Burning Question: Got It Made?
Lately we’ve been questioned to no end on this subject (inquiring minds want to know!). And we’ve even seen chatter about it in the ol’ blogowebisphere. So we figured it was worth tossing the question out to you guys: is a made bed a morning must in your house? Or is it about as common as a blue moon- or a finished to-do list?
If your bed is accustomed to tightly tucked sheets and perfectly placed pillows, who in your household is usually responsible for keeping said bed in check? Or if you prefer the more relaxed approach, is it because you enjoy the efficiency of crawling into an already unmade bed each night or because, well, maybe there’s a certain chihuahua still sleeping in it?
No judgements here, so don’t be shy. Tell us what goes on in your bedroom… er, um, not like that…
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We make it every morning to keep the dogs off the sheet. To make it easier, we switched to the European method of using a fitted sheet on the mattress and just a duvet & cover on top which makes making the bed a snap! In the winter we use a big feather duvet, and a light one in the warmer months. If it’s really hot we just use the duvet cover solo. It has really simplified the daily bed making ritual for us.
I pull up the covers on our bed every morning. It just makes me feel better about the day. I don’t put all of the fancy pillows on the bed on a daily basis though. Those are just for when company comes. :)
Now my husband . . . he never pulls up the covers (sigh).
Every once in awhile I will make the bed if guests are coming over, but really…guests don’t ever come into our bedroom anyway.
On the weekends, I’ve been known to crawl into bed at any hour to take a nap, and for me the bed is just much more comfy when the sheets are all jumbled up than hospital cornered!
I have a system for just about everything, but amazingly enough, don’t make the bed everyday. I like to have one messy thing in my house (and my husband appreciates this imperfection), although when the sheets do get completely wacky, we do break down and make it.
We rarely make our bed! It’s terrible… I wish it was made more often, but it typically a treat reserved for when guests come into our home.
My mother in law keeps our daughter at our home, and she will go in and make our bed for us from time to time… usually once a week!
That’s a great picture! I make the bed each morning except weekends, when my man gets the privilege. Top sheet never gets tucked in, but the duvet is smoothed and the decoratve pillows are replaced.
totally make my bed mon-fri…. weekend optional. it just makes me feel ready to start the day. although it ends up strewn with clothes some days when i am getting ready for work. clothes on a made bed seems neater than clothes on an un-made bed to me.
My bed in my dorm was also my couch so it was always made. Now that I live in an apartment and the bedroom is hidden I still make it – well Ive convinced my boyfriend to make it every morning. Hes a great roommate :)
In keeping with yesterday’s theme of simplifying things…I keep a decorative or beautifully colored fitted sheet on my bed. The crisp white quilted down alternative comforter (http://www2.jcpenney.com) gets folded in half and draped at the bottom. A dark throw gets folded on top of the white and accent pillows that match the throw. Literally, it takes me less than a minute because there are no sheets to pull around. The comforter washes as easily as sheets!
Awww, what a cute pic of Burger!
Our bed is made every day. Usually, I’m the one who makes it, but sometimes, if I’m running late or if my husband goes to work later than me that day, he’ll make it.
I just love crawling into crisp, neat sheets every night. Plus, a made bed makes the whole room look nicer, in my opinion. :)
My husband is a police officer who works the midnight shift, so just as I wake up in the morning he’s crawling into bed. Our bed is unmade and slept-in for 15-17 straight hours a day! That means it never gets made until I get home from work, but I always make it because it looks so much nicer that way. Sometimes the man of the house will make it when he wakes up in the afternoon, but that’s a rare treat.
I languish until the very last second that I have to get up for work, so I leave the house with the bed unmade.
However, I work three minutes from home so I go home for lunch to sort thru the mail, do the dishes make the bed. Love that routine!
I did read once that it’s a good idea to let your bed sheets air out for at least an hour before you make the bed – let’s the sheets dry if there’s any sweat I guess. But my cats totally take advantage of that and curl up in and around and under the sheets – so maybe the sheets are aired out but they’ve still got fur all over them!
The only time my bed is made in the morning is on the weekends, but only when I have just changed the sheets. So, once a week or so. I don’t have time for that kind of neatness on a daily basis.
For years, my husband & I made our king-size bed every morning together, as a part of our morning routine. Frequently though, there was a cat-sized lump in the middle, but STILL … we loved to have our bed made! But then, we became sleep-deprived parents of infant twins, and I was a FT Mom on a VERY different work schedule. A pristine-looking bed was sacrificed so that I could eek out extra minutes of sleep every morning. Once the kids are in school, I hope to get back to our old routine.
Definitely made. Every. Day. By me. Since I’m the last one out of it.
I happen to love my room, my bed, and the quilt that is on it. In fact, it’s posted today for the Quilt Festival I’m joining in. Come have a look.
I do not make the bed. Instead, I fold the sheets down to the foot of the bed every morning to allow moisture to escape. The people who made our mattress advised doing this to make your bed an inhospitable environment for dust mites and (this one’s for you, John) bedbugs! Once a week, when I change the sheets, I also fold the mattress topper down to give the underside some air for a day.
After doing this for a few years, I have to admit, the idea of getting into a bed that’s been made all day kind of grosses me out.
I’ve realized recently that unmade beds are my pet peeve. I always take time to make my bed in the morning – military style with nice, neat tucked in corners. I’ve even realized that this has become a compulsion of sorts. For example, when I go to my boyfriend’s house and see an unmade bed, I almost always have to make it. He’s a neat freak in so many other ways, but I guess an unmade bed doesn’t bother him like it bothers me!
Also, I recently discovered your blog!! I absolutely love it and am totally hooked! Such a great variety of interesting and informative topics, always filled with great advice.
I never ever make it! Only when I’m changing the sheets or expecting company (since I don’t like closing doors). I think it’s a great indulgence not to make it – who needs one more thing to do? Plus, when it’s hard to get up in the morning, I think, “wait right there, bed, I’ll be back soon!” So strange, I know.
The last person out makes the bed in our house. When we were first married I would purposely get up earlier so I never had to make it. It’s become habit so when I’m actually the last person out of the bed sometimes I forget.
But it always looks better when I make it!
i make ours as soon as i get home from work b/c in the morning the hubby is still sleeping (and he’s def. not going to make it!). i can’t sleep in an unmade bed!
I’m the first to get up in the morning, so making the bed is never really a task I have to deal with. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of a made bed, but I am no good at keeping up with it. Guess I made too many during my time as the designer for the IKEA bedrooms department in the East Palo, CA store.
I’m trying to get in the habit of doing this every morning. Usually I take a shower then make the bed immediately before I get ready. If I don’t have time, I do it right when I got home from work. Weird, I guess, but I hate the unmade bed look. Too messy for me.
Our bedding consists of a fitted sheet and a comforter in a comforter cover. I straighten the pillows and shake out the comforter and viola! the bed is made. I prefer having my bed made. I think it just looks nicer. I just would not ever have a whole lot of layers on my bed. I like the nice casual look; not the “made up” one.
This is the exact picture of our bed, except with our chocolate lab in place. Haha! She likes to snuggle in and sleep late. The bed gets made on days that I am off work, but when I get up to go to work before my husband, it stays unmade, but its okay. However, I would prefer to definitely crawl into a perfectly made bed.
A nicely made bed is a must in our house! For me, I find it gives me a sense of “calm” when I walk into the bedroom. The rule in our house is the last one out of bed is the one to make it which always is me during the week!
Right now, we only make the bed if company is coming. However, we have a horrible hand-me-down comforter set from my mother in law that we’ve been using until I find something I love (for some reason I’m being really picky about bedding and haven’t found anything yet). I imagine that once I find my dream bedding, I’ll start to make the bed in the morning…it would make me feel spoiled every night to hop into a nicely made bed!
It’s funny, but I only make the bed if I’m going to be hanging around the house. It drives me crazy to see it unmade, but I’m perfectly happy to leave it unmade while I’m at work or out.
i am the bedmaker in the family. my husband is…well let’s just say he’s efficient :) his thought, ‘why put a bed together when your gonna tear in down later that night?’ silly boy…
Never make the bed. But I love coming home before my man and finding that he made the bed after I left in the morning.
If company’s coming over I try to get it made, but otherwise I just keep the door closed.
Sadly, my bed is never made unless I have company coming over… I have to get up at 5:15am Monday – Friday so there is no spare time before I go to work! And then when I get home from work at 5:15pm who wants to make the bed???
Ours is in between, if you will… we don’t actually tuck in the sheets but we pull up everything smoothly on both sides so it looks half presentable. It’s actually so our pups don’t go in it during the day though, not so much because we care about what it looks like! :)
We rarely find time in the morning to make the bed, so it typically stays unmade until I come home, if then. Our guest bedroom bed isn’t even made at the moment – oh, the shame! When we do get crazy and make the bed though, its hospital corners all the way with perfectly positioned accent pillows. :P
John and Sherry, what do YOU guys do? :)
I go both ways. I actually made a little list of April goals, and making the bed every day is one of them (and I’ve stuck to it!) I just think it makes the room look instantly cleaner. But, if I’m running late, it’s something I skip without a second thought.
One time, when we had friends over, I went into the bedroom to get something and my friend followed me, chatting away! I was slightly embarrased that she saw our unmade bed (and piles of clean laundry that desperately needed folding). So, I always make the bed when company comes over and on the weekend.
I rarely make the bed on weekday mornings, unless I get up early (which is verrry rare). I do make it on the weekends and whenever we have company…My husband is pretty much clueless when it comes to making the bed and leaves it up to me since he knows that I’m a bit of a perfectionist ;).
Do you guys make the bed every day?
Hey Natalie and Audrey,
The bed is never made right when we get up thanks to an extremely lazy chihuahua who sleeps until about 1pm (not kidding) and will mess up our bed-making efforts if we attempt to make him into the bed or eject him and make it afterwords. So usually sometime in the afternoon I’ll pop in on the bedroom and straighten the sheet and pull up the duvet and toss the accent pillows on top (my time limit is about a minute for the whole thing and I’m usually on the phone doing it one handed so it’s hardly a thorough and professional job). I just like to have it looking semi-presentable by the time John gets home from work- and it does feel nice at night when we walk into the bedroom, and even if there’s a pile of clothes on the leather chair or John’s gym bag on the floor, it really makes the whole room feel neater. Especially in a tiny bedroom like ours (around 12 x13′) where our queen sized bed takes up most of the room anyway. Others are making very interesting points about airing out the bed though! Maybe we should thank Burger for being such a diva in the morning since he automatically gives the bed a good 5-8 hours to air out every day.
xo,
Sherry
We live in a two story home and our main floor bathroom is the master bath. So of course people have to walk through our bedroom to get to it. *blah* So that being said I try my best to make the bed in the morning. On the weekends most of the time it doesn’t happen because my husband and the dog are messing it up as soon as I make it. :)
I, and I alone, make the bed every morning because I hate how the room looks with it unmade.
I’ve been like this since I was five years old and learned how to make a bed from my aunt, who favored hospital corners and a drum-tight top that she could bounce a penny on. I was VERY impressed. ; )
Well, I do agree with some folks out there that making the bed makes everything else seem neater. Unfortunately, it really depends on the day in my house. I do good for the first few days after changing sheets out. Then, I start to slack and have a hard time getting back on track!
I once read in an old British housekeeping manual that making the bed all tight and tidy right after waking up actually encourages dust mites and such to breed in the dark, possibly sweaty sheets. EW.
So I actually make it a point to leave the bed unmade, pull the covers back, open up the shades and sunshine do a little natural cleaning while we’re out at work.
Weirdly, we often make the bed all tidy and nice while we’re getting ready to get back in it…
Simple – The last person to get up makes the bed!
our bed is made everymorning!
Definitely not lol When I leave in the morning my bed looks however it ended up throughout the night. I dont really have a reason why, I just don’t feel like making it. Sometimes on the weekend I make it if I’m cleaning or feelin really good and setting up all my pillows and stuff lol Oh and if company comes over of course…but thats it
The beds in the house MUST be made every day (the 4 and 7 year olds make their own). I do not really care how they look, they just must be made. I was always a pig about the mess in my own room, and then I became a parent. We also had our house under construction and were forced to live in a small section and to be much neater than normal. People kept coming over to check out the new digs and I was mortified at the condition of the bedroom.
So, now, all beds are made every morning. My husband likes to tease me when I am away for work that he did not make the bed and he invited people over to take a tour of the house….
It is so nice to read that I am not the only person on the planet who has to get into freshly made bed every night. I thought it was just me and I was so weird. It drives my husband crazy and he (like many of you others) simply cannot understand why I would make the bed right before I get into it, but those of you who are kindred-spirits don’t need an explanation! I usually make the bed in the morning, but even if I don’t, I’ll make it at night for that unbeatable tight-sheet feeling!
The bed gets made about an hour and a half after we get up–after breakfast and such. I work primarily from home, and the bedroom is across the hall from my office and I just fell better when it looks neat and tidy when I pass the door. We also make the bed Scadinavian/European style–fitted sheet, duvet and duvet cover. My husband and I had always struggled about how the bed should be made-he liked the flat sheet loose and I couldn’t stand it not to be tucked in and without wrinkles. After a trip through Norway and Denmark, we found that the duvet and cover was a great compromise. All bedding gets washed one to two times a week (usually more often in summer); I am a sucker for freshly laundered sheets (I change the bed on Sunday as a way of welcoming the new week). My other bed “thing” is I LOVE ironed pillowcases–luckily my husband does the ironing in the family and is happy to do them.
i half a** make my bed. i just pull the comforter over the jumble of sheet and pills hehe
A made bed is a must in my house. A made bed makes any room look calmer and cleaner – even if there are other messes going on around it. Simply pulling up the sheets and comforter and replacing pillows won’t take but a few minutes, even with a Cal King. Whoever is up last should be tasked with this chore.
Your next burning question should be about dogs (or other animals) sleeping in your bed. I suspect some different opinions on that subject!
Hey Lisamarie,
Ooh good idea. I’m sure we’ll get a lively little debate going on the second we hit “publish.”
Stay tuned…
xo,
Sherry
An orderly bed makes it that much easier for the rest of the room — and then the rest of the house — to be orderly.
The bed has to be made before I can get into it at night. Most of the time I make it after my husband gets up and before I have to leave for work. He stays home with our two little girls. If I don’t get it made before I leave for work, I almost always come home to an unmade bed and make it then. Not saying it is his fault, he just doesn’t seem to notice an unmade bed. A made bed is something that makes me feel like I have it somewhat together. I’m also a sucker for freshly laundered sheets, but doesn’t happen nearly as often as I would like.
Absolutely love that photo of Burger! Usually the bed doesn’t get made in the morning. And, it usually isn’t unless I know someone is coming over or i’m cleaning. On weekends, the bed is usually made, but during the morning rush during the week, making the bed is last on our minds.
i make the bed after i get up, but it’s usually a quick “pull the covers up” job. when the cleaning lady comes every two weeks (love, love, love her!) it looks much better.
I never used to make the bed, but it seems so much more peaceful in our room when I do, so I started doing it daily. It happens at least by lunch. :) Also, when the bed is made I’ve found we’re less likely to leave our clothes all over the floor since the room already looks cleaner. It’s been a good change for us.