I have always made my bed voluntarily when I get out of it in the am since I was a little girl. My mother never made their bed and she never cared if my brothers and I did either. But I like getting into a bed that is made. In this house our bedroom is on the main floor and even though we get minimal drop in company it does look better made. I use a neutral quilt I got at Target that is easy to wash and dry and I change out the smaller quilts I make that go on top. Since I moved out of parents house I've always used a mattress cover. We got a heated one here but it is washable.