How to Make "Hospital Corners" — The Styling Method for Flat Sheets That Makes Your Bed Look Elevated

Who said bed making needs to be boring? Making the bed with hospital corners is far from a snooze-fest, with its clean lines and crisp finish — it's almost like bringing the hotel feel into your own home. I recently stumbled upon this technique and well you know what happened next...I had to try it myself to see if it really made a difference.

So, what exactly are hospital corners? Professional organizer Ben Soreff from House to Home Organizing, tells us: 'Hospital corners are a technique for making a bed that involves creating various folds at the end of the bed. These folds are at a diagonal angle and very tight. The goal of using hospital corners to make sure the sheets (or blankets) do not easily come off the bed or bunch up'.

As you journey through learning how to style a bed, it's important to find out what works best for you and your space. Here's how you can make hospital corners — following these simple steps.

How to Make Hospital Corners

If you're looking for the secret to a relaxing bedroom, as well as a stress-free one, then hospital corners may just be your saving grace. After trying this technique out for myself, I would definitely recommend you give this a go — especially if you're seeking a more organized and tidy bedroom

Di Ter Avest, Home and Lifestyle Professional Organizer from Di Organized tells me: 'This technique gives a bed a crisp and polished look, making the room appear tidy and well-kept. The tightly tucked sheets can provide a smoother sleeping surface, enhancing comfort. A well-made bed enhances the overall appearance of a room, promotes a sense of order and discipline, and can contribute to a more restful and comfortable sleep environment'.

Without further ado, here's how I created hospital corners — using 5 easy steps.

1. Place a flat sheet onto the bed

One of my biggest bed making mistakes was not trying this method out sooner and now that I have tried it, there is no going back!

Ken Doty COO and Cleaning Expert at The Maids says the first step to creating hospital corners is: 'Begin by placing a flat sheet on your bed, make sure it drapes smoothly on all sides'.

For the first step, I choose to double up and use my red and white cotton sheets as I love layering.

2. Tuck sheet at the foot of the bed

As Ken suggested, I then went to 'secure the bottom edge of the sheet under the mattress foot'.

The expert says for this step it's best to 'focus on one corner near the bed's foot'. I started with the left side corner before moving onto the right.

3. Fold the sheet along the side

Next up, Ken tells me to 'lift the sheet to create a 45-degree angle with the bed's edge' and then 'fold the part of the sheet that hangs down along the bed's side'.

If you want clean lines, ensure you 'maintain the 45-degree angle and fold the top part of the sheet over the bed's side'.

4. Straighten and tighten

'Fold this section tightly under the mattress, forming a crisp crease,' says Ken.

In order to get a crisp finish and hospital corner line on the side of the bed, I had to pull onto the sheet to straighten out the fabric. This then allowed me to straighten up my line on the corner of my mattress.

Remember, this method works well for both cotton and linen sheets.

5. Remove any creases

Last but not least, Ken says to remove creases to get that clean and finished look on your bed.

To do this, 'run your hand over the sheet to smooth out any creases and make sure it's tight,' Ken adds. Yes, it's as simple as that!

Now as you can see, mine is nowhere near perfect, but I must admit — I loved the process of this bed styling trick and the outcome.

Tips for Making Hospital Corners

It's time to bring your modern bedroom ideas to life by embracing different techniques to spruce up your space.

We asked Di Ter Avest Home and Lifestyle Professional Organizer to share some tips on getting the best out of creating hospital corners. She tells us: 'To ensure you have an easy time making your bed, you can try using crisper sheets to hold folds better and create a sharper appearance'.

Di adds: 'While this technique may look perfect, and the more you practice, the better your bed will look, it is okay if your bed doesn't look like that every day. It is understandable that we have busy routines, and a bed made (however that might look for you) is better than not making it at all'.

Ken DotyCOO and Cleaning Expert at The Maids says if you want to get the best hospital corners on your bed, practice makes perfect. 'Practice! This is a challenging technique that will take time to master. Watch video demonstrations as there is no better way to learn than to see a visual representation'.

However, Ben Soreff from House to Home Organizing notes: 'Using hospital corners takes take time and may not be the most important goal if you are in a hurry, the most important goal would be to make the bed'.

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