Is there an a priori method for determining the alignment of a fitted sheet?

[Johanna]

It’s idiotically simple in theory, of course—one axis is longer and one shorter, corresponding to the rectangular shape of the mattress. But in practice, I admit I’m baffled. So is my partner. No matter how I try to figure out how to place it, I always get it wrong on the first try. I have to fix one corner in place and then stretch it out the length of the mattress to discover if it’s on right or not. Somehow I always guess wrong. Weird.

We have a couple of fitted sheets with longitudinal stripes, and then there’s no question which way it goes on. I like it when those come up in the laundry rotation. The solid colors are the ones that baffle me.

I’ve tried stretching it out to see which way is longer, but it’s incredibly hard to tell any difference. The elastic around the edges contracts it all together in such a way as to disguise the dimensions, and my arms aren’t long enough to stretch it out far enough to tell anything. I’ve tried holding it up and seeing which way hangs down lower. Bizarrely, it hangs to the same level either way. The elastic again. I thought, logically, since my guesses are always wrong, I’ll make my best guess and then rotate it 90 degrees. But the inherent deviltry of the thing makes even that fail. No matter how I try it, it’s always wrong on the first try. But I still hope there exists some reliable method that someone out there has discovered. Anyone know the solution?

[johnpost]

yes

do your best to figure it out and then rotate it 90 degrees.

[wei_ji]

I played this game with tent poles in wind and rain storms until I learned to mark them. Fit your sheets one at a time as you like them, then mark with, say, a small piece of colored material sewn to the bottom right corner. Work from that corner from then on using the marking. You can even tell which side goes “up.”

[John_Mace]

This is so funny, because I’ve had this drive me absolutely crazy.

Finally, I figured out that one corner has a tag on the inside, and that goes on the right side of the foot of the bed. Of course, you still have to remember that, and it’s not intuitively obvious that the tag would go there. I also don’t know if this is standard on all fitted sheets, but they should only have a tag in one corner.

[UncleRojelio]

If you figure it out, see if you can generalize it for me. In my case no matter what the situation, if I have a 50/50 choice to make, I am wrong 100% of the time.

[Shoeless]

@John_Mace

This is so funny, because I’ve had this drive me absolutely crazy.

Finally, I figured out that one corner has a tag on the inside, and that goes on the right side of the foot of the bed. Of course, you still have to remember that, and it’s not intuitively obvious that the tag would go there. I also don’t know if this is standard on all fitted sheets, but they should only have a tag in one corner.

Yep, I figured this out a while back, although at first it was with the bedspread, not the fitted sheet. Tag goes at the bottom right.

[Johanna]

I figured out using the tag as a guide, except that from different manufacturers I think the tag is placed differently. Perhaps a solution would be to memorize the tag position for each individual sheet. Which is the same as wei ji’s idea, which is an improvement, because then you wouldn’t need to remember this. I am so doing that, thanks!

(Even though it’s technically an a posteriori solution, but never mind that, as long as it works.)

[california_jobcase]

Pick up the sheet and stick your hand into a corner pocket. Try to reach the other corner on that side. Rotate 90 degrees, repeat. You now know which side is shorter. Place sheet on mattress accordingly.

[thelurkinghorror]

I don’t know whether it’s a rule or a coincidence that all my fitted sheets are the same, but the seam on each corner goes along the long dimension. If yours are different, then I guess you’ll have to remember that.

[Moonlitherial]

You actually had the solution in the OP. Buy only sheets with stripes.

[Brown_Eyed_Girl]

@wei_ji

I played this game with tent poles in wind and rain storms until I learned to mark them. Fit your sheets one at a time as you like them, then mark with, say, a small piece of colored material sewn to the bottom right corner. Work from that corner from then on using the marking. You can even tell which side goes “up.”

Sewn? How hard is it to just mark the bottom right corner with a Sharpie? It’s not like anyone sees that part of the sheet. IME, Sharpie marks on fabric are permanent. If your sheets are black, use a silver one.

[John_Mace]

@Johanna

I figured out using the tag as a guide, except that from different manufacturers I think the tag is placed differently. Perhaps a solution would be to memorize the tag position for each individual sheet. Which is the same as wei ji’s idea, which is an improvement, because then you wouldn’t need to remember this. I am so doing that, thanks!

(Even though it’s technically an a posteriori solution, but never mind that, as long as it works.)

Just buy only one type of sheet.

You can mark the tag with a code so you don’t have to memorize.

[Fear_Itself]

@John_Mace

Finally, I figured out that one corner has a tag on the inside, and that goes on the right side of the foot of the bed.

@Shoeless

Yep, I figured this out a while back, although at first it was with the bedspread, not the fitted sheet. Tag goes at the bottom right.

Is that functionally different than top left?

[ENugent]

I have knitted jersey sheets, so I squint at the knitting to see if the stitches are right side up or crossways.

[fumster]

@Brown_Eyed_Girl

If your sheets are black, use a silver one.

How you doin?

[don_t_ask]

@california_jobcase

Pick up the sheet and stick your hand into a corner pocket. Try to reach the other corner on that side. Rotate 90 degrees, repeat. You now know which side is shorter. Place sheet on mattress accordingly.

Works for me too because I have a Queen size bed and can reach the other corner on the short side. However on a King size you can’t reach either corner unless you are 6’ 6’’ or taller and the difference between the width and length is only 4 inches, so easy to misjudge.

[BigT]

My solution is to get the sheets that are only elastic on two sides.

[Shoeless]

@Shoeless

Yep, I figured this out a while back, although at first it was with the bedspread, not the fitted sheet. Tag goes at the bottom right.

@Fear_Itself

Is that functionally different than top left?

Actually, it is for our bedspread. It has a pattern that would obviously be upside down if the tag was at the upper left instead of lower right. On the fitted sheets, not so much since they’re plain sheets, but bottom right is usually about where I’m starting anyway.

[Ruby]

Yep, trial and error followed by a Sharpie Marker. I can’t speak to the other sizes but kings are virtually impossible to tell apart until after one corner is on the bed…

[Inner_Stickler]

@Fear_Itself

Is that functionally different than top left?

Yes, because now the tag is by your head. Unacceptable.