I love a freshly made bed — especially with fresh laundered sheets!
However, trying to keep the “fresh bed” feeling last longer than 1 to 2 days in my home is pretty much impossible.
Our household has 2 cats and 2 dogs — who all love to catch a snooze on our bed at some point in the 24 hour day. (We’ve tried to keep them off, but needless to say the pets have won the battle.)
I’m also a fan of sleeping with a down feather comforter. It’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Plus, it feels so light and airy!
TIP: You can find down comforters everywhere, but I think they have the best selection at The Company Store.
Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of changing the duvet cover (especially as often as required in our pet-loving house).
As a new mom, I’m always looking for time-saving techniques and I discovered a great way to have a fresh bed more often during a recent hotel stay!
If you, too, want a faster more luxurious way to make your bed without the need for a duvet cover, here are some hotel bed making secrets I learned…
Hotel Bed Making Proves Triple Sheeting Is The Best Way To Make A Bed
In my opinion, the best way to make a bed is to triple sheet the bed and use the top sheet as a “cover” for your warmth layer (like a down comforter) — instead of using a duvet cover.
Most hotels have adopted some version of this triple sheeting technique simply because it’s the most efficient and cost-effective way to deliver a clean, crisp bed for each new hotel guest.
I incorporated it in our home simply because we love a freshly made bed and this process takes 1/3 of the time it would to change the duvet cover every time. (Not to mention the annoying balling-up of the duvet cover in the dryer during laundering!)
Triple sheeting, a style of bed-making that uses multiple layers of sheets, blankets, and duvets (or bedspread-like covers), is something that a lot of upscale hotels, inns, and bed & breakfasts are starting to do. It’s not only an easy way to change the design of the room should that be desired, but it’s also a lot more hygienic for guests. If you stop and think about it, chances are really good that the bedspreads and/or duvets that are used in guest accommodations don’t get washed very often — and they most definitely don’t get washed in between every guest. Think about how often you wash your own bedspread and the light probably goes on, right? Uh huh… doesn’t exactly give you the warm fuzzies to think about how long it may have been since that hotel bedspread may have been washed, does it?
~The Distracted Wanderer
What You Need To Triple Sheet Your Bed
For the fastest turnover of your bed, you’ll need these items:
- Fitted sheet
- Flat sheet
- Down comforter or blanket of your choice
- Top sheet (can be another flat sheet or decorative sheet instead)
- Pillows and pillow cases
- Extra pillows or decorative pillows (optional)
TIP: I like to buy extra sets of sheets. That way, I’m never waiting on laundry before I can make the bed.
How To Do Triple Sheeting
Step #1 – Put the fitted sheet over the mattress.
TIP: Most bed sheets have a tag in one of their fitted corners. Because I have a king bed, I use the tag as a placement guide to ensure that I get the fitted sheet on right the first time. The tag of the fitted sheet should go on the bottom righthand corner (if you’re standing at the foot of the bed facing it).
Step #2 – Place the flat sheet even with the top of the mattress. Smooth out the sheet, making sure it is even and smooth on all sides.
Step #3 – Place the down comforter evenly on top of the flat sheet, approximately 6 inches below the top of the mattress.
Step #4 – Place the top sheet on top of the comforter. The decorative top sheet should lay even with the top of the mattress.
Step #5 – Follow this 3-fold process with your top sheet, flat sheet, and comforter…
- Fold A – Take the top of the top sheet and fold it down under the duvet. The top hem part of the top sheet should lay between the bottom of the comforter and on top of the flat sheet:
- Fold B – Fold the bottom flat sheet over the top sheet and the comforter:
- Fold C – Fold the sandwiched comforter over another 6 inches:
Step #6 – Tuck and smooth the comforter this way…
- Tuck the bottom of the sandwiched comforter beneath the foot of the mattress:
- At the foot of the bed, pull the excess bedding out to the side until you can see the mattress:
- Push the bottom of the U shape excess bedding towards the headboard and down alongside the mattress at a 45-degree angle:
- With your other hand, pull the excess bedding down like you’re wrapping a present — making a straight line parallel to corner of mattress:
- Then tuck the hanging corners of the sandwiched comforter under the mattress:
Step #7 – Add your pillows.
TIP: The number of pillows you choose can vary…. so just add pillows to your own happiness level.
Here’s a summary of the triple sheeting method used by hotel housekeepers.
And this video shows you how to do most of the steps I’ve mentioned above:
You Spend One-Third Of Your Life In Bed
Did you know the average person who gets their 8 hours of sleep each night will spend 1/3 of their lives in bed?
If I’m going to spend 1/3 of my life in bed, it’s important to me to have a soft, clean bed to lay our heads to rest at night.
In the words of U.S. Navy Adm. William H. McCraven…
Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
Here’s a video of McCraven’s address to the class of 2014:
In case you’re wondering…
I like to make the bed every day, but I turn it over with fresh laundered sheets every 2 to 3 days.
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I’m a first-time mom. I work from home and I write. Tackling random DIY projects while my husband is at work and my toddler is asleep is how I spend my free time these days. I also enjoy discovering new products and gadgets that will make life easier with a dog, a cat, an active little boy, a Harley-loving husband, and all of our extended family!
