Ironing Your Fitted Sheets Is Easier Than Ever With This Simple Trick

Are you and your fitted sheets trapped in an eternal struggle whenever it comes time to freshen them up? Once they're washed and dried, ironing can be the point where some people just want to give up since these linens can be so tricky to lay flat or place on an ironing board. Instead of indulging in the struggle, why not put your clean fitted sheet on the bed, then iron it while the whole thing is stretched out and easy to access? That's what many people have found helps keep their sheets crisp and wrinkle-free, and you can get the job done quickly and efficiently by combining two steps: making your bed and ironing the fitted sheet there!

Instead of trying to force a fitted sheet onto any other flat surface, especially an ironing board which can only accommodate a portion of the sheet at a time, make up your bed and before adding your top sheet and comforter run your heated iron or steamer over the fitted sheet to get out all the crinkles. To get the best results, start at the middle of the sheet and work your way out to the corners. This will keep the edges wrinkle-free as you work across the sheet.

To get a really crisp finish, you can spray the fitted sheet with some water before ironing it, just make sure to test the temperature of your iron's heat on a smaller portion of the fabric to avoid damaging it. Once you have your settings ready, lightly mist the sheet and work out wrinkles that are easily noticeable now that it's stretched out. Try to avoid running the hot iron over any elastic, as this can compromise it and make it less effective over time. You can also steam rather than iron areas that are hard to reach, which will still help remove creases.

If you have a mattress protector it's best to take this off before attempting this helpful hack. Mattress covers are often made of material that shouldn't be combined with high temperatures, especially an iron. Since these are made to be waterproof, the heat could melt or warp them, so while it might mean an extra step at the end to remove your fitted sheet to replace the mattress cover, you won't compromise either in the end. The same goes for memory foam mattresses or those made with latex: it's best to avoid ironing on top of those. Standard mattresses work best with this trick but don't leave the heat on them for too long either.