The Best Way to Put on Bed Sheets: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks

Inside: Say goodbye to bed-making stress with these tricks and tools to make the frustrating chore of putting on the sheets easier!

This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission, at no extra charge to you. I only recommend products that I love or would purchase for myself. See my full disclosure here.

Sure, putting the sheets on a bed is a basic household chore. But this simple task can leave you feeling like the actor at the beginning of an infomercial who struggles to perform the easiest of actions (seriously, who can’t drape a blanket over themselves??)

I’m always giddy when I find tips and tools to make life easier. And when I do, I can’t wait to share them with my friends! So I’ve found us a few tips, tricks, and hacks for putting the sheets on that will help make making the bed a breeze.

Hacks to Easily Put the Fitted Sheet on a Bed.

The fitted sheet is the most frustrating part of bedmaking for a lot of people. Either the corners don’t line up and you have to start all over, or as you’re pulling the sheet over one corner, the opposite one pops off. And let’s not even get into trying to fold one. 😤

There are two things that will help avoid these hassles and keep the fitted sheet on as you sleep:

1. The Trick to Lining Up the Fitted Sheet Correctly.

The first key is to put on the fitted sheet the right way.

To get those corners properly aligned, there’s one simple rule to figuring out which direction the fitted sheet should go on the mattress:

The corner of the fitted sheet with the tag should go on the bottom right corner of the mattress.

Technically the tag could also go on the upper left at the head of the bed, but who needs to remember one more thing? Tag bottom right.

This simple trick will make the long side of the sheets match the long side of the mattress and the short side line up with the short side of the bed. This trick is especially helpful with a king fitted sheet which can almost look like a square, making it easy to mistakenly put it on the wrong way and not even realize it.

To get that first corner going, turn the tag corner of the sheet inside out and line up the point with the mattress corner:

SH&H Tip: If your sheet is snug, the next corner should be the opposite, diagonal corner to help avoid the dreaded pop off.

And a bed sheet label for the corner of the fitted sheet makes finding the tag and sheet size even easier:

2. Get the Right Fit for the Fitted Sheet.

The second key to putting on and keeping on the fitted sheet is the size. If you don’t buy the right pocket depth for your mattress size, you’re fighting a losing battle with the bottom sheet before you even get started.

Too-small fitted sheets will be an exercise in futility not only putting on, but the corners will come off every night. And on the flip side, fitted sheets that are way too large will always look messy, wrinkled, and the movement from sleeping will pull them out of place. But the right sheets will stay in place, just like they were intended.

Fitted Sheet Problem-Solving Products.

The pesky fitted sheet comes with so many aggravations that it brings out the inventor in people. Here are two products I’ve found that solve the main issues with putting on the fitted sheet and making it stay on:

The zippered fitted sheet.

I discovered these Quick Zip Sheets at my friend’s house. This idea is brilliant because you put the base around the sides of the mattress one time (you don’t sleep on it, so it never gets dirty). It tucks fairly far underneath and is elasticized all around so it never pops off. Here’s what it looks like before the top panel is zipped on:

And you simply zip on and off the top panel of the fitted sheet when you need to wash or change it:

These are even on an adjustable bed and they always stay put. This brand also offers sheets for hard-to-handle sheet scenarios like cribs and RV mattresses. They aren’t the most inexpensive fitted sheets you can buy, but you do get two top panels which counts as two fitted sheets, and the quality is very good.

Even better? It solves how to fold a fitted sheet! This flat piece folds easily for those of us who love seeing neatly folded sheets in the linen closet, but don’t want to invest the extra time in attempting to fold one of these problem child linens.🙋‍♀️

SH&H Tip: To keep your sheet sets looking more organized, store them inside one of the pillow cases from the set. This not only saves space but also ensures you always have a complete set of sheets ready to go. Or for an even tidier look, store them in a special bedsheet organizer.

The bed headband.

The Better Bedder was featured on Shark Tank and keeps you from having to lift the corners of the mattress to put on the fitted sheet. It’s a large elastic band that stays in place around the sides of the mattress and allows you to neatly tuck in the fitted sheet without having to tuck it all the way under the mattress. Another bonus? It solves the problem of fitted sheets being too large or deep.

How to put a flat sheet on the bed.

Next up, here are a few tips for putting on the flat bed sheet.

The standard in bedmaking etiquette is to fold the nice finished top edge of the flat sheet down over the top of the covers. To get this look:

1. Start with the flat sheet’s finished side or patterned side facing down (and the side with the tag facing up).

2. Align the top of the flat sheet near the top of the mattress and adjust until it’s even on both sides of the bed:

3. Next, tuck the bottom of the sheet in at the foot of the bed. These bed sheet tucker paddles keep you from having to lift the mattress, or hurting your hands and fingernails as you shove the sheet in. They also let you get a nice crisp tuck:

Or this handy mattress lifting tool helps raise the mattress and tuck at the same time.

4. To make a neat square corner without having to worry about making the 45-degree angle of hospital corners, pull the corner of the sheet straight out from the point and tuck the side in underneath:

Then lay the draping side of the sheet back down over it. The corner of the bed looks just as neat as making a hospital corner, plus it feels less confining for your feet!

5. After putting on the flat sheet, put the coverlet or bedspread on the bed and pull it even with the top sheet at the top of the bed. Then fold them back together, leaving the finished edge of the sheet showing.

I have a confession to make—I prefer not to do the traditional “fold back” because personally I don’t like seeing part of the mattress and box spring exposed (to each his own for his own bed).

Tips for Pillowcases.

And we can’t forget a couple of tips for putting on pillowcases!

An Easy Way to Put on Pillowcases.

This viral hack on Tiktok for putting on pillowcases allows you to put on the pillowcase with less effort and less touching of the pillow itself:

1. Turn the pillowcase inside out,
2. Put your hands inside the pillowcase in each corner, then grab the corners of the pillow.
3. Inch the pillowcase on a little. Then turn the pillow up and either pull or shake the pillow fully into the case.

The Pillowcase Hack to Make the Ends Look Neat.

This is a little trick that housekeepers use to cover the end of the sleeping pillow so you can’t see it, It makes it a neat rectangle, and even allows you to use a king-sized pillowcase on a standard pillow.

1. Put the pillow in the pillowcase and lay it down with the opening facing you.

2. Tuck the top side of the pillowcase in over the pillow.

3. Then tuck in the bottom.

4. Flip the pillow over and use both hands inside to smooth the tucked fabric flat until your pillow is in a nice, tidy envelope.

More BedmakingTools.

Another bed linen problem is a bed skirt that sags, is uneven, or too large. These Stay Put bed skirt holding pins keep the bed skirt exactly where it’s supposed to be. This brand’s superior secret to staying put is having the pins curve and go in at an angle to keep them in place.

For those fitted sheets whose elastic has seen better days or are a little too small, help keep them in place with sheet suspenders. These gadgets prevent the corners from slipping and can be a game-changer for those restless sleepers.

How often should you change your sheets? And how should you clean the bed linens? See it all in the post “The Complete Guide To Deep Clean Your Mattress and Bedding“.

Even though the act of putting on the sheets may not be the most exciting chore, there’s nothing like climbing into a bed with fresh, clean, crisp sheets. And a well-made bed is an essential part of a better night’s sleep, which at this age is one of my life goals.💤

Do you have any special tricks that I missed? What were your favorites? Let us know in the comments!

Before you go:

As always, I appreciate your visit, comments, and shares here on the blog! I’d love it if you also follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube so you won’t miss any of my inspiration and ideas.

Don’t forget to sign up for updates to keep in touch.

If you’re not already a member of the SH&H family, I’d love to have you join me! You’ll not only get email updates, but you’ll have exclusive access to all the bonus materials in my free subscriber-only library, like this:

Pin it to remember it!

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please pin and share this on Pinterest: