There is a right way and a wrong way to put top sheets on the bed, but it’s a rule that was meant to be broken
Top sheets are an important piece of bedding; they keep your quilt cover cleaner for longer and provide a lighter layer for warmer weather. But there’s more to putting them on the bed than just laying them over the fitted sheet and tucking the ends in – there’s actually a correct way to do it.
This humble item is supposed to be put on the bed upside down. It may seem strange, especially if there is a print on it, but the idea is you fold a small section at the top over so the print is on display. It also means you can contrast this colour or pattern with your quilt by pulling this part of the sheet over your quilt.
The correct way to put top sheets on the bed is right side down, so when you fold them back the print is showing. iStock
It’s one of those home care tips not everyone is aware of, and you’ve probably been sleeping fine not knowing it. Not me, though, because I used to make my bed this way only to end up with a whole lot of top sheet over my face.
Over the years I’ve discovered my preference for bedding is to pull the sheet and quilt to a position over my shoulders that feels just right on the night. If I fold the top sheet over the correct way, there is way too much fabric for this habit.
So, I stopped doing the fold over, only to realise the decorative border was a little annoying to have touching my skin. That meant ditching the correct way to put on a top sheet and instead putting it right side up.
It feels wrong every time I do it, and yet when I sleep it just feels right.
You might wonder why I even bother with a top sheet if I’m just pulling all the layers up each night because, yes, the quilt on its own would be easier. But I will never ditch top sheets, because there are very good reasons for using them.
Washing quilt covers and the doona inside them is more of a chore than washing sheets – something people find so irritating they change them as infrequently as possible. Top sheets form a barrier between your body and the duvet that means you don’t need to wash them as often – just like T-shirts need washing more frequently than a cardigan.
When you sleep you’re shedding skin cells, sweating and potentially bringing in dirt that’s accumulated since your last shower. Then there’s any skincare products on your face and body that can rub off on bedding, and pet hair, if your pets sleep in or on your bed.
That’s why experts recommend washing them weekly, and no one wants to be lugging out their doona cover weekly and then try to get the doona back inside it. That’s why top sheets are a must-have because they’re so much easier to wash, dry and put back on.
And then there’s the comfort factor; in winter you can swap to a flannelette sheet if you need more warmth, and in summer you have a very light layer to use on hot nights. I, personally, find it easier to fall asleep with a top sheet covering me than nothing at all, as it seems to be a cue to my brain that I’m in bed.
So I will always use a top sheet on my bed – and, for now at least, it will always be on the wrong way because this rule is meant to be broken.
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