Anybody have any ideas about how to buy sheets that last? We always wear out the fitted sheets first.
I have some good sheets and pillowcases I inherited from a late great-aunt in the rotation. They are the best. Unfortunately they are mostly twin sized and no one presently sleep in the one twin bed we have. DS has two sets that are made of cotton tshirt material he likes. I like a crisp texture. Any ideas?
Off topic I also got my aunt’s pie plates, rolling pin, and pastry cutter. She made the best pie.
I had the same problem with the fitted sheets wearing out first, which left me with a stack of flat sheets and no fitted sheets. Now I just use 2 flat sheets tucked under the mattress instead of a fitted sheet. Look up hospital corners if you want to see how to do it.
I do designate some sheets as top sheets and others as bottom sheets. The flat bottom sheets still get holes worn in them but I can rotate them so that the holes are covered and get longer use out of them than a fitted sheet.
So far I haven't had to buy any sheets since I started this system because I am still working my way through the stockpile of flat sheets that had accumulated, but I am told it is easy to find good quality flat sheets at thrift shops because everyone goes through fitted sheets faster.
As an added bonus the flat sheets stay in place better than the fitted sheets ever did.
Linen sheets are sturdier, but also an order more expensive. They are my preference for feel - also they don’t suck in water like cotton, which can lead to that mustiness of cotton sheets, especially if you have a stack in the closet.
I've always wanted to try a set of linen sheets but I balk at the price. I prefer smooth woven cotton sheets for summer and flannel for winter. I dislike knit (t-shirt material), anything very slippery such as satin, or polyester. I was gifted a set of knit bamboo sheets once. The bamboo performed surprisingly well but the knit was bleah.
Can you sew 2 of the inherited twin sheets together to make one queen-size sheet?
one could also convert a, say, queen size flat sheet to a queen size fitted sheet by making corners and sewing on elastic
while slower, it is feasible without a machine. with a machine, the task is trivial.
if the sheet isn't large enough by a lot, sew 2 together as advised by @shaz. If the sheet isn't large enough by a little, one could add extra fabric to the side of the sheet. Once transformed to a fitted sheet, the extra fabric will remain at the side rather than where you sleep.
this would vary by location, but what is the cost/benefit analysis on acquiring sturdy fabric and sewing the sheets yourself from scratch? Because it's all rectangles, it's some of the easiest sewing there is
I don't know anything about getting better sheets, but I do know an oldtimey alternative to fitted sheets: hospital corners.
With hospital corners you can get any flat sheet to stay on any shape of bed. Okay obviously the sheet has to be bigger than the bed size -- but the point is that it no longer needs to be perfectly matched in size the way fitted sheets need to be. It is a technique of folding the flat sheet such that it stays on a bed.
I knew about hospital corners before I knew exactly how to do them and youtube of course explained that.
I always buy duvet covers etc from John Lewis, not sure if they ship internationally but they last for decades. The sets I have now I bought 10 years ago and they are as good as new. According to the ingredients label they are 50% cotton and 50% polyester.
Thanks for the information. I am going to have to try the hospital corners. Do you think a queen flat will work on a queen bed with a deep mattress?
I hold DH mostly responsible he has very active legs while sleeping. It’s horrible when he has biked a lot he peddles like crazy in his sleep. I can even tell if he is peddling uphill or coasting.
We have a set of expensive linen sheets. DH isn’t a particularly fan. I love them for the first couple of days and then they just seem so wrinkly.
The best set we have are the flannel ones DH bought on clearance at Target.
How often do they wear out?
They last minimum 5 years in our household.
At $10-20 at most it’s a non-expense in our books…
They keys to make them last in my experience are (in order of importance)
1/ NEVER put them in a dryer
2/ don’t overwash them: we change them every week or so unless something happens
3/ we usually take our shower before we go to bed instead of in the morning. Electricity / water / etc is cheaper at night, we sleep better, we need to change beddings less often.
I have had three fitted sheets do this in the last eight or nine years. I am getting maybe two years out of them and I use the flannel set exclusively in the winter. None of these were ultra high end but not cheapies either. I think I keep ending up with sets because a single fitted sheet always seems to cost 2/3 what a new set does. I usually line dry and wash on the sheets cycle which is shorter than my normal cycle.
I use 2 flat queen size sheets to replace a fitted queen size sheet. I put one crosswise on the head end and the other crosswise on the foot end with a good bit of overlap in the middle. I'm sure it would be easier to use a single bigger sheet but a whole stack of queen size is what I have to work with.
@jacob I will keep the lone fitted sheets in mind should I find myself in need of more sheets.
