You should make beds the same way you do other cleaning tasks—systematically. When you begin to make a bed, always remember to do two things first. Put on disposable gloves and check for any guest belongings left in the bed linens.

Why
Why is it important to make beds properly?

• to make the beds more comfortable for guests
• to give the beds a neat appearance
• to save time
• to help prevent injury when making the bed
• to prevent contamination of linens

How
How do you make a bed properly?

Prepare:

• Put on disposable gloves.
• Check for guests' personal belongings on the bedspread or sheets.

Strip the bed:

• Remove bedspread or comforter and the blankets.
  • Check their condition and replace them if they are soiled or torn.
  • Place them on furniture, never on the floor.
• Remove pillowcases.
  • Put them on the sheets.
  • Check condition of pillow protectors and replace them if they are soiled or torn.
  • Put pillows on the furniture with the bedspread or comforter and the blankets.
• Remove sheets and pillowcases.
  • Fold sheets inward without shaking them.
  • Keep soiled sheets away from your body and the clean linens.
  • Put soiled sheets in the proper place at once—never on furniture or on the floor.
  • Put wet, stained, or torn linens in a plastic bag and take them to the laundry as soon as possible.

Check the bed:

• Check bed pad and bed skirt and replace them if they are soiled or damaged.
• Check mattress and report to your supervisor at once if it is soiled or damaged.

After stripping the bed and before making it:

• Remove gloves and dispose of them.

Make the bed:

• Ensure the bed pad is properly attached.
• Get fresh linen in the appropriate size from the cart.
• Centre the bottom sheet with seams facing mattress:
  • Ensure tags are at the foot of the bed.
  • Check sheet for hairs, tears, or stains and replace, if necessary.
• Tuck in corners using square/hospital corners. (Check your house policy about which corners to tuck in.)

	1. Begin with the sheet centred and hanging loosely over the mattress.		4. Tuck in the front part of the flap at corner, making sure it is snug.
	2. Tuck in the sheet along the foot of the bed.		5. Pull the flap out toward you and down over the side of the bed.
	3. Hold the loose end of the sheet about 33 cm (1 foot) from the corner and hold it straight out, forming a flap. Pull the flap up so that it is flat and wrinkle free.		6. Tuck in the flap and make sure the corner is smooth and snug. Repeat the procedure on the other three corners.

• Tuck in sheet along side of bed so that it is smooth and snug.
• Spread top sheet over mattress so that top of sheet touches headboard. Be sure that seams face upward.
• Spread blanket over the top sheet:
  • Leave 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches, or about five fingers wide) between top of blanket and headboard.
  • Make sure seams face downward and tags are at foot of bed.
• If using triple sheeting, spread third sheet over blanket, tucking top of sheet under top of blanket.
• Fold first sheet back over blanket at headboard without folding the blanket.
• Tuck top sheet and blanket in together using hospital/square corners.
• Tuck in sheets and blanket along side of bed.
• Smooth out any wrinkles.
• Ensure bed skirt is hanging properly and looks neat.
• Put pillowcases on the pillows:
  • Ensure pillow protectors are entirely covered.
  • Fluff pillows and place them evenly at head of bed.
• Centre bedspread or comforter on bed:
  • Fold bedspread back from headboard with enough length to cover pillows.
  • Place pillows on bedspread.
• Fold bedspread over pillows. Tuck and smooth evenly without disturbing sheets and pillows.

Make other types of beds:

• Change or remove cots and cribs, or call for removal.
• Change hide-a-beds, if required.