What Goes Inside a Duvet Cover?

In the world of hotelier bedding, duvets and duvet covers are very popular terms used by many people from executive housekeepers, to hotel owners. So what goes inside a duvet cover? It’s really very simple.

Since some of us may not have heard about duvets, let’s take a quick look at that.

Duvets are essentially the big thick quilted blanket like accessory that is draped over a bed and used to snuggle under. And how it’s used is very much like a blanket. However, while a blanket is perhaps something like a single-huge-piece of very thick cloth, sometimes manufactured from wool, a duvet is more like a blanket-thin, large soft pillow.

Many hotels, whether they be luxury hotels, boutique hotels, or even some home-stays and homes, use duvets to give the guest a feel of soft comfort and relaxation. Specially in colder seasons, or in a room with a cool temperature, snuggling under the duvet can be really quite comforting, warm, and relaxing.

So what goes inside a duvet cover?

A simple way to explain that is, that a duvet to a duvet cover, is just like a pillow to a pillowcase.

The duvet (which we will call the duvet insert for now) is this large quilted/non-quilted blanket-like piece of bedding that is filled with a filling of cotton, feathers, or wool, or many other types of fillings, just like pillows.

However, to keep the duvet (or the duvet insert) cleaner, and for hotels to be able to provide a clean experience to guests, a duvet cover is used to cover the duvet all-round 360 degrees. The picture above showcases a duvet that is already inside the duvet cover. The duvet cover in that picture, is a product manufactured from premium sateen striped fabric.

Duvet covers help hotel housekeepers maintain that quality and cleanliness when a guest leaves, by changing the duvet cover, the bed sheets, and pillow cases quickly and efficiently, and readying the room for the next guest.

While efficiency and cleanliness, are some of the top-most priorities for a hotel, the duvets being the top most layer on the bed, and the bed being one of the first things a guest sees, means that some hotels use decorative duvet covers to add a bit of splash, and tweak the atmosphere and ambience of the room.

While this is a pretty cool idea, decorative duvet covers can mean that little bit of extra maintenance work for hotels since they have to be changed for every new guest, and a decorative piece, may have a different method of washing, drying, and ironing depending on the complexity or material used in the decoration.

For this reason, hotels may opt for a simple but well-crafted premium duvet cover that can be either sateen striped or plain white just the same as the bed sheet, which can make maintenance a lot easier, while giving the guest a very comfortable experience and feel.

Bed Runners for Decoration

And to bring that decorative touch to the room, a bed runner can be used that is laid out on top of the bed (over the duvet), just for decorative purposes.

Bed runners do not have to be constantly laundered since they’re just pieces of decoration, and not essentially an item a guest would use to cover with, or to cuddle.

So now you have it, a duvet is a beautifully crafted piece, and can be a preferred piece of bedding for hotels that allow guests to snuggle under in comfort. It’s soft and feels really good, and a duvet cover is an essential accessory to the duvet that envelopes the duvet inside.

The Fragrance of a Duvet Cover

With the duvet cover being freshly laundered, a guest can relax in bed, perhaps breathing in the beautiful scent of detergent used, and perhaps even the scent of sun-dried linens, if the freshly laundered duvet cover hung out in the fresh breeze to dry.

That’s right, hanging out laundered linens in fresh open air may add a delightful, natural fragrance. However, that really depends on where the linen is hung out. A polluted open air setting may add an odour of smoke or pollution.

A duvet cover to a duvet, is like a pillow cover is to a pillow.

A Duvet’s Filling

As for the filling used in a duvet, it’s pretty much like the filling used in a pillow and can vary from brand to brand. As for Gentelle’s hotelier duvets, our duvets are filled with washable, virgin microfibre and come in different GSMs (Grams per Square Metre), allowing the guest a comfy and warm or warmer experience in bed. Another type of filling used in duvets and available in the market is the ‘down & feather mix’ filling. So which is lighter?

Are virgin microfibre filled duvets lighter than down & feather mix filled duvets?

The quick and short answer is yes. But what does that mean?

A virgin microfibre duvet is lighter than a down & feather mix filled duvet. However, when shopping for duvets, a common selection criteria amongst hoteliers is the GSM. Which is the Grams per Square Metre. So if someone purchases a 300 GSM duvet filled with virgin microfibre, it will be pretty much the same weight as a 300 GSM duvet filled with a down & feather mix.

The difference however is that because virgin microfibre is lighter than a down & feather mix, in order to reach the same 300 GSM weight value, the virgin microfibre duvet is going to be thicker in size than a down & feather mix duvet.

Do duvets have sizes?

Yes indeed! Duvets come in various sizes depending on the size of your bed. To completely snuggle you in, a duvet needs to be extra large to adequately cover you completely and keep the cold at bay. Here are some sizes that we provide to hotels:

• 160x230cm (Single Bed)
• 200x230cm (Single Bed)
• 250x230cm (Double Bed)

Can I buy a duvet without a duvet cover?

Sure! Since hotels buy in bulk, the online Gentelle store lists the duvets and duvet covers separately so that one may purchase each individual product to a quantity of choice. Likewise the online store also lists products like pillows and pillow cases separately.

Here are a few specific pages related to bedding to help you browse easier:

• Duvets - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/16-duvets
• Duvet Covers - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/26-duvet-covers
• Pillows - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/14-pillows-
• Pillow Covers / Pillowcases - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/24-pillow-covers
• Bed Sheets - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/12-bed-sheets
• Mattress Protectors - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/15-mattress-protectors
• Bed Runners - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/contact-us
• Cushions / Throw Pillows - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/35-cushions
• Bed Skirts - https://sa.gentelle.com/en/contact-us

Do I have to wash my duvet and duvet cover every time?

A duvet cover can be laundered plenty of times, just like you would the bed sheet. However, the duvet itself is manufactured like a huge quilt with pillow-like filling inside. Washing the duvet constantly will no doubt decrease it’s life span quite quickly. However, is it washable? Yes certainly! But a more recommended option would be to wash the duvet cover regularly (again, just like you would the bed sheet or pillow case), and wash the duvet periodically, maybe once or twice a month, or when there’s a specific need to do so, like a coffee spill or so on. As for hotels, the periodical washing of duvets varies from hotel to hotel.