Q: I need to buy extra-long twin sheets that can accommodate an old-fashioned, 7-inch-high mattress on an automatic bed. The only sheets I can find are the ones that are sold for dorm beds, in colors I couldn’t use and cottons that are suitable for dorms. Do you know any avenue I might pursue?
— Betti Dulberger
Miami Beach, Fla.
A: A few retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond and mail-order companies Lands’ End and The Company Store sell higher quality extra-long sheets, but you’re probably not going to find them in the depth you need. Most manufacturers make their fitted sheets with deeper pockets now, simply because most mattresses have gotten thicker. Nevertheless, you can get a better fit by using mattress garters, which are elastic straps that attach to the corners of a fitted sheet to hold it more snugly to the mattress.
A better option, though, might be buying sheets designed specifically for adjustable beds. A few retailers that sell them are Golden Rest, www.goldenrest.net or 800-790-5117; Living in Comfort, www.livingincomfort.com or 866-765-8115; Bed Linens Etc., www.bedlinensetc.com or 800-776-9233; and Tall Paul’s Tall Mall, www.tallpaulstallmall.com or 866-350-7886.
You might also check with medical supply companies in your area. Typically they sell sheets for hospital beds, which have similar dimensions to adjustable beds.
Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.
