Do you feel like you’ve just stepped out of the boxing ring by the time you have finished putting the doona/duvet back in its cover? I don’t know that I would be that dramatic but it is certainly not one of my favourite tasks.
I was recently looking at something on YouTube when I saw a video on how to insert a doona into a cover and then promptly forgot about it. Since then I have changed the cover to the darker one which I use during the cooler months. However, I kept the lightweight, polyester insert as the nights were still relatively warm. I used my usual method which I can do by myself but is easier with the assistance of GMan.
The overnight temperatures have now signalled that it really is autumn so today I decided to change over to the feather doona. I remembered to take some time to search YouTube for the trick to easily putting the doona in a cover. There are several to choose from but I thought that the instructions in the following video were as clear as any.
After watching it twice, I decided to test the idea. The first problem was when I discovered that the doona was nearly 30cm wider than the cover. I have had this doona for many years and never noticed that before so I just persevered.
Perhaps it is just because I am not overly tall and we have a foot end on the bed, but I found that I walked from one side of the bed to the other numerous times as I was rolling it up. I had excess doona sticking out from both ends due to the doona being wider than the cover. I followed the directions and it worked well. The excess just seemed to disappear into the midst of the doona.
The end result looks much the same as any other method and I am not sure that there was a great deal of difference in the time it took.
The only real advantage that I can see is that my method does entail lifting your hand well above your head in order to shake the doona into place. If you have shoulder problems the YouTube method would eliminate that. I do not think it is worth the effort of turning the cover inside-out and laying it out absolutely flat with the corners of the doona matching.
Will I do it again? Probably not.
How do you get your doona into the cover? Would you consider trying the method shown in the video?
organised castle 
I haven’t looked at the video, but my method of putting the cover on a duvet is this: making sure you’ve got the duvet lined up the same way as the cover, 1) grasp one corner of the duvet in one hand, 2) locate the matching corner of the cover as far from the opening as possible and grab it with your other hand. Scrunching up the cover and holding it by that corner from the outside, bring your hand with duvet corner inside to meet. 3) Push that duvet corner into the hand holding the cover corner and shake it into place a little. Change hands if you need to. 4) Repeat with the adjacent corner (still far from the opening). 5) Grasp both successfully inserted corners and shake gently to pull the rest of the duvet into place. Do up the closure and you’re done.
For a double/queen sized duvet, this takes me well under 5 minutes, with no running around the bed until I’m ready to actually make the bed.
Julia stole my thunder – but I use the same method and have no dramas. I don’t even think I need help :p Speaking of – so I changed the sheets yesterday, but as we use a top sheet, not the doona cover. The cleaner comes weekly and often I ask her to change the sheets, but this week I didn’t specifically ask. Not only did she change the sheets, the cover has changed too! I just got the ‘dirty’ sheets out of the empty hamper and folded them up! I can only imagine it must be cause our house was clean enough she ran out of tasks!? (PS definitely a luxury expense but worth it for the harmony it brings)
I giggled at you retrieving the ‘dirty’ sheets. 🙂
yeh, i can’t see me doing it that way in the video, i just put the cover on the bed with the doona then i just grab corners, cover goes to doona, same for other side, pull cover down to bottom, grab corners again do up buttons & give a light shake to fluff up. done. in winter i also put a flannelette top sheet on the bed for extra warmth.
thanx for sharing