How to Keep a Fitted Sheet on the Bed – Problem Solved!

Does your fitted sheet end up halfway off the bed every morning? Same here—until recently!

After dealing with sheets that slid up, popped off, or bunched in the middle of the night, I finally decided it was time to fix the problem once and for all. And guess what? The solution is simple, affordable, and works like a charm.

The Problem

It was so simple to fix, I’m almost mad at myself for not doing it sooner! Every night, we’d go to bed with the fitted sheet tucked in perfectly. And like clockwork, a few hours later—there it was again—bunched up and crawling off the foot of the bed.

Now, we already have the deep-pocket kind, so size wasn’t the issue. I’d gotten into the habit of checking with my feet during the night to see if the sheet was still in place! And bless him, my husband has gotten up more times than he’d probably care to admit just to fix the sheet.

The Quick Fix That Finally Worked

After a quick internet search, we made a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond and picked up a set of fitted sheet straps. These handy little gadgets clip onto the sheets underneath the mattress—and that’s it. Problem solved! So easy.

How to Attach Sheet Smoothers

Now, these sorts of straps are nothing new. There are plenty of styles on the market, ranging from simple corner ties to 8-way attachments. My goal was to find something that worked without having to move the whole mattress off the bed.

Sheet Smoothers turned out to be just the thing. They attach to the sheet with a clip mechanism that reminded me of suspenders. Well—I say suspenders, but growing up, we called them galluses. I knew right away how to raise the little metal clamp, secure the teeth to the sheet, and lock it down. Easy enough!

Galluses and Jodhpurs: A Flashback

I had to wear galluses as a child—especially with these pants called Jodhpurs. Why my mother thought Jodhpurs were appropriate school clothes, I’ll never know. We did ride horses and a pony, but those snug-legged, baggy-seated pants weren’t exactly playground-friendly.

The elastic strap at the bottom went under your foot, and between that and the galluses pulling everything taut, it’s a wonder I didn’t take someone’s eye out. 😂

I had two pairs and hated them both. They were so tight down the legs, I couldn’t lift my foot high enough to get on the school bus. Mr. Leo Wallace, our kind bus driver, would actually get out of his seat and pull me up the steps. If anyone laughed at me, I didn’t notice—probably because I made it clear it wouldn’t be wise.

Galluses vs Suspenders

Curious, I looked up the difference between galluses and suspenders. Turns out, there really isn’t one. They’re all meant to hold your pants (or skirts) up. The terminology just varies—galluses in the South or from the French, braces in Britain, and suspenders in America.

Maybe there’s a little French heritage in the mix. 😉
What do you call them where you’re from?

The Solution

The problem of how to keep a fitted sheet on the bed was quickly solved with the help of these straps. So far, they’ve worked great! I’m even considering buying a second set to attach horizontally across the mattress for extra hold. They were so easy to put on, and I think the added support would be worth it.

Here’s a photo of the bed after we got up this morning—straps went on yesterday. What a difference!

Wrapping it Up

Well, I never thought I’d end up blogging about my bed—but here we are! If I was wondering, “Why won’t my fitted sheets stay on?” I figured I probably wasn’t the only one.

So go ahead and explore some sheet “galluses.” 😂 There are plenty of options out there, and honestly, they’re well worth a few dollars for a night free of crawling, bunching, slipping sheets.

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