Slip sliding away
January 14, 2015 5:39 PM   Subscribe

My fitted sheet (bottom sheet) has a tendency to gradually get pulled off one side of the bed. This is because one side is closer to the wall, so all my getting in/out of bed and sleeping is on the other side. Is there a way I can stop this from happening, or at least slow it down?

Yes, I know I could just go pull the bottom sheet back into place every day (as if I were remaking the bed from scratch) but because it requires threading my way into the narrow space between bed and wall, I would rather not do this all the damn time.

Just to clarify, my problem is not with the corners coming off (though this will happen eventually if I don't tug back) so things like these are NOT what I am looking for. My problem is the long side from top to bottom. I have done some searching online and read suggestions about velcro, putting flannel sheets underneath to stop satin sheets slipping etc etc but nothing sounds like it will do the trick. Hope me, Mefites!

In case it is relevant, I have a queen-size mattress, use a mattress protector (it slips over as well) and sleep on normal cotton sheets, nothing really slippy like silk or satin.
posted by Athanassiel to Home & Garden (17 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Do you have a deep mattress? You might need deeper sheets.

They make those sheet suspenders that criss-cross under the bed. I had slippery sheets that used to come off and they helped a lot.
posted by radioamy at 5:45 PM on January 14, 2015 [2 favorites]


Have you tried the sheet straps you say you don't want? I find that they stretch pretty far. I would think you could secure them about a third of the way from the bottom and a third of the way from the top on the long side. That would hold the whole side on I would think, since only the middle third wouldn't be being pulled taut.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:48 PM on January 14, 2015 [5 favorites]


Could you use sheet suspenders along that one edge, and clip them to the bedframe?
posted by vendaval at 5:50 PM on January 14, 2015


The corner straps do a pretty good job of keeping the entire sheet stable. You can't really see it in the pictures but they're quite long and clip farther down the sheet than you'd expect. They're also less stretchy than the sheet corner, so you're not getting so much give from end-to-end on the sheet.

I use this kind. It's a $14 investment, it's worth trying to see if it solves the problem.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:07 PM on January 14, 2015 [4 favorites]


Best answer: I have successfully used these "bed grippers" before.
posted by misterbrandt at 6:25 PM on January 14, 2015 [5 favorites]


I too struggled with this annoyance. My solution has been to bag the fitted sheet entirely. Instead I bought just a flat sheet in a king size (my mattress is a queen). It drapes a good 8 inches below the mattress on the left and right side, and the bottom. I tuck it all in snugly, it stays firmly in place and I've never looked back.
posted by secrethandshake at 6:27 PM on January 14, 2015 [2 favorites]


my problem is not with the corners coming off (though this will happen eventually if I don't tug back) so things like these are NOT what I am looking for.

I do think they'll help, though, and I think you're dismissing them through not really understanding how well they work.. They don't just hold the corners on, but when stretched a decent amount (so they sit maybe 5 inches away from each corner) they maintain the integrity of the shape of the sheet and that keeps it on the bed much better. They pull the sides into the ends constantly, which would mean your exit side is being held by the tension of the far side of the sheet (via the two straps each end). So, in order for your exit side sheet to slide away from the bed, the far side would have to be pulled onto the top of the mattress (because it moves, not stretches), which the back two straps prevent.

Does that make sense? I strangely feel the need to draw a diagram, but it works.
posted by Brockles at 8:14 PM on January 14, 2015 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Seconding the bed grippers. They work infinitely better than the corner sheet suspenders for this problem. I've tried both.
posted by MsMolly at 8:30 PM on January 14, 2015


I actually get sheets in one size larger for this reason.
posted by Toddles at 9:47 PM on January 14, 2015


Are you by any chance using those cotton knit ("jersey"/t-shirt material) sheets? Because those are the only ones I've had this sort of problem with, presumably because of the way they stretch. The regular woven cotton ones don't do this on my bed.
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:16 PM on January 14, 2015


Response by poster: Nope, no jersey sheets. Normal cotton, non-stretchy, non-slippery. I must be talented.
posted by Athanassiel at 10:28 PM on January 14, 2015


I have this problem too, and when I use sheets with deeper pockets, it's a MUCH more gradual slide. My really good sheets wrap around the bottom of the mattress by several inches at least. They can go a good two weeks without adjustment.
posted by ktkt at 2:46 AM on January 15, 2015 [1 favorite]


Best answer: The bed grippers linked above definitely do work. I find them to be a huge PITA to attach, especially on the side of the bed against the wall where there's least maneuverability.

My solution: binder clips!
Play around with how best to grab the sheet and that ridge of mattress fabric, and use a scrap of fabric or rubberized no-slip stuff (like rug grip, drawer liner, or whatever you have kicking around the utility room) if you're concerned that the metal clip will rub away at your lovely sheets.
posted by aimedwander at 7:23 AM on January 15, 2015 [2 favorites]


I had a similar problem but the pulling was due to the person sleeping on that side constantly rolling over in the direction that pulled the sheet out. My solution was to sew a 1 x 2 foot strip (cut out of an old sheet) about halfway down the long side of the sheet, right at the edge, and then tuck the strip between the top & bottom mattresses. Works in my case because the person's weight on that side of the bed traps the strip. If you don't have somebody on that side, you might need to make it longer (to go further between the mattresses). (the 1 foot edge was sewed, and the 2 foot side tucked under).
posted by achrise at 7:34 AM on January 15, 2015 [1 favorite]


We have a similar issue and the corner straps weren't really cutting it. We just deal with it right now, but I am planning to try longer straps that goes from the top and bottom and side to side. In your case, you might just need one or two from side to side.
posted by soelo at 8:04 AM on January 15, 2015


Response by poster: I hit on the binder clip/bulldog clip solution after figuring out how those bed gripper things work. I already had the clips, so no problem if it didn't work, but it did. Easy to put on and take off, keep the sheet where I want it and no one's sleeping on that side except the kitten, who doesn't care about the oh-so attractive office supplies on the bed!
posted by Athanassiel at 11:38 AM on January 15, 2015


I tried binder clips and they went flying. If you have more than one layer of covers on your mattress, you might want to consider what I do - I have a heated mattress pad, and a quilted mattress pad over that, and then my bottom sheet, and I use a couple of the grippers on each layer - if the mattress pads are anchored, the sheet moves very little, but with a couple of grippers holding it, it's set.
posted by lemniskate at 3:19 PM on January 15, 2015


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