Making a bed means layering bedding on a mattress in an order that protects each layer and keeps you comfortable. A fully made bed has 7 layers, from the bottom up: mattress topper, mattress protector, fitted sheet, duvet, duvet cover, pillow protector and pillowcase. The protectors sit under the layers you wash every week, so everything beneath them stays clean.
What order do bedding layers go in?
Bedding layers go in this order, from the mattress up: mattress topper, mattress protector, fitted sheet, duvet inside its duvet cover, then pillows inside pillow protectors and pillowcases. The topper and protector change how the bed feels and keep it clean. The sheet, cover and pillowcases are the layers you wash.
- Mattress topper. A 5 cm or 10 cm mattress topper goes straight onto the mattress and changes how soft the bed feels. Hook its corner straps under the mattress so it stays flat.
- Mattress protector. A protector goes over the topper and the mattress together. A waterproof mattress protector stops spills and accidents reaching the layers you can't easily wash.
- Fitted sheet. The fitted sheet goes over everything below it. With a topper on, you'll need an extra deep fitted sheet with a pocket deep enough for the mattress, topper and protector together.
- Duvet. Choose the duvet by warmth. Our duvets and mattress toppers run from 1 tog for summer to 15 tog for cold winter rooms.
- Duvet cover. The cover goes over the duvet and is what you see on the bed. Our duvet cover sets come with matching pillowcases, from single to emperor.
- Pillow protector. A zipped protector goes straight onto each bed pillow and keeps sweat and dust out of the filling. Our pillow protectors zip shut along the full width.
- Pillowcase. The pillowcase goes over the protector. Use the ones from your duvet cover set, or plain pillowcases in a colour that suits it.
A throw or bedspread can go over the top as an eighth layer, for warmth on cold nights or simply for the look.
Does a mattress topper go under the protector?
Yes, a mattress topper goes under the mattress protector. Putting the protector on top keeps sweat, spills and dust out of the topper as well as the mattress, and a topper is harder to wash than a protector. The protector needs to be deep enough to cover both.
The one exception is a waterproof protector you've put on to protect the mattress itself, for example under a child's bed. In that case the order is mattress, waterproof protector, topper, then a second protector over the topper if you want it kept clean too. Our guide to 5 cm vs 10 cm mattress topper thickness explains how much height each topper adds to the stack.
Does a pillow protector go under the pillowcase?
Yes, a pillow protector goes under the pillowcase. The protector zips around the pillow itself and stays on, while the pillowcase goes over the top and comes off for washing each week. That way the pillow's filling stays clean, and the protector only needs washing every month or two.
A protector also helps a pillow last longer, because sweat and skin oils are what make a pillow go flat and yellow. If your pillows are already past saving, our guide on how to choose a pillow covers filling and firmness, and our duvet tog guide for each season helps with picking the duvet.
Written by the Adam Home team at Ensor Mill, Rochdale.
