How to...Make a Bed Army Style

When joining the British Army, and starting basic training, you’ll be learning a lot of new things every day. One of the things you learn is how to keep your space clean and tidy. This is to help prepare you for when you're in environments that you share with lots of other people or equipment.

While training how to be a soldier you'll learn how to take care of all your tools and equipment, as well as working as a team, and this includes your bed and sleeping areas. Why not get a head start and learn how to make your bed Army style before you arrive by following this step-by-step guide.

Step 1 –Putting on your duvet cover

The first thing you’re going to do is put the duvet cover onto the duvet. Feed it through, making sure that each corner is right at the end. Give it a shake to make sure the duvet is flat within the cover and pull the flap over the duvet to hold it in. Now set it to one side.

Step 2 - Pillows

Just like your pillows at home, feed the pillow into the pillowcase making sure the first 2 corners are in the bottom corners of the pillowcase. Pull the rest of the case up and over the pillow, and then pull the inside flap over the pillow. Now put these aside as well.

Step 3 – Adding your bottom sheet

Next is adding your bottom sheet. Unlike the sheets are home these aren’t fitted so there’s no elastic on the edges as they are flat sheets. What we’re going to do is put the sheet down the centre of the mattress and make sure it is flat with equal amounts hanging over the top and bottom of the mattress. Then unfold the sheet over the sides of the mattress, making sure there is enough hanging over each side, approx. 6inch. Get the bottom of the sheet and tuck it under the foot of the mattress tightly.

Step 4 – Folding a hospital corner

Pinch the edge of the sheet in line with the bottom of the mattress and pull it out straight towards you. While holding the sheet at the corner of the mattress with your other hand, fold the edge up on top of the mattress while keeping it tight. Make sure you get a clean fold. Smooth it out. The remaining excess that’s hanging down gets tucked in underneath the mattress. Bring down the original edge, making sure it's nice and flat and then tuck that in as well.

You will then repeat this process on all corners of the bed until all the edges of the sheet are tucked in smoothly.

Step 5 – Adding pillows to the bed

Grab the pillows you made earlier. Put them on the bed and make sure you tuck in any excess pillowcase around the pillow. Place them at the top of the bed, making sure the crease end is pointing towards the door.

Step 6 – Putting your duvet on the bed

Grad the duvet you covered earlier. Put it lengthways across the bottom of the bed, so there isn’t any dover at the top near the pillows, making sure you have plenty hanging over the edges and at the bottom of the bed. This can take some time and practice. Smooth it out so it's nice and flat.

Fold the bottom of the duvet under the mattress. Then at the side of the bed tuck the overhanging duvet under the mattress, trying to get a nice clean straight fold at the corner. Repeat on the other side.

You have now made your bed Army style.