Your bedroom should be your sanctuary – a calming and peaceful place to retreat at the end of your day. Since we spend one-third of our lives sleeping, it makes sense to take extra special care of our beds. Here are some bed-making instructions that will have you believing you’ve fallen asleep at a high-dollar spa.
1. Start with Base Layers. Base layers include a mattress pad and bed skirt. The mattress pad goes around the mattress as a layer of protection and the bed skirt is a decorative item that is optional and is placed between the mattress and box springs. Wash the mattress pad about once per month and the skirt, biannually.
2. Add a Bottom sheet. This is also referred to as a fitted sheet, because it is intended to fit snugly around the mattress. Slip the corners around the corners of the mattress. It is helpful if you complete the most inconvenient corners first, saving the most accessible for last.
3. Top Sheet. How far you pull up the top sheet is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer to pull it all the way up to the top of the mattress and tuck in their pillows. Others choose to pull it far enough up that they can fold it over the duvet, quilt, blanket, or comforter for a stylish contrast. To secure the top sheet, follow the instructions below for neatly tucked corners, called “hospital corners.” Leave the sides untucked so it is easier to get into bed at night.
How to Make Hospital Corners
Step 1: Lay the top sheet flat, ensuring it hangs evenly on both sides of the bed.
Step 2: Tuck in the sheet along the foot of the bed. Excess fabric should be hanging down on either side of the bed.
Step 3: At one corner, grab the fabric that is hanging down along the side, lift straight up, and place it on top of the mattress. The sheet should be smooth around the corner of the mattress. Tuck in any part of the sheet hanging below the mattress.
Step 4: Fold the fabric laying on top of the mattress down over the side. The sheet corner should form a 45-degree angle with the mattress corner.
Step 5: Tuck in any part of the sheet that hangs below the mattress.
Step 6: Repeat on the other corner.
4. Blanket. Some prefer to have a blanket between the top sheet and the decorative top layer when the weather turns cold. To keep things neat, follow the hospital corners instructions above and leave the sides of the blanket un-tucked for easy bed access.
5. Top Layer. You can follow these instructions whether you are using a duvet, comforter, or quilt as your top layer. If your top layer has a contrasting pattern on the reverse side, fold it over to show it off. Otherwise, pull the top quarter of your sheet and/or blanket over the top layer.
6. Pillows. To insert pillows into their cases, fluff the feathers by "chopping" the pillow down the middle with your arm. Then fold it in half lengthwise to make it easier to insert into the pillow case. From the outside of the pillow case, pinch a corner of the pillow and pull the case down.
Place the pillows you sleep on and standard-sized shams closest to the headboard. Then layer any additional pillows in front.
