To learn how to properly fit a duvet cover over said duvet, is not unlike driving a car. After figuring out the basics on how to move forwards and backwards, we get to the part where we have to deal with the dreaded enemy of both drivers and duvet cover wranglers:
Corners.
In my two-and-then-some decades of living before my fated arrival in Finland, I had wrestled with the process of crawling halfway up the cover countless times.
Tried many a different solution, and even watched high quality educational content on techniques such as “The California Roll”, or “The Hand Puppet”. Even got a set of covers with corner ties. Only to consistently land back at my Casper cosplay.
Until I moved to the Nordics, that is.
You see, your regular duvet cover has a singular hole. At the bottom. The part where the duvet goes in, and you inevitably stick your head. The duvet covers up here in the north, however, have three. Yes, three.
There’s two extra holes, in the corners. To stick your hands into, and grab the duvet without going for an indoor spelunking session.
The Nordic readers amongst you are probably looking at your screens as though I’m explaining that ice is cold and the sun is hot. But to this rest of you, and my past self, this is unheard of.
When growing up with this efficiency, you cannot imagine ever doing it the ‘haphazardly cramming the duvet in whilst crawling through the duvet cover’ way the rest of the world seems to insist on. […] That’s how life-changing this is; you will never hate putting duvet covers on again, this we can promise you.
— Knotte, Nordic Design Duvet Cover Hand Pockets
It doesn’t end there, however.
Whilst the addition of extra holes could be a one-and-done innovation to the ye olde duvet cover, there’s more.
Humanity, in all its creative glory, has come up with all manner of mechanisms to deal with the pesky hole where the duvet goes. That gaping maw at the bottom of the sheet.
In my explorations, I’ve across a number of distinct ways in which the designers of these covers sought to close that gap. Each more baffling or deliberately time-wasting than the next.
Buttons, those charmingly old-fashioned features that adorn many duvet covers, seem harmless at first glance. They line up so obediently, waiting for you to delicately maneuver them through their corresponding holes, promising security and snugness.
Yet, the illusion is soon shattered as you attempt this routine. You fumble, struggle, and occasionally, succeed at pinching the barely fitting discs into their just-large-enough openings. But the satisfaction is often short-lived as you realize you’ve misaligned one button, rendering all your previous efforts futile.
Then, there are those fabric ties. Imagine a sort of tango between two pieces of fabric. With yourself as the hapless dancer trying desperately to tie them into some semblance of a knot. They mock you with their apparent simplicity. Lulling you into a false sense of security. Before transforming into a Gordian knot that Hercules himself would struggle to untangle. You pull, you tug, and you wonder if these ties are secretly conspiring against you. And really, could these ties be any smaller?
And lastly, there’s those duvet covers that opt for the minimalist approach. Offering no closure mechanism whatsoever. Just an open invitation for your duvet to escape. And escape it will. Maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day in the near future your duvet edges will start peeking out, mocking your feeble attempts to contain it.
Imagine instead, the effortless glide of zipping up your jacket, now seamlessly integrated into the realm of bedding. No more fiddling with buttons, no more wrestling with ties, and definitely no more duvet duels. A swift, assured zip, and your duvet nestles in, snug as can be. It’s not just an upgrade; it’s a bold revolt against the outdated mechanisms that once disrupted your peaceful sleep.
That’s right. Duvet covers with zippers. No more button-hole pinching, tie-tying, or the imminent sense of dread that comes from watching the edges of your duvet slowly creep further out of its cover.
It’s this small, simple solution that delivers immeasurable convenience. And once you’ve experienced the elegance of a zippered duvet cover, there’s no turning back.
Let’s momentarily divert our attention to another understated genius in the world of beddings — the humble fitted sheet. But before we champion its praises, it’s only fair to scoff, albeit lovingly, at its awkward cousin — the unfitted sheet. Its existence is akin to clinging to outdated technology in a world that’s long embraced the sleek and practical. Like hanging on to your first-generation iPod.
Enter the fitted sheet. The unsung king of bedding practicality, and its often-overlooked sidekick — an inconspicuous little tag that simply reads “Head or Foot.” Now, in the grand scheme of things, this tag might seem trivial, almost comical in its simplicity. But let me tell you, this tiny addition is a silent time-saver.
Picture this: you’re on a mission, putting your fitted sheet on with precision, and suddenly, you’re stuck in a wrestling match with the sheet, trying to figure out which end goes where. Cue frustration, sighs, and a moment of existential dread. You’ve got it all wrong.
But fear not. The head-or-foot tag steps in, swooping down like a caped crusader in the alleyways of Gotham. It whispers to you, “This way up,” guiding you through the maze of sheet-fitting antics. It’s a small tag with monumental power, saving you precious minutes that you’d otherwise spend in a heated debate with a piece of fabric.