Shop This Post
- L’AVANT High Performance Laundry Detergent
- L’AVANT Silicone Measuring Cup
- Boll & Branch Lave Wool Throw Blanket
