How to Fold a Hospital Corner

Fold the corners of your bedding like a professional. A hospital corner keeps sheets and blankets in place better than any other method. Just follow these steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flat sheet or blanket

1. Place sheet or blanket on the bed with equal amounts of fabric hanging over the two sides and at least 12 inches hanging over the mattress at the foot of the bed.

2. Tuck the bottom of the sheet or blanket under the mattress. Lift the mattress with the hand closest to the head of the bed and position the sheet; go to the other side of the bed and lift the mattress in the same manner, while pulling tightly before tucking the fabric under the mattress.

3. Grasp the corner formed by the overlapping fabric with the hand closest to the head of the bed. Pull the corner tightly and diagonally at the same time. Rest the hand on the top of the bed; be sure the fabric is tight enough to form a triangle with the fabric.

4. Tuck in the portion of the fabric below the bottom of the mattress while holding the corner or top of the triangle firmly in place.

5. Drop the corner you've been holding on top of the bed, making a mitered fold.

6. Tuck in the fabric hanging below the mattress.

Tips & Warnings

• The key to the art of folding a hospital corner is to pull and tuck with authority. However, don't tug too firmly on weak or worn sheets.
• Some people find that a hospital corner is too tight for their feet; simply undo Step 6 to fold a half-hospital corner for more comfort.
• If you're using a blanket, fold the hospital or mitered corner with the sheet and blanket together, rather than a separate hospital corner for each piece.

[ouchpot80]

on 11/15/2009 While your steps are no doubt intended to be clear, I've been through enough instruction workshops to know that a spoofer could have a great time with them. For instance, in Step 3, you say to:

"Grasp the corner formed by the overlapping fabric with the hand closest to the head of the bed. Pull the corner tightly and diagonally at the same time."

The spoofer would hold the corner in the air, pulling it tightly upward and at a diagonal angle, so as to form a triangle.

You go on to say:

"Rest the hand on the top of the bed; be sure the fabric is tight enough to form a triangle with the fabric."

Here, the spoofer would simply lay his free hand on top of the bed, devoid of any bedding.

The spoofer's intent, you see, is to deliberately misinterpret the directions in order to demonstrate how easily they can be misinterpreted. Sadly, your directions lend themselves to this so...