This Simple Hack Makes Putting a Cover on a Duvet Almost Fun  

Putting a cover on a duvet is one of those household tasks—like putting on a fitted sheet or pitting cherries—that can become an exercise in exasperation. It can leave you in a sweaty, bedraggled state with a bedcover that looks more like Santa’s sack than something you want to sleep under. It’s also far, far too easy to briefly think that climbing inside the duvet cover is a logical idea. Nothing good will come of that—you’ll end up in real “clumsy ghost” territory.

Learning how to better apply a duvet cover sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry, but it’s a life-changing skill. And there’s a way of doing it that not only avoids any slapstick incidents, but also sidesteps the clumpiness of the duvet sitting in the middle of the bed like a bird’s nest. It’s also, dare we say it, almost fun. Almost. 

Turning the duvet cover inside out has long been the technique of pro-level duvet-heads. You grab the corners of the duvet through the corners of the inverted duvet cover and ease the cover over the duvet without releasing them, leading (with a bit of shaking) to comfortable results.

But there’s an advanced technique now, an above-and-beyond hack known as the California roll or burrito method. It takes a bit of work to master, but you’ll never look back. Here’s how to do it:

1. Turn your duvet cover inside out and lay it flat on your bed, with the open end at the foot of the bed.
2. Lay the duvet itself on top of the cover, as neatly as possible, with corners and edges tidily lined up.
3. Starting from the head of the bed, tightly roll the duvet and cover together, going all the way down. This is better done right than quick—take your time and do it properly.
4. Now for the fiddly bit. When you’ve rolled to the end, go to one corner and turn the duvet cover right side out over the end of the duvet roll. Then do the same for the other corner and the middle.
5. You should now be able to unroll the duvet, with its cover on, back towards the pillow end, and be left with a beautifully made bed. 

If your duvet has a tendency to slip within its cover and end up all clumped together, there are a few things you can try. It’s a more common problem when using a duvet cover too big for the duvet, so ensuring a correct fit can help. It’s also more likely with synthetic fabrics, so consider an upgrade to natural cotton. There are also duvets and covers available with internal buttons and toggles to keep everything in place.

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