If you've yearned to have a bedroom that rivaled a luxury hotel, we have the easiest trick to take your bed-making from mediocre to marvellous without tweaking your back or your wrists.
A viral trend to use a spatula to tuck in the corners of your bedding easily makes light work of heavy mattress corners for a 10/10 tucked-in result, and when I gave it a go, it was really effective.
We all want to know how to make a bed that looks hotel-worthy, so our cleaning and organization experts explain how to utilize this viral trend to transform your bed to look fit for a luxury hotel in a matter of minutes.
What is the spatula bed-making viral hack?
The humble spatula, even if it is as pretty as this one, will help you tuck in the corners of your bedding into the bed frame, leaving it looking neat, crisp and like a luxury hotel with minimal effort, bending or physical effort.
Cara Palmer, professional organizer and founder of Organize Every Room, explains, 'As a professional home organizer, I’ve worked with many clients who struggle with making their beds, especially those with limited mobility or chronic pain.'
'The spatula hack is a clever workaround – it helps you get that tightly tucked, hotel-style finish without lifting a heavy mattress, which can strain your back, arms, or wrists.'
Is it really as simple as using a spatula? Yes, according to Scott Schrader, cleaning expert at CottageCare. He says, 'Using a spatula to make beds is a great hack for many of the same pain points faced by everyone from professional cleaners to the average homeowner.'
How to do the spatula tuck
Using this fabulous TikTok hack to create hotel-style bed-making is easy; all you need is a basic spatula. According to Steve, you can use your kitchen spatula which was most likely bought for baking. Target's affordable soft grip nylon solid turner in gray will do the job.
'It shouldn’t be a problem if you use one from your kitchen (of course, make sure the bed sheets are clean and wash your spatula afterwards). Essentially, the spatula becomes a lever and an extension of your hands, and you no longer have to bend your back as much.'
'Choose a long, smooth-edged spatula or a bed-making tool, such as a sheet tucker designed specifically for this purpose,' suggests Cara. 'These tools slide easily between the mattress and box spring to help you tuck sheets firmly in place. It’s a small trick that makes a big difference in both comfort and the final look.
@apieceofmyglamhome Use a clean spatula to tuck your sheets/duvet without break your 💅 or back 👍🏼
♬ original sound - Everything iriswsa
Walmart have a a good selection, we particularly love the NiHome mattress bed making tool, it's a good size – larger than a kitchen spatula – and is made from high-quality teak wood. For a longer reach, Amazon's extra-long bed sheet tucker is said to protect your back and nails.
Depending on the look you want to create, you can use it in a couple of ways. Firstl,y push the sheet down to fully cover the mattress and use the spatula to help with the corners too, this works with both fitted and flat sheets.
Then, if you like the 'tucked in duvet/blanket' look, use it again to tuck the edges into the base of the bed, move all around until it's all fully pushed in for that hotel-style style.
Benefits of using a spatula to tuck in bedding
Rhonda Wilson, quality lead cleaner at FreshSpace Cleaning, believes it can really transform the bed-making process, especially ifyou live alone and don't have a second set of hands around – it allows you to finish it solo.
'Thick memory foam mattresses leave zero room to grab underneath – there’s barely any space between the mattress and the frame, and trying to squeeze your fingers in there feels so tight. A spatula perfectly fits. Add to this that mattresses are not light and lifting to tuck in your best bed sheets can wear out your back fast, doing the trick will save so much time and energy.'
There's also the factor that professional cleaners welcome such a hack, Scott explains, 'Many people have chronic back, arm, or wrist pain caused by frequently lifting heavy mattresses in their daily jobs (hotel maids, professional organizers, etc.) or awkwardly stuffing sheets, hoping to achieve the crisp, hotel-like, look.'
It's also for those who have limited mobility, Scott adds, 'This method is perfect for those who could benefit from minimizing repetitive strain injuries and maximizing movement ergonomics.'
But does it have cons, too? Not really, which is rather unusual. You do still need to be able to bend down, but not as much as before.
'It works for most beds, as long as the bed frame allows you to tuck your bedsheets, either pushing forward or down,' says Steve Evans, owner of Memphis Maids. It's worth investigating the best places to buy bed frames and what suits you best, not just for being able to create a fabulous tuck, but for supporting your sleep position too.
Who is it good for?
'It's excellent for those who have back issues,' explains Steve. 'Bending your back when tucking in sheets is one of the most painful movements you can make, especially as you get older or if you do it over time. That’s why many people hire a cleaning service (among other benefits) it’s to avoid having back pain after 2-3 hours of cleaning.'
Sometimes these simple movements that we frequently make can have the most effect on our bodies at the best of times, and if you have mobility issues, it's even tougher. Steve agrees, 'You realize simple tasks get a lot more complicated. Think about the fact that mattresses are quite heavy and hard to lift up while you’re trying to tuck in sheets with the other hand.'
This method makes bed-making quicker, the simple act of having a tool to tuck in with that gives a speedy result and looks great is definitely worth trying, whether you're doing it for your home or it's your job.
I tried tucking in my bedding with a spatula
Whilst I don't have back issues, I did recently hurt my wrist, which means at certain angles I get sharp pain along the side of my hand to my wrist. So this method was definitely something I wanted to try.
My mattress, although not new – I should probably be looking into how often you should replace your mattress – or a heavy foam style design, is still pretty hard to lift up on my own.
I usually struggle with tucking in the under blanket I have on top of my mattress, pushing the sheet down at the ends of the bed.
I only had a basic spatula, so I gave that a try and it with both. I was thrilled as I always found it hard to get my fingers between the spaces.
Verdict: 10/10
Who knew a simple spatula could be so useful?
Shop these buys to help make your bed hotel worthy
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
This very handy tool lifts and holds the mattress up whilst you tuck in the sheet. Ideal for those heavier mattress that are hard to lift, you can use it to remove the sheet too. It can hold the mattress 4 inches high which really helps the bed-making process and helps to give a cleaner, crisp finish once your sheet is in place.
Keep those pesky sheets from pulling up and moving about by using these adjustable triangle bed sheet holders. You get one for each corner, and you clip them to the sheet and under each corner. Ideal for sheets that tend to sag a little, these keep them tight and in place perfectly.
Give your sheets and duvet the once over once fitted with this hand held steamer. With a heat up team of less than 30 seconds you can give your bedding a hotel-chic appearance in no time. It has 15 minutes of continuous steam which is plenty of time for a quick spruce up.
Meet the experts
After discovering this fabulous hack and my bed finally looking neater every day, my next mission is to looking into any bedding mistakes I might be making.
