Making the Bed: Your Options

Anyone who can slip into a beautifully made bed in the evening will appreciate the smooth duvet and plumped-up pillow. Sleep researchers have also found that this can lead to better sleep. In fact, though, there are many ways to make a bed. Which one is best depends not only on personal preference, but also on the bed itself and the bedding. However, the rumour still regularly circulates that making your bed is unhealthy.

To Make the Bed or Not?

A neatly made bed with folded duvets looks attractive and tidy, but British scientists actually recommend not making the bed – at least not immediately after getting up. House dust mites can multiply more easily otherwise, as a warm, damp environment is their ideal habitat. Pillows and duvets become damp through sweating, which happens naturally during sleep. This moisture  must first be allowed to escape before the mattress is covered again.

It is therefore better to turn back the duvet in the morning or hang it outside to air and dry. This also causes the mites to dry out. So, if you do want to make your bed, you should first let the bedding dry and then choose one of the following methods. The claim that making the bed is generally unhealthy is, in any case, incorrect – it simply needs to be dry first.

Making the Bed Like in a Hotel

In hotels, there are usually two ways a bed is presented: either the duvet is neatly tucked under the mattress, or it is folded into thirds on top of the bed. Which option is chosen in a hotel is often cultural as well: in Germany, the duvet is more likely to lie loosely on the bed, whereas in other countries everything is often tucked in all around.

The pillows are usually plumped up, stood upright and creased in the middle with the flat of the hand. This creates two points on the left and right that stand upright.

The American Way of Making Beds

In the USA, box-spring beds are often used for sleeping, and even when there is more than one sleeper, there is usually only one duvet. This is not put into a cover, but laid on top of the sheets. There are two bed sheets: one for the mattress (or topper), and the other is placed over the pillows but under the duvet – you sleep between these two sheets. The duvet lies on top, as it were. Because it does not come into direct contact with the body, it does not need a cover.

So, if you want to sleep in Germany as people do in America, you need to rethink things and say goodbye to the classic bedding set. Instead, sheets and pillowcases, for example from the MÖVE LUXURY range, are purchased separately.  

Decorative Cushions and a Bedspread

To make the bed a real eye-catcher visually as well, additional decorative cushions can be used alongside the pillows. This is also especially common in America, where sometimes five or more cushions per side of the bed are stacked neatly in place. Add a matching bedspread underneath – perhaps even a quilt – and the bed is ready for the day.

However, the cushions are not just decorative; they also make the bed a wonderfully cosy retreat during the day, where you can now sit comfortably.

To store the cushions and bedspread safely at night, an ottoman bed or a chest at the foot of the bed is recommended. Everything can be folded away there and taken out again, dust-free, the next morning.

Wash Bedding Regularly

To sleep well – and free from mites – bedding should be washed regularly. Ideally, once a week at at least 60°C; every two weeks is also fine. The duvet cover should be closed when washed so that smaller items such as pillowcases do not get caught inside it and end up being washed less thoroughly themselves.

Afterwards, the bedding needs to dry properly. The care instructions on the bedding will help here: it can often be dried not only on the line, but also in the tumble dryer.

The mattress should also be vacuumed regularly so that the bed remains hygienic and healthy sleep is possible for a long time.