4 Easy Ways to Stop Fitted Sheets From Coming Off

Fitted sheets come off mattresses for two reasons: the sheet is slightly too small for the mattress (common with deep pillow-top mattresses), or the elastic has worn out.

You can fix both without buying new sheets. Here are the four methods that actually work, ranked from quick DIY to permanent solution.

Safety Pin

The cheapest option.

Pin the fitted sheet to the mattress cover or to itself at the corners.

Costs nothing if you already have safety pins.

Won’t damage the sheet if you use stainless-steel pins (rust-proof) and pin through the elastic band at the corner, not through the sheet fabric itself.

How to Use Safety Pins

1. Put the fitted sheet on the mattress as usual.
2. At each corner, locate the elastic band inside the sheet.
3. Pin the elastic band to itself, not to the mattress cover. This tightens the corner without damaging the sheet.
4. Use 2-3 pins per corner for extra hold.

Works for most situations. Check the pins once a month to make sure none have opened up.

Stretch Straps

Stretch straps (also called sheet suspenders) are elastic bands that clip to the corners of the fitted sheet and pull it tight underneath the mattress. More reliable than safety pins because they add new tension, they don’t just hold existing tension in place.

This is the method I recommend for most people. Cheap, reusable, works on any mattress size.

How to Use Stretch Straps

1. Put the fitted sheet on the mattress.
2. Clip one strap to each corner of the fitted sheet.
3. Pull the strap underneath the mattress diagonally to the opposite corner and clip.
4. Repeat with the other two corners. The straps form an X underneath the mattress, pulling all 4 corners taut.

Takes about 60 seconds once you’ve done it twice. Tighten the straps every few months as the elastic stretches.

Bedsheet Suspenders

Bedsheet suspenders are a variation of stretch straps: they run along the top of the mattress (hidden under the sheet) instead of diagonally underneath. The advantage is they’re faster to install and don’t require lifting the mattress.

Same brand as stretch straps usually; most “sheet suspender” packages actually contain stretch straps plus longer suspender straps for the top surface.

How to Use Bed Sheet Suspenders

1. Put the fitted sheet on the mattress.
2. Clip suspenders to the short edges of the fitted sheet (head and foot of the bed).
3. Run the suspender straps across the top of the mattress under the fitted sheet.
4. Adjust the tension until the corners stay tucked.

Less effective than diagonal stretch straps for deep mattresses but quicker to set up.

Knotted Edge

The zero-equipment fix. If your fitted sheet is slightly too big, gather the extra fabric at each corner and tie it in a knot.

How to Use Knotted Edge

1. Remove the fitted sheet.
2. At each corner, pull the extra fabric together so the elastic edge forms a small pouch.
3. Tie the pouch into a simple knot close to the corner seam.
4. Put the sheet back on. The knots shorten the corner and keep the sheet tight.

Not elegant.

Will leave small lumps you might feel through the sheet.

Use this as a temporary fix while you wait for stretch straps to arrive.

Conclusion

For a permanent fix, buy stretch straps. Five dollars and 60 seconds of installation keeps fitted sheets tight for months before you need to re-tension them.

For a temporary fix tonight, safety pins on the corners will get you through the night. Knot the extra fabric if you don’t have pins.

If the elastic is fully worn out (the sheet won’t grip at all), stretch straps will fix it. But if the fitted sheet is also too small for the mattress, you need a new sheet or to replace the elastic, which is a tailoring job.