In the several weeks since I last wrote, my family has encountered many changes. We’ve left the city, are currently staying with my in-laws (which is much better than you might expect!), and are looking forward to moving into our own house next month. It’s a time of transition, expectation, and learning.
Being in a house that is not entirely my own means that when it comes to sharpening my homemaking skills, I can hone in on the one corner that is currently “ours” — the guest room. Naturally, the most prominent object in that room is the bed, so I’ve focused on learning how to keep a bed clean, tidy, and comfortable. The good news: it’s not difficult! Here are the tips and tricks I’ve picked up about caring for beds.
Why make the bed?
Because they are private and intimate spaces, bedrooms usually remain hidden from visitors, but that does not make them less important. On the contrary! According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, Americans spend an average of 9 hours sleeping. That’s over one-third of our time! So it makes sense that among all the rooms of the home, the designated sleeping spaces, the bedrooms, should receive the most tender, loving care.
Without that TLC, the bedroom quickly becomes a less-than-cozy place. From so much contact with our bodies, sheets and pillows collect skin particles, sweat, hair, and oils, which can then lead to dust, a musty smell, or worse. A clean and tidy bed makes for a healthy and happy night’s sleep, which will put almost anyone in a good mood!
Helping hands
Making the bed is a chore that need not fall upon one person. Several people have commented on the value of making one’s own bed as a way to practice orderliness, develop a sense of responsibility, and build character. As such, it’s a helpful skill to teach children and others at home. At the same time, I do find making or turning down someone else’s bed to be a satisfying task, since it’s a direct and tangible way of ensuring their comfort and expressing care for them.
Airing the bed
I was always taught to make my bed immediately after getting up. There is a lot of logic to this, and if the bed otherwise won’t get made at all, it’s much better to stick to that approach. However, I recently learned the value of airing the bed first. This practice allows the body moisture that overnight has accumulated and rubbed onto the sheets and blankets to dry out. It will keep your sheets dry and fresh for a longer period of time and help prevent a musty smell from building up.
Here’s how it works: After getting up the morning, throw the sheets and blankets over the foot of the bed. Spread them out along the bed enough so that they don’t drag along the floor, or place a chair at the foot of the bed to prop them up. Leave the bed like that for at least an hour. In the meantime, you can have breakfast, shower, or tend to other morning routine items. Afterwards, make the bed.
Making the bed
There’s room for flexibility and preference here, but a basic bed has had the same elements for centuries. (As Cheryl Mendelson notes in Home Comforts, you can see Renaissance paintings of beds that have the same basic structure!)
Here are those basics:
- Mattress cover or pad
- Fitted sheet
- Top sheet
- Blanket(s), quilt, or comforter
- Sleeping pillows
- Pillow covers (zip-up covers that go underneath a pillow case)
- Pillow cases
To make a bed completely (that is, starting with a bare mattress), work your way down this list — that is, from the lowest bedding layer to the uppermost. Depending on the temperature or preference, you can add an extra blanket (for more warmth) or replace the blanket with another top sheet (for a cooler experience).
Here are some other aesthetic options:
- Dust ruffle (bed skirt) to hide the lower bed frame and space underneath
- Bedspread (coverlet) to protect the blankets from dust and give it a nice daytime appearance
- Decorative pillows (usually with pillow covers and an outer covering, or shaft) to cover the sleeping pillows and add an extra touch of color or design to the room
- Allergen-proof undercovers for the mattress and pillows (especially helpful for those with asthma or allergies)
For a visual step-by-step tutorial, I love this video — especially since it offers various options for a final look.
How often to change bedding
Tempting as it might be, the answer is not whenever it looks or feels dirty! To ward off dust and keep them fresh and clean, most homemaking experts recommend switching out bed sheets every 1-2 weeks. I find it easiest to have two sets of sheets for each bed because it spreads out the work of washing, folding, and applying them over several weeks. Here’s an overview of my procedure:
Two sets of sheets (changing sheets every other week)
- Week 1: Remove Sheet Set A from the bed and place in the laundry hamper. Make the bed with Sheet Set B.
- Week 2: Wash, dry, and fold Set A and store in the linen closet.
- Week 3: Remove Set B from the bed and place in the laundry hamper. Make the bed with Set A.
- Week 4: Wash, dry, and fold Set B and store in the linen closet.
- Week 5: Repeat the cycle begun in Week 1.
Because pillowcases tend to need washing more often (due to the hair, sweat, saliva, etc. that rubs off on them), I like to keep three sets of pillowcases per bed so that I can switch them out every week rather than every other week and still have an extra set in the linen closet. Some people like to do this for the entire bed, changing the sheets every week. To do this, having three sets of sheets ensure that you’ll always have one set of fresh sheets on the bed, one in the hamper to be washed, and one in the linen closet. You can think of those three places as a cycle; each week, you move each set of sheets to the next station. (So, sheets on bed —> hamper, sheets in hamper —> washed and folded, sheets in linen closet —> on bed). This does mean that every week you will be washing, folding, and making a bed, and for me the extra labor isn’t worth it right now. However, if you might prefer the extra freshness, go for it!
According to Home Comforts, here is the recommended regularity of cleaning other bedding items:
- Once a month
- Mattress cover or pad
- Pillow covers
- Blankets
- Bedspread or duvet cover
- Decorative pillowcases (shafts)
- Once a year
- Allergen-proof undercovers (if using)
- Pillows (or less; whenever they look or smell dirty)
- Comforter (or less; whenever they look or smell dirty)
- Once or twice a year
- Rotate mattress (or more often if it’s an older inner spring design)
Consider This: Ironing Pillowcases
Age-old homemaking wisdom encourages ironing sheets, as this makes them last longer (creases and wrinkles more quickly form holes) and feel smooth and fresh. As this is a very time-consuming and cumbersome task, most of us forego perfectly smooth sheets. (And most of the time, I find that folding and smoothing them when they’re fresh out of the dryer helps even out wrinkles). One much less cumbersome task, however, is ironing pillowcases. A friend of mine who recommended this to me said that for her and her husband, a freshly ironed pillowcase (maybe even with a touch of lavender ironing spray) is a small step that adds a layer of luxury to their sleeping experience.
Preventing dust and dirt
Besides laundering the bedding regularly, there are several helpful measures to ward off dust, dirt, and other unpleasant materials. Whether or not you have allergies, less dust means more breathable air and a more comfortable and pleasant room. While it’s impossible to suck out every speck of dust and dirt, applying at least some of these methods will boost bedroom cleanliness.
- Vacuum and dust regularly. Because dust accumulates so easily and abundantly in the bedroom, in order to keep it from taking over, regular cleaning is a must. Aim to vacuum the space at least once a week (ideally twice), and tend to dust-collectors that you might not tend to as often in other rooms (such as draperies and shades). When changing out the sheets, it’s also a good idea to vacuum pillows and mattresses.
- Ventilate. Fresh air is one of the best (and perhaps the easiest) ways to keep dust from piling up. When airing the bed, open the windows if possible, and leave them open as long as you can. In tandem with this step, open any blinds or curtains to let in sunlight, which kills dust mites and helps preserve bedding and furniture.
- Forego heavy carpeting. Expansive, soft carpets and rugs might feel luxurious in any room, but they also collect lots of dust and are difficult to clean. Consider limiting the floor coverings to area rugs by the bed (so that no one has to step onto a cold floor after waking up!). They are easier to clean and can double as a creative design element in the room. Having less carpeting also makes it easier to keep the temperature and humidity down, which is better for healthy sleep. (This concept also applies to heavy draperies and curtains.)
- Keep things off the bed. I see little wrong with folding clean laundry on a bed, but plopping a weather-beaten suitcase on the blankets is not so harmless. The more items allowed on the bed (purses, coats, shoes, lunchboxes…), the harder it is to keep it clean. Ideally, the only thing in contact with sheets and blankets is a person ready for sleep. Of course, that ideal is often unattainable, so if you must place things on the bed, try keeping a bedspread or other covering on the bed during the day to protect the actual bedding, remove it at night when going to sleep, and wash it regularly.
Resources
“How to Make A Bed | Interior Design,” Kinwoven (Robeson Design)
“How to Make a Bed: Bed Making Tutorial & Other Great Bed Tips,” Melissa Maker (Clean My Space)
“Should You Flip or Rotate Your Mattress?” Daniel Noyed (Sleep Foundation)
“The Cave of Nakedness,” Cheryl Mendelson (Home Comforts)
