How to Change a Duvet Cover

Last Updated: October 25, 2022

Changing a duvet cover seems simple in theory, but it can be a hassle trying to fit a puffy duvet in through a small duvet cover opening. Changing a duvet cover is not unlike putting a pillowcase onto a pillow, except for the fact that a duvet doesn’t have the firmness of a pillow and it tends to twist inside the cover. While changing a duvet can be a challenge, there are a couple changing methods that can ease the process, especially if you’re working alone.

Things You Should Know

Stand at the foot of the bed and spread the cover on top of the duvet with the open end of the cover facing you.
Reach your hands through the cover opening and grab the top 2 corners from the inside. Pull the corners toward you to turn the duvet cover inside out.
Reach through the opening a second time and grab the top 2 corners. Bring the corners toward you and grab the bottom 2 corners of the duvet itself.
Flip the cover over your hands while holding onto the duvet corners. Give the cover a firm shake so it slides over the duvet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Changing The Duvet The Traditional Way

1
Lay the duvet on the bed. Lay the duvet comforter flat on the mattress so it is all spread out.^{[1]
X
Research source} Be sure that the long side of the duvet is running lengthwise on the bed, and the shorter side of the duvet is running the width of the bed. Also make sure that the tag on the duvet is at the head of the bed.
- Having the tag at the head of the bed will ensure that the tag ends up at the bottom of the duvet cover when you insert the duvet into the cover.
2
Turn the duvet cover inside out. Stand at the foot of the bed and spread the duvet cover out and on top of the duvet, with the open end of the duvet cover near you. This doesn’t have to be perfectly neat, just spread out enough that you can see the different corners of the duvet cover. Reach your hands into the duvet cover through the bottom opening.^{[2]
X
Research source} Reach until you can grab onto the two top corners of the cover near the head of the bed.
- Grab the left corner with your left hand, and the right corner with your right hand. Pull these two inside corners toward you, out through the duvet cover opening, to turn the cover inside out.
- Once the duvet cover is turned inside out, once again lay it over the duvet with the opening of the cover near you.
Advertisement
3
Grab the corners of the duvet. With the duvet cover inside out, once again reach through the cover opening to grab onto the two top corners of the cover. Once you have a hold on the top two corners of the duvet cover, bring your hands down near the end of the bed to grab onto the bottom two corners of the actual duvet comforter.
- Your hands should look like you’re wearing mittens as you grab the bottom two corners of the duvet.
- This would be the time that you would fasten any closures that the duvet or duvet cover has so the corners of the duvet stay in place within the cover while you use the blanket. These closures might be buttons or some sort of tying arrangement.
- You may have to momentarily remove your hands from inside the duvet cover to fasten these closures. Once they are fastened, you can reinsert your hands into the cover.
4
Shake the duvet cover onto the duvet. Through the duvet cover's two top corners, hold tightly onto the two bottom corners of the actual duvet. Flip the duvet cover over your hands while still holding onto the duvet corners, and shake the cover on to the duvet.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Be sure to hold on tight as you shake the duvet cover onto the duvet. This will help ensure that all corners of the duvet are spread out to all corners inside the duvet cover.
- Powerfully shake the duvet and duvet cover as if you are trying to wave a blanket evenly onto a bed.
- You can also stand on the edge of the bed and hold the top two corners of the duvet and duvet cover, to evenly shake the cover over the duvet.
- You may have to pull the last portion of the cover over the bottom of the duvet and tuck in the corners.
5
Spread the duvet onto the bed. Once the duvet is completely inside the duvet cover, fasten the inside closures on the two bottom corners of the duvet and duvet cover (if your duvet and duvet cover have any). Once the inside closures are secure, you can close the duvet cover opening at the foot of the bed.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Give your duvet a little shake and pull on all sides to make sure the duvet is spread out evenly.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Changing The Duvet Using The Rolling Method

1
Turn the duvet cover inside out. Just like how you turned the duvet cover inside out in the first method, you’re going to turn your duvet cover inside out for this second method. Reach in through the bottom opening of the duvet cover and grab the two top, inside corners.^{[5]
X
Research source} Pull these inside corners down and out through the cover opening.
- Once the duvet cover is inside out, hold onto the corners and shake it a bit to spread the cover out over the bed.
- Be sure that the duvet cover opening is at the foot of the bed.^{[6]
  X
  Research source}
2
Lay the duvet on top of the cover. Fully spread out the duvet comforter on top of the duvet cover.^{[7]
X
Research source} Make sure the duvet corners align neatly with the duvet cover corners.
- The long side of both the duvet and duvet cover should run along the length of the bed, and the short side of both the duvet and duvet cover should run along the width of the bed.
3
Secure any fasteners. If your duvet and duvet cover have fasteners on the corners to keep the duvet corners secured into the corners of the duvet cover, attach those now.
- These fasteners might be small buttons and buttonholes, elastic pieces with buttons, or small strings that tie together.
4
Roll the duvet and duvet cover. From the top of the bed, roll the duvet and duvet cover down to the end of the bed.^{[8]
X
Research source} Roll as if you are rolling a burrito. Try your best to roll both the duvet and duvet covers evenly all the way to the end of the bed.
- If you are by yourself, you can roll the duvet and duvet cover from the middle of the bed. If you have someone to help you, you both can stand on the sides of the bed, and roll evenly, together.^{[9]
  X
  Research source}
5
Invert the duvet cover. Once completely rolled at the foot of the bed, put your hand in the duvet cover opening, and grab the entire rolled side portion of your duvet and duvet cover.^{[10]
X
Research source} Flip the side of the duvet cover over the side portion you are still holding onto. Once the duvet cover is flipped over the one side of the roll, do the exact same thing on the other side of the roll.
- When both sides of the roll have been flipped and are covered by the sides of the duvet cover, even out the rest of the duvet. Flip the middle portion of the duvet cover over the middle portion of the duvet.^{[11]
  X
  Research source}
6
Unroll the duvet and duvet cover. Unroll the duvet and duvet cover back up toward the top of the bed.^{[12]
X
Research source} Fasten the opening of the duvet cover either by buttoning or zipping the cover flaps together. Shake out the corners and sides of the duvet to flatten out and bunched up areas.
- You can use this same rolling and unrolling method to also remove your duvet cover.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I secure the corners of the duvet if there aren't any fasteners on the duvet or cover?

Community Answer

Consider safety pinning the corners of the duvet to the insider corners of the duvet cover. You shouldn't have to worry about the pins coming undone and poking you, as long as they are strong and sturdy safety pins.
Question

Should I tuck the top sheet under at the bottom when making a bed? I always have, but someone told me that was not the right way to make a bed.

Community Answer

I've never heard of not tucking the top sheet under at the foot of the bed. You are doing it correctly.
Question

Can I use the rolling or burrito method if the opening at the bottom doesn't go all the way across?

Community Answer

Yes. It's trickier to flip the duvet cover over the ends of the rolled up duvet, but still possible