In the states a duvet is like a white comforter and one uses a duvet cover. When laundering, one removes the duvet cover to wash. A comforter is much easier. It’s all in one and you throw the entire thing in the washer. I tried doing the duvet thing and found it too time consuming, trying to stuff it back into the duvet covers. After hosting a few weeks, I switched to comforters. I love the Laura Ashley comforters. They wash well and look great even after washing them continuously.https://www.wayfair.com/bed-bath/pdp/laura-ashley-elise-100-cotton-comforter-set-by-laura-ashley-ho-lba3822.html
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No, in the States a duvet is a duvet. It also takes about 30 seconds to put a duvet into a duvet cover.
Sorry, couldn’t resist…
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And please don’t bother attaching the duvet corners into the cover corners. If someone is going to get your duvet in a twist that will happen whether the corners are attached or not. I prefer duvet, with washable cover, and use varying weights during the year and no top sheet. For guests too.
Well what is a comforter then?
I think we would call a comforter a quilt. Its a lot to wash though, not suitable for short bookings. I dont believe in top sheets, they come off.
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So she asked advise on how to minimise the laundry and you’re advising to wash a whole “comforter” after every stay 
@Jess1 if the bedspread (blanket?) doesn’t smell then dont wash lol. Spray it with some fabric freshener. Its suppose to go on the top so just assume thats how it was used. Maybe fold it and have it on the side and they can put it on themselves if they’re cold? That way most people won’t even touch it. At least thats whats happening with my blankets.
Well, I never remove my shoes in the house and I insist on an electric kettle
Sorry, me neither!
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Something American - I’ve never been really sure but I think it’s what my mother would have called a eiderdown. (Or even a counterpane on one of her more old-fashioned days.) I agree about top sheets - a pain.
Gross. Everything that has been touched by a (sweaty, drooly, bodily-fluid-producing) sleeping human should be washed every single time. Ah, deja vu…
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So denial then lol. Sometimes I think just lower standards, but many guests do deserve good standards.
A comforter is the exact same thing as a duvet except the cover isn’t removable; it’s sewn on.
I see this opinion here a lot, but sorry… I don’t agree. Unless you have a commercial washing machine, there is NO way to wash the entire bed’s worth of beddings after every single guest. That’s like telling the duvet users that they need to wash the duvet cover AND the duvet after every guest. It’s not reasonable.
I use top and bottom sheet (as is common in the US; I didn’t even know that other places didn’t do that until my international guests would regularly sleep on top of the top sheet), a comforter, and I have an extra blanket in the closet in case the comforter isn’t enough. I do not wash my comforter after every guest unless it’s obviously stained or smelly. I do fold down the top sheet over the top of the comforter so that it’s obviously where you’re supposed to put your body, but some guests still refuse to sleep in between the sheets. I don’t think there is any way to change that without putting up a sign or something. “Here’s how you sleep in this bed…” hahaha
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I wash and bleach the duvet every time. That includes the sheets, etc. And yes, there’s bedbug covers on everything.
Our whole area has a problem. Even the court house, doctor’s offices, etc!
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The duvet cover or the entire duvet?
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I wash everything as well between each guest. I am a nurse and just the thought of reusing anything just makes me uneasy. The previous guest could have touched or slept on the the blanket and you never know. MRSA, lice, etc. could be on there.
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Everything. Bear in mind I take long terms.
Of late I have not been using the covers.
If multiple people sleep directly under the comforter that is a huge cleanliness issue! It’s similar to my complaint of people touching the bedspread rather than the duvet. I think the former is even more likely to happen because sheets slip more. Mine have to make a special effort to mess up!
It only takes one or two eggs to have an infestation. Everything gets done. Two rooms with towels is about 30 lbs. It’s the price I pay for peace of mind
How do you sanitize everything else a guest may have touched? Do you all have furniture that isn’t upholstered so you can just bleach it down or something?
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I’m not sure who you are addressing this to but I want to jump in. I consider myself to be in the middle ground. I don’t wash everything every single time. If the pillows with shams have been set aside on a shelf I assume they haven’t been touched (or slept on or drooled on, etc.) I check over carefully, shine the black light over them and don’t wash the covers. If I go in to find duvet twisted around the sheet and blanket or half on the floor, the cover gets washed for sure. If it looks like the blanket has remained between the top sheet and duvet it probably won’t get washed unless the guests had a dog or were here more than two or three nights. I had a fellow the other day who looked like he slept between the blanket and the duvet so (heavy sigh) I had to wash the blanket and the duvet cover again and I had just washed them after a two night stay. I have a guest now who stays all week and goes home on Saturday morning and comes back Sunday night. I don’t wash the duvet cover each time he leaves but his duvet cover and his blanket are “his.”
Also in summer it’s much easier to get everything washed as I typically only have the top sheet and a duvet cover with no insert in it. I leave the blanket on the shelf and it’s so warm here in summer that that is enough for about 80% of guests.
I started Airbnb in the camp of just wash the sheets like they do at the hotels. Then, given the persuasiveness of the arguments presented here I moved to the “toss out the comforter” camp and started buying thin layers I could wash. However doing three loads of laundry 20 times a month just for the airbnb room was untenable.
I just have a small room with no upholstered furniture. I don’t believe there is any way every surface that a guest has touched can be sanitized after every stay. I think one can minimize by having no carpet, minimal rugs, minimal cloth upholstery, no drapes. Every time this subject comes up there is always a spirited discussion
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Hi Arlene,
I am a stickler on sanitized bedding because we are at risk of a bed bug infestation. I also fumigate between guests.
I don’t sanitize everything a guest might have touched; enough is enough with chemicals! The wipe down is generally Windex or Spray 9 on the bad stuff.
Everything in here is painted white, so if there’s a boo boo it’s easy to touch up
I think stars should be deducted for cleanliness for him.
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