# Efficient bed making? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432 "2012-11-29T02:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/1 "2012-11-29T02:38:05Z")
I just finished making the bed with clean sheets. It occurred to me that I don’t believe I have _ever_ gotten the orientation of the fitted sheet correct the first time. It isn’t a matter of luck-I never get it right. It must be some kind of natural law. So, is there a way to locate the end of the fitted sheet before one tries to put it on the mattress? I always end up starting the process by attempting to put the side of the sheet on the bottom. And no it does not work to continue making the bed. The ends of the fitted sheets cannot be stretched to cover the length of the bed. ☹ Is there anyone out there smart enough to have figured out how to do this? ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/2 "2012-11-29T02:42:43Z")
Keep the tag in the same corner of the bed every time. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/3 "2012-11-29T03:01:52Z")
You could try writing ‘bottom right corner’ on the bottom right corner. Except that’s a lot to write on a sheet. Actually, I’m not sure if you’d even be able to write on a sheet with a sharpie or whatever you use to write on things that aren’t paper. Maybe you could put a piece of duct tape on the bottom right corner. That actually sounds like a good idea, I should do that next time I wash my sheets. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/4 "2012-11-29T03:12:25Z")
My sheets have the Label in the Lower Left, and I have to repeat that to myself whenever I make the bed. LLL. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/5 "2012-11-29T03:15:09Z")
The tag goes on the bottom right corner. Making the bed is so much easier once I figured this out. ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/6 "2012-11-29T03:30:41Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Actually, I’m not sure if you’d even be able to write on a sheet with a sharpie or whatever you use to write on things that aren’t paper. Sharpies work fine on sheets-I use them to mark “Twin” or “Full” on one corner of the appropriate sized sheet. Maybe put the sheet on the bed (awkwardly for the last time!) and use the sharpie to mark both corners at the foot of the bed. Then you know to line it up that way. And when you feel especially confident, put the sheets on where the marks are at the head of the bed! ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/7 "2012-11-29T03:32:45Z")
If they don’t have elastic all the way around, then the non-elastic is usually the sides and elastic over the short ends. If they’re elastic all around, then yeah, tag on bottom right - or if you like to have the sheets wear evenly - tag on the top left every other time. If you have some sheets by a non-conforming company or cut the tags off or something - all you have to do is find the corners and fold them together. (easier for shorter people like me) Compare. The short ends are the ends. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/8 "2012-11-29T04:18:40Z")
You could do like we did when I worked at Ramada. We tossed all the fitted sheets, and just used flat sheets tucked in tightly. (It was purely a cost saving decision.) ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/9 "2012-11-29T07:02:03Z")
My sheets are striped. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/10 "2012-11-29T07:47:37Z")
I sleep on a bale of hay, what’s this about sheets? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/11 "2012-11-29T09:16:09Z")
The two seams that almost fit your outstretched arms are the ones that go on the end of the bed. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/12 "2012-11-29T10:12:51Z")
What size is your bed? Mine are single-person and it’s pretty evident that the folded sheet is a rectangle, oriented in the same direction as the un-folded sheet. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/13 "2012-11-29T12:45:08Z")
I second the suggestion of striped sheets. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/14 "2012-11-29T14:10:01Z")
Use a permanent marker or a few stitches of colored thread to mark the short ends. The sheet will wear more evenly if it isn’t always oriented with the same end up and same end down. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/15 "2012-11-29T15:22:04Z")
I have a king size bed so the difference between sides and bottom is about 6". Tags don’t seem to be consistent across sheet brands so the only thing I’ve found that works is striped sheets. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/16 "2012-11-29T17:08:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Sharpies work fine on sheets-I use them to mark “Twin” or “Full” on one corner of the appropriate sized sheet. Sharpies were originally intended to be laundry markers, and then people discovered how useful they are for other things. Or possibly the Sharpie company found out about people like me, who will buy those huge collections of Sharpies in different colors. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/17 "2012-12-01T02:15:01Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Sharpies were originally intended to be laundry markers, and then people discovered how useful they are for other things. > > Or possibly the Sharpie company found out about people like me, who will buy those huge collections of Sharpies in different colors. I will check the tags and try the sharpie! thanks all ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/18 "2012-12-01T03:14:37Z")
At least on mine, the sheets have a long diagonal seam at each corner. It took me many changings to figure out that it is on correctly if it’s on the side of the bed, and not the end. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/19 "2012-12-01T16:18:51Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > …striped sheets. umm…it doesnt have to be stripes, ya know. Any design( that is not symmetrical) works fine. I suggest Mickey Mouse 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432/20 "2012-12-01T17:44:32Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > umm…it doesnt have to be stripes, ya know. Any design( that is not symmetrical) works fine. > I suggest Mickey Mouse 🙂 It’s hard to find Mickey in Kingsize ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficient-bed-making/642432.md?page=2)