A great bed is the fastest way to make a guest relax. It is also the thing they photograph and the thing they mention when it goes wrong. If you have not set up your sheet and towel system yet, start with How to Handle Linens and Towels Between Airbnb Guests.
Here is how we make beds at the rentals we turn over around Mansfield, Midlothian and the rest of the south DFW area, and how you can get the same look.
Start with the right layers
A hotel-style bed is built in layers, and each one has a job:
- Mattress protector: keeps spills and sweat off the mattress
- Fitted sheet: pulled smooth, with no wrinkles across the middle
- Flat sheet: the layer between the guest and the duvet, washed every stay
- Duvet or comforter: inside a cover you can wash, or laid on top of the flat sheet
- Pillows: two sleeping pillows per guest, plus optional decorative ones
- Throw or runner: a folded blanket across the foot of the bed finishes the look
Duvet covers are the easiest to keep clean, since the cover gets washed every time and the insert stays inside.
Smooth the fitted sheet
Start at one corner, pull the elastic all the way under the mattress, then go diagonally to the opposite corner. That keeps the sheet from shifting. Run your hand across the top to flatten any ripples. A deep-pocket fitted sheet is worth it if your mattress has a thick topper.
Before the fitted sheet goes on, look at the mattress protector. Wrinkles in the protector show through the sheet, and a stain on it means it needs to go in the wash too. Smooth it flat first and the rest of the bed goes faster.
Hospital corners on the flat sheet
Lay the flat sheet with the finished edge at the top, wrong side up, so when you fold it back the nice side shows. Tuck the foot of the sheet under the mattress. At each corner, lift the side of the sheet into a triangle, tuck the hanging part under, then drop the triangle and tuck it in. It takes a minute to learn and looks crisp every time.
The duvet cover trick
Turn the cover inside out and reach inside to the far corners. Grab the two top corners of the insert through the cover, then shake the cover down over it like pulling on a sock. Button or zip it closed and shake it out once more.
Fold the top of the duvet down about a foot so the flat sheet shows a clean band. That fold is what makes a bed look made by a pro.
Pillows and the finishing touch
Put pillows in cases so the open end faces the outside of the bed, away from the center. Stand them up against the headboard or stack them flat, two per guest. Decorative pillows look good in photos, but keep them to two or three; guests end up throwing them on the floor anyway.
Finish with the throw folded across the foot of the bed and a smooth hand pass over everything.
The hair check
Before you move on, look at the bed from a low angle with the light behind it. Hair, lint and pet fur show up that way. Check pillows, the fold of the duvet and the floor beside the bed. This is the single most common bedroom complaint, and it takes ten seconds to prevent.
Bunk beds, sofa beds and trundles
Extra sleeping spots need the same care. Bunk beds are easier with fitted sheets and a zip-up duvet cover. Sofa beds should be stored made, with clean sheets inside, or with a labeled linen set right next to them so guests are not hunting. Check trundles even if the last guest count says nobody used them. Kids find them.
Want beds made like this every turnover?
We strip, wash, remake and stage every bed that was used, then send you photos. Request a quote and we will reply, usually the same day.
Get a free quoteKeep it the same every time
Pick one way of making the bed and stick to it so every guest gets the bed in your listing photos. Take a photo of each made bed and keep it in the owner’s closet as the standard. If more than one person cleans your rental, that photo is what keeps the look from drifting. It also makes your listing honest, since guests walk in and see exactly the bed they booked. In a hot Texas summer, consider swapping a heavy comforter for a lighter quilt and keeping the warmer layer folded in the closet for cold snaps. To see how bed-making fits into a full turnover, visit our Airbnb cleaning service page.