I know it seems like a silly question but trawling round the internet, I’ve found that many people say that they don’t make the bed every day. This seems so strange to me – and I’m talking here about proper grown-up people, not teenagers.

Making the bed every morning makes your home more attractive, neater and more comfortable. It’s lovely at the end of the day to sink into a nicely made bed rather than start tussling with a tangle of sheets.

If you’d seen me this morning, you might have wondered why I was setting the stopwatch on my phone just before making the bed. This was because the main reason people give for not making the bed is that they ‘don’t have time’. So I decided to see how long it takes. The answer is — two minutes and forty one seconds. In those couple of minutes (going at a normal speed and not trying to rush) it’s possible to:

• Neaten and straighten the bottom sheet
• Shake and plump up the pillows
• Shake out the duvet and spread it over the bed
• Ditto with duvet number two (we have one large and one smaller also for when it’s colder)
• Add the throw pillows (they spend the night on the floor)
• Put any stray clothes in the laundry hamper
• Pick up any loose change from the floor (there is almost always some) and add it to my change jar
• Open the curtains to let the light in and open the window wider to let in fresh air

Under three minutes and my bedroom is neat and tidy, fresh and bright. It gets the day off to a great start.

Of course, having a duvet rather than sheets and blankets makes life a lot easier. All you have to do in the morning is shake the thing a few times to air it a little then arrange it on the bed. Sometimes we use a duvet cover, other times we don’t.  Most duvets these days can be put into the washing machine. (Tip – add a couple of tennis balls to the washer and they help to fluff up the filling during the wash).

Many duvets are also much healthier than sheets and blankets. Who knows what dust mites and other evil little monsters can lurk? Certainly, anyone with allergies should investigate the duvet. They have taken a long time to catch on in the USA (they have been used by almost everyone in the UK and Europe for as long as I can remember) but if you haven’t used one yet, now might be the time to make the change – they’re not expensive.

My favourite duvet covers are from Marimekko. This Finnish company has been making stylish fabrics since the nineteen fifties and are incredibly popular even today.

These are all you need for bed making made easy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Jackson, also known online as BritFlorida, is a highly experienced designer and writer. British born and now living in the USA, she specialises in lifestyle issues, design and quirky stories. You can see a wide range of articles here, or visit her website Tastes Magazine . See The Writer’s Door for more information.