Nothing beats the feeling of fresh, clean bedding. There’s something about the crisp, soft, fresh-smelling experience of curling up in a just-laundered sheet and duvet set. But anyone who owns a duvet knows the struggle of replacing the cover so it’s smooth and even in each corner. One TikTok creator, likehayk24, revealed a cute couple’s out-of-the-box method for putting on a duvet cover using a helper that’s been shared thousands of times and has hundreds of comments (1).
Essentially, one person puts the cover over their head inside out, holding the corners in their hands and the middle in their mouth while the other person ensures all the ties are fastened before flipping the whole thing over to reveal a perfectly fitted cover. But is this really a hack, or is there a better way? We asked the experts.
Is the Inside-Out Method for Replacing a Duvet Cover Practical?
“As silly as it looks, this method is not actually that impractical,” says Aaron Christensen, Vice President of Growth at Homeaglow, a house cleaning platform serving homes across the US. “It’s an excellent way to introduce some playful fun into what can otherwise be a boring chore—and an even better way of getting your partner to do some housework,” he says.
Laura Price, owner of The Home Organisation, which helps clients organize their homes in London and the South East, says there’s no set rule on how to put on a duvet cover, and as long as it works, it doesn’t matter how you do it. “It can be a task people really don’t like, so making light of it and having fun is a great idea,” she says. That being said, this method is only practical if you have another person. If you’re alone, you may need to modify the approach or try a different way entirely.
However, Will Cotter, the COO of FreshSpace Cleaning, a local cleaning service located in Jacksonville, Columbus, Detroit, and Cleveland, recognizes that while this method works, there might be more practical or efficient ways to do it. “First, comfort is key—draping the duvet cover over someone’s head might not offer the most relaxing experience, so make sure the person under the cover can breathe freely and comfortably,” he says. As well, effective coordination between the person inside the cover and the one outside is crucial to securely hold the corners and ensure the cover falls neatly into place. “It might take a bit of practice and trial and error to perfect this approach, but with teamwork, it can be done,” adds Cotter.
What to Consider When Using This Method
If you have a willing participant, there’s no reason not to try this method if you want to. But if you’re a bit concerned about the overall appearance and comfort of your bed, depending on how the cover falls, it might result in wrinkles or an uneven distribution of the duvet inside the cover, according to Cotter.
Having someone inside the duvet cover might raise concerns from a hygiene perspective. “There’s a chance that some dirt or sweat from the person’s body could be transferred onto the duvet,” says Cotter.
Likewise, Christensen recommends avoiding putting the cover in your mouth, especially if making guests’ beds. “It’s unlikely your guests will appreciate the saliva residue—particularly since it’s at the top of the duvet right below their face,” he says.
He also warns that the weight of a duvet hanging on your front teeth could be a risk to fillings or veneers.
Alternative Ways to Put On a Duvet Cover
So, if you find yourself without a fun partner to try this method with or if neither of you particularly enjoys having your head covered, there are other, perhaps easier and more effective methods of replacing your duvet cover. Here are the experts’ best tips:
Alternative Inside-Out Method
Price’s approach is similar but doesn’t require another person or holding the duvet with your mouth.
- Reverse the duvet cover and put your arms into the top two corners of it.
- With your hands in the duvet cover, pick up and hold the corners of the duvet.
- Lower your arms (and have a little wiggle!) so the cover falls down over the duvet.
- Give it a shake until the cover is a good way down the duvet.
- Go to the other end of the duvet and pop the two remaining duvet corners into the corners of the cover.
- Hold the corners and give it a good shake again. This will help even out the duvet in the cover so you don’t get any lumps or bumps.
- Do up the seam, and you’re good to go!
The Burrito Method
The burrito method explained here by Hashi Mohamed, President of Ivy Cleans, a premier cleaning and lifestyle solutions company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a popular and efficient way to put on a duvet cover with minimal hassle. Here’s how to do it:
- Lay the duvet cover flat on your bed, inside out, with the opening at the foot of the bed.
- Lay your duvet insert on top of the cover, ensuring the corners match.
- Roll both the duvet insert and duvet cover together, like a burrito, from the head of the
- bed toward the foot, keeping the fabric taut.
- Once rolled, reach inside and secure the duvet corners to the cover’s corners.
- Unroll the duvet and cover, and you’re done!
Using Corner Ties and Buttons
Many duvet covers come with corner ties or buttons that help secure the duvet insert in place. Here’s how Mohamed recommends using them:
- Lay the duvet cover on your bed with the opening at the foot.
- Lay your duvet insert on top of the cover, ensuring the corners match.
- Attach the corner ties on the duvet insert to the corresponding ties or buttons on the duvet cover.
- Once the corners are secured, start buttoning or zipping up the cover.
- Shake and adjust the duvet until it’s evenly distributed inside the cover.
Clothesline Method
If you have limited space but want precise alignment and less bunching, Cotter suggests hanging the duvet cover on a clothesline with its inside out.
- Lay the duvet flat in alignment with the cover’s opening.
- Use clips to secure the duvet to the cover.
- Slide them together along the clothesline, guiding the cover over the duvet.
More Duvet Cover Tips
If you want to get crisp duvet covers without ironing, Price says to fold them when they’re still slightly damp, which will help remove any wrinkles. Store your duvet covers in sets by folding the matching pillows and bed sheets inside the duvet cover. Price says this will save you so much time, and no items will go missing.
And if you just can’t be bothered with a duvet cover, consider a coverless duvet instead and spare yourself the hassle.
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Sources
1. @likehayk24; TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR7WLacH/; July 3, 2024.
Christensen, Aaron. Author interview. October 2024.
Price, Laura. Author interview. October 2024.
Cotter, Will. Author interview. October 2024.
Mohamed, Hashi. Author interview. October 2024.
