I'm sick of duvets

[Chalatte]

What the title says. I have these big double duvets that most of the family uses and a few singles. It's hard to maintain these, keep them in duvet covers, change the covers, getting a good matching cover, etc. Often they will go without a cover for days and be used just like that. I'm finally ready to replace them.

I'm thinking I want to do away with them entirely. what are my options? Can I just do 5 single duvets for everyone? Or comforters, or quilts and blankets? What does everyone do?

We also use top sheets so as not to change covers too often.

Although husband & I have a single each on a KS(?) bed?
(Single size mattress each)

Kids have a double quilt (200x200) on a double bed.

I'm barely 5ft but find it easy enough to change covers.

Although mostly the kids do it themselves.

What do you find so difficult?

ETA we have relatively lightweight duvets & add a fleece in Winter if necessary.

I'm in my 70s. as kids it was sheets, top and bottom, blankets and an eiderdown, but this was a houses with just an open fire downstairs,no heating upstairs.The wool blankets were not washable.I went over to a coverless duvet for winter,I have arthritis hands and wrists. Really, coverless is a misnomer. They are self covered. Of course you don't wash them weekly,you have a top sheet..It's a 7.5 tog,king size,fits in my washing machine. in-between times,it's just "aired" on the line.

It fits in the machine easily. Its designed to do so. Its a double duvet which is just fine on a kingsize bed.
It dries in an hour on an outside line or the stairs banister if its raining and is very lightweight.
Then just toss it back on the bed. Its far less hassle than duvet covers.

The reason coverless ones dry quickly as they are constructed entirely of polyester / man made fibres.

I disagree with this completely as a bed needs to air!
When I take the covers off, I strip the bed back and leave everything to air while I wash the covers and pillowslip. I have 2 sets per bed but I only use one set.

I have a 4 togfor summer and a 10.5 tog for autumn and spring. They are supposed to double up and clip together for winter but I usually just throw a blanket over the top of the 10.5 one. This summer, when it was so hot, we got 1 tog ones.
If you are having problems then do it together with your husband. A large duvet is so much easier when 2 people change the covers. Alternatively, google ‘burrito method of changing duvet’. This is a good way for people who are having trouble lifting the duvet.
I

you are meant to leave beds, several hours each day,with the covers back to help prevent the dust mites from having perfect breeding ground. My spare bed has an eiderduck/down duvet,it's very old,was very expensive. it's not washable, it's been sponged off and is aired on the line.

Depending on how hot or cold it is in your house -
4 or 7 tog for the Summer.
7, 10 or 12 tog for the Winter.

Using all single duvets just means more duvet covers to wash and put back on.

The root of the problem seems to be that the whole thing has somehow become solely your responsibility.

I have flat sheets and blankets, inspired by my granny. They're so much easier than duvets and flat sheets don't move if you do a proper hospital corner, and don't pop off the corners like fitted sheets do. They're properly foldable too unlike fitted sheets. Only downside is they're not the easiest to find

So many judgey people on this thread. If you are short or have any problems with your hands, arms, or shoulders, changing a double or bigger duvet can be very hard.

Two singles on a double means that the occupants can't steal each other's share of the duvet. Sadly, single duvets aren't long enough for this to work on a king.

When my current king bed wears out, I'm reverting to double or even narrow double with single duvets on, as I doubt I'll have another sexual partner to need the space of a king. I have tendon problems in both arms and really struggle with a king duvet.

I have one, it fits in my 12kg washing machine fine once you get used to feeding it into the drum, dries fine in my 10kg tumble dryer too.

Kindly - get yourself a permanent marker and write on the duvets which does with which bed.
Write on the inside seam which cover goes with which bed.

Two covers for each bed. They when they need changing you take one off and put the other one on. Keep the spare in the room that bed is in (under the bed works well).

Thank you, good to know for future, think I’d best wait until i get a new washing machine, mine isn’t a big drum and is nearly 10 years old and getting stroppy at times when it comes to the spin, doesn’t always do it properly.

I also use a top sheet, so the cover doesn't need changing as often as the sheets!

I have been known to leave the duvet coverless when there's no one here to help me fit it as I can't do it on my own these days . I have a double bed just for me, and I got two lovely king size covers in some sale or other and use them as a throw instead of putting the cover on!

I suppose a top sheet and a light throw would do the same job. There are ways around it OP!

I have a king size bed for me and dh, we have 2x single duvets on it. Mainly so I can fit them in the washing machine when the cat pisses on them but it’s much better not having dh pull the duvet in the night, etc. plus easier to change the cover.

The problem with those coverless duvets is that they are made from polyester. Not pleasant.

I'm 5ft3 and have been changing duvet covers since I took my Brownie 'House Orderly' badge aged 8 in 1975 (also had to do hospital corners - no fitted sheets!) I use the inside out method and taught it to my children who still use it now they have homes of their own.

Like PPs have said you put a new cover on as soon as you take the 'dirty' cover off. We always have white so the king sized sheet, cover and pillow cases will all go into the washing machine together. The children had coloured sets but the sheet was always the same colour so that everything was washed together.

Our King size duvet is silk filled and 2.5tog. Yes that says 2.5. It's plenty warm enough in the winter and cool in the summer. It was quite expensive but it's 15 or so years old and still in great condition. I do wash it on a delicate programme and after some line drying tumble it on low just to ensure it's properly dry. Love it.

My son uses it washable duvets as the cover literally comes off every day, it’s been a game changer! Got outs from Amazon and they fit in our 10kg washing machine and tumble dryer

Effectively the cover is sewn to the inner part. You can get them from quite a few places, just type into goggle. I got some from Online Home Store and some from Amazon because I have no idea what DS does whilst asleep but his duvet ended up scrunched up in the corner of the cover every morning and I had to fix it every day. These are the ideal solution to that. The downside of them is you have to wash the whole thing, so need a larger drum washing machine (and they take a bit longer to dry) and also the spares take up more space to store. However, washing the whole thing every couple of weeks is probably more hygienic and no more trying to find the corner of the cover!

If you have stairs and a landing you can put the duvet cover on and shake it out over the banister. Start with the cover inside out, reach yor hands in to the top two corners, grab the corners of the duvet and shake the cover down the duvet. I do this over the banister as the extra height helps get it down in one go.

Like this but stood on the landing! https://www.facebook.com/whichuk/videos/the-quickest-way-to-put-on-a-duvet-cover/767718210930689/

Dh and I have coverless single duvets and a king size thick fleece throw for extra warmth in the winter. The duvets can be washed and dried in a washer/dryer in under an hour. In between washes we hang them outside to air and freshen up. It's simple and cozy.

I just use a duvet in a duvet cover.

No need for a thick fleece throw for extra warmth in the winter. I can wash a kingsize duvet cover, flat sheet and four pillow cases in one load and I don’t need to hang anything outside to air or freshen up between washes.

To me that’s simpler.

We are 2 adult human household, we like to be comfortable and have a super king size bed.
Super king size duvet is a pain and we don't like to share a duvet (we both like different togs) so we have a double duvet each, so much easier to change.
I may have to look at coverless duvets as suggested here.

I have a mix of single, double and kingsize beds and every bed has a duvet bigger then the bed size - single uses double and so forth

My home is used like a halfway home at times with family coming and going so I have white sheets and pillowcases for all the beds , top sheets for all, and two duvet covers for all - jic of emergencies

Because the dog tends to sleep up with us I have a very thin quilted bedspread on ours - dog hair doesnt cling so easily shook off every day and it washes and most importantly dries very quickly

Me and he run hot, so we have a 4.5 tog all year. All the other beds have a 7 tog, but have a blanket on the end of bed if needed

Using a top sheet keeps the duvet cleaner for longer

But then my pillows ( feather ) are all in zipped thick covers, and then have a moisture proof cover over the top and then the pillow case

I also have a double sheet folded in half under the mattress protector on dh's side cos as I say he runs hot and washing an extra sheet a week is a small price to pay compared to trying to get sweat stains out of a mattress

Like others, we have quilts. Rather than having them on top we use them under the duvet in winter and just wash them, rather than having to change the duvet and cover each time. In summer we just box up the duvet.