Poll: Pillowcase Orientation and more

In My Humble Opinion
1

I accidentally put the pillowcase on the wrong way a few days ago, so I had to take it off and start again (the pillow isn’t flat, so flipping it over doesn’t work) and I wondered if there are other people who believe that there’s a correct direction for the open end of their pillowcases…

…and then I wondered, if there are, what’s the overlap between them and people who believe that toilet paper rolls need to be in a correct orientation too?

Let’s find out!

The nitpicky stuff someone will ask about:

  • Answer in regards only to the pillow(s) you personally sleep on. Do Not count body pillows unless you use it in lieu of any other pillows.
  • To determine the proper direction, assume you’re looking down at the pillow and the opening is on your left/right. I assume this is obvious, but hopefully this clears it up if not.
    *If you never deign to use pillowcases with an open end (and use a sham or whatever instead), then whichever end the buttons/zipper belong on is equivalent.
  • If the answer isn’t the same across multiple pillows, the direction doesn’t matter to you, doesn’t it?

Poll forthcoming.

2

You forgot “toward the outside of the bed.”

And it’s “orient,” not “orientate.”

The Dope, where no nit goes unpicked.

3

Another vote for open to the outside.

And the bed should always have an even number of pillows, so there is the same number of pillows openings facing each side.

And if there is an extra pillow, the case must be larger enough so it can be tucked under and the opening not visible.

(Not that I do this more than once a year)

4

How does left or right not cover your own pillow? If I was asking about all the pillows on the bed I could see your point, but…

5

I’m so confused. Why did you have to take the pillow out and replace it? Why couldn’t you just have flipped it on the bed?

I thought you meant “Does the pillow go into the pillowcase tag end first or clean end first?” to which the only possible god-fearing answer is that the tag goes in first, obviously.

The pillows sit on the bed open end to the outside, 'cause there’s usually pretty ribbon or trim on it that gets bunched up if the ends are to the middle. Which, in my case, means my open end is left, as you look at the bed from the foot.

I grew up in a toilet paper under household, my husband in a toilet paper over household, and you would not believe how many actual fights we had about it. I decided it was far too unimportant to care about while maintaining my mental health when we divorced, and my current SO doesn’t care, so it just goes on however it’s being held at the moment of hanging.

6

Because it’s not flat but shaped like this one - if I flipped it over, it wouldn’t have been facing up the direction you’re supposed to put your head on.

7

Oooooooh! Got it, thanks.

8

Open ends to the outside of the bed. I’m the only one sleeping in this bed, with four pillows, so when I get ready to sleep, two pillows go in the middle, opening to the right, and one pillow on each side, opening towards the bottom. Sort of an upside-down U.

And toilet paper goes over the top, not down the back where it hangs against the wall and you have to scrabble around for it.

9

Open to the outside of the bed. Pillows on the right to the right; left toward left side of bed.

If it’s a single pillow, in the center of the bed, in the center of the room it doesn’t matter.

If it’s a single pillow in the center of a bed that it against the wall, away from the wall.

10

I don’t always sleep on the same side of the bed. I always sleep on the side furthest from the door.

11

How do people get through school without knowing this stuff? Here’s how it goes:

Stuff the pillow into the pillow slip with the tag toward the closed end. Zip the pillow slip. Stuff the pillow and pillow slip into the pillow case with the zipper toward the closed end. Pay attention, this is important. No one wants the metal zipper rubbing against their face during the night. Now put the pillows on the bed with the open ends toward the edge of the bed, each side.

Regards,
Kyrie, who voted “There’s something wrong about worrying about either.”

12

Bingo! I can’t get the wife to understand that first part though. :frowning:

13

Some of us don’t sleep on the same side, or even in the same bed, each night. It’s important that pillow protocol remain uniform for the benefit of all of us.

14

Beautifully summarised.

15

This has never occurred to me before in my entire life. Who cares how the pillowcases are oriented? As long as they’re clean, I’m fine with whatever. Half the time I wind up tossing the pillows away in the middle of the night anyway and just sleeping flat.

Toilet paper, on the other hand, absolutely must have the loose end over the top away from the wall.

16

Metal zipper? You put the pillow inside a zippered case and then inside *another *case?

17

To the outside of the bed. And over the top for toilet paper. Anything else just feels wrong.

18

I try to make sure the pillow zipper faces in (towards the sewed end of the pillowcase). That way it can’t scratch me. otherwise I could care less which way it faces.

19

None of the above. When I trained as a nurse (a zillion years ago) it was drummed into us that the opening had to face away from the entrance to the ward. My pillows still obey Sister Tutor.

20

All four open ends towards the middle where they can huddle together and hide. They only stack up evenly in a different combination to the one I sleep on, so they’re going to be flung about anyway. When sleeping … they get flung about, I have trouble sleeping.

Plain covers only - ever since I spent the morning at work with an embroidery ‘tattoo’ on my face.

Toilet paper over the top.

Voted that it doesn’t matter, but you’re allowed to care.