Let’s face it: For as much as we depend on our bed covering to help us score quality sleep at night, certain aspects of bedding can be difficult to navigate. From the right way to fold a fitted sheet to how to keep a comforter from sliding inside a duvet, here are six solutions to common bedding problems (so you won’t lose any sleep over them).
1. Folding a fitted sheet (the right way)
Folding a fitted sheet is no easy feat. However, with a few simple steps, you can neatly fold any size or style of fitted sheet, including the Classic Fitted Sheet, like a pro. To start, take your sheet straight out of the dryer to avoid wrinkles, and drape the sheet over your hands, right-side out, with the elastic edge facing you. Next, hold the sheet by the adjacent corners of one of the longer sides, and gently bring your right hand to the left, folding the sheet in half horizontally and tucking one corner into another.
Now, lay your half-folded fitted sheet flat on a large surface, such as your bed or dining table. Grab the side farthest from you and fold it in towards the center, and then repeat with the other side, overlapping the first side about half an inch or so in the center. Fold each of the ends to meet in the center, and finish by folding one side over the other, one last time. Use your hand to smooth out any bumps or creases and voila: You’ve got a perfectly folded fitted sheet.
2. Keeping your comforter in place inside the duvet cover
If you have a duvet-clad comforter, then chances are you’ve noticed it can slide and bunch up inside of the duvet cover from time to time. Good news: The solution to stopping your comforter from sliding is as simple as using the ties attached to the corners of your duvet cover. All you have to do is turn the duvet cover inside out, and tie each corner of the duvet cover tightly around each corner of the comforter. Once each corner is tied, turn the duvet cover right side out, and then roll the cover down and around the comforter to finish--no more slipping, sliding, or bunching while you sleep!
3. Preventing your bedding from falling off the bed while you sleep
If you toss and turn a lot while you sleep, you know all too well how easy it is to knock your blankets and sheets off the bed—and onto the floor—while you sleep. To ensure your bedding stays in place and keeps you comfy and warm throughout the night, try tucking the edges of your blanket, comforter, and/or flat sheet between the foot of the mattress and your box spring (or bed frame). If you’re a solo sleeper, you can also tuck the edges of your bedding underneath the side of the mattress opposite of where you like to sleep. Either way, your bedsheets won’t move around as much and making your bed the next day will be a breeze.
4. Sharing the bed with a cover hog
If you or your sleeping partner tends to hog up all the bed covers while you sleep, then we’ve found the solution for you. Instead of trying to share one large (and easy to monopolize) comforter or duvet cover, consider investing in two smaller, separate comforters or duvets—think: two twin or full-sized covers instead of a single queen or king—so each person has their own personal blanket to snuggle up in at night.
5. Keeping your white sheets bright and stain-free
Few things brighten up a bed like a crisp set of white bedsheets. Unfortunately, without proper care, white bedding can turn from bright to dingy fairly quickly. To keep your white bed sheets nice and stain-free, wash them in hot water with an eco-friendly bleach alternative, such as The Laundress All-Purpose Bleach Alternative, on the normal cycle of your washing machine before drying on a low heat/tumble cycle.
If your white bed sheets have already started to yellow, no worries. Simply pre-soak them in an oxygen-based bleach, like Oxi-Clean, before throwing them in the washing machine and following the steps above.
6. Pairing a fitted sheet with your extra-thick mattress
Mattresses come in all shapes and sizes, and that includes ones that are super deep. And while an extra-thick mattress may provide you with a comfy bed setup, it can also lead to problems when you’re trying to put on a fitted sheet. To ensure the corners of your fitted sheet always stay snug and taut on your mattress, always measure your mattress for its exact depth before ordering a fitted sheet. This way, you can double check that the dimensions matchup and you won’t be stuck with too-small (or too big) of a bottom sheet.
