I’ll be the first person to admit that I don’t make my bed every day. But absolutely nothing beats the feeling of climbing into a crisp, clean bed at night.
Navy Seal William McRaven famously said, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” He’s talking about setting your intentions for the day and how accomplishing one small task can inspire you to move on to the next one and the next one. We like to call that the cleaning snowball effect. And at GoCleanCo, we see how this effect can translate into a cleaner, calmer living space across your home.
The problem is that most people have never been taught how to PROPERLY make a bed. And, even if they have, they HATE doing it. Listen, I get it. But once you figure out how to make your bed the correct way, you’ll become addicted to the way it looks and feels.
With all of that being said, let’s talk about how to make your bed, the @gocleanco way.
Step 1: Strip the bed
Start with a clean slate. Remove all the bedding and give it a good wash using Powdered Tide. If you want to go the extra mile, you could strip your bedding (see laundry stripping article here) to really get everything extra clean.
Step 2: Vacuum your mattress.
When it comes to the “nastiest” parts of your home, I’d imagine your mind immediately jumps to toilets, sinks, floors, or that repulsive wall of boogers in your son’s room. But, truth be told, your mattress – yes, the thing you sleep on – is at the top of the list.
If you were to look at your mattress fibers with a microscope, you’d find all sorts of unspeakable things, including dust mites, hairs, and allergens. It’s been reported that the average human produces up to 26 gallons of sweat in bed per year, making your mattress one large sponge.
The modern mattress has been described as an ideal fungal culture medium that may contain allergens, fungal spores (such as Penicillium, Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Aspergillus), bacteria (skin, oral, fecal… okay, we’ll stop there), chemicals, food, cosmetics, and more.
So grab your vacuum and suck up as much of that crap as you can. You aren’t going to get it perfectly clean with a vacuum, but you can certainly get a lot of the surface-level mess cleared away.

Step 3: Get those sheets on
Now that everything is clean, it’s time to put everything back together. This part is quicker with a partner, but it’s just as doable on your own.
- Start by placing the fitted sheet on the mattress.
- Then lay out the flat sheet evenly over the bed, with the large hem running along the head of the bed and draping evenly over the sides.
- Face the finished side down so that you will see that pretty edge when you fold it over at the end.
- At the foot of the bed, slightly lift the mattress and tuck in the fabric that hangs over this edge. (If you’d like to incorporate hospital corners, pull up about an 8-inch section of your flat sheet at a 45-degree angle, then fold it over the corner, and tuck it all in on the sides. This will give you nice, tight corners. (The #cleaningarmy is torn whether this fold should go over the foot of the bed or the side of the bed. You do you.)

Step 4: Layer it like a 7-layer dip
The next step is to layer on your blankets, duvets, and pillows. Fold over the top 2-3 feet of all the layers, including your top sheet, so it looks all inviting. Fluff up your pillows and make sure they are completely in their shams, all the way to the corners.
Have fun with it! We’re really trying to spruce this thing up. The bed is always going to be the centerpiece of a bedroom – the focal point, if you will. A messy or puny looking bed makes the room feel more “interstate motel” than “penthouse suite.” Fluff this thing to the nines.
The more layers you have, the more luxurious you will feel crawling into bed at night. And likely, the more annoyed your partner will be at the number of pillows they have to remove to get in… but again, whatever floats your boat.

Step 5: (optional) Hotel Chocolate
This last step is the piece de resistance. If you’ve ever had the luxury of a GoCleanCo house clean, you’ll know that they always pop chocolate on your bed to make it feel like you’ve gotten the 5-star hotel treatment. Of course, this is optional, but it’s such a fun touch.
Pro tip: If there are dogs in the house, we skip this step for safety reasons.
Chocolate is just our touch – maybe you have something else that brings you joy? For example, if you have a flower garden in your backyard, try placing a freshly cut flower on the bedspread (or in a vase on the end table). The point is to add that little touch of personality and attention to detail that makes you smile.
Want More GoCleanCo Tips?
There’s a snowball effect to cleaning and tidying your home – and you can get that ball rolling first thing in the morning by making your bed. But don’t stop there!
To learn all of our cleaning methods, take GoCleanCo Basic Training! This 75-minute interactive course will take you through the step-by-step techniques we use for each room, including in-depth printable checklists and a breakdown of the exact supplies we recommend. Get started here!
For a list of our favorite products, click here.
– Becky @ GoCleanCo
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gocleanco
Jun 3
Here’s the new ‘do. 💁🏼♀️ Low maintenance, how I prefer everything in life. Go follow my big sis @hairhouseyeg —-they do hair tutorials (for you ladies who aren’t on the 🕰️ app) with simple clear instructions just like I show you how to clean toilets! The plot twist is that she and her business partner are both high school Cosmetology teachers, but they also own a salon together, so they legit know how to teach! #shorthair
gocleanco
Jun 1
Your toilet isn’t wrecked! We gotchu. #cleaning
gocleanco
May 31
I’m in the hot seat answering your burning questions on @downy Rinse & Refresh! I’ve been using the new @downy Rinse & Refresh for a while now, and this stuff is so good at making your fabrics fresh on the daily. Odors get trapped in fabric because we have a residue (like minerals, hard water, or body oils) coating the fabrics. @downy Rinse & Refresh breaks down the residues and helps eliminate the odors. You put it in the fabric softener dispenser cup and wash with your regular detergent (I use Tide in case you are new around here). Plus, it is safe for all washable fabrics. I just used it on my musty towels and it blew my mind! What have you tried Rinse & Refresh on? Tell me in the comments! #ad #downypartner #odorisnttheend
gocleanco
May 23
Petition to have all toilet seats removable from now until the end of time. Sign below ⬇️ #cleaningtips
gocleanco
May 21
Needed this to live on the feed forever cause you folks ask me about it everyday. This is the @malibucpro hard water treatment I use on my hair. If you have super hard water, it sticks to your hair just like your shower doors. It makes your hair coated and feel like straw—your shampoo doesn’t work as well and your hair feels limp and lifeless. It’s super to easy to use, you can do it at home and it’s safe for highlighted/colour treated hair. Linked it up in both our Amazon storefronts and on stories. @hairhouseyeg 💁🏼♀️ #hairtutorial
gocleanco
May 12
Dawn Platinum means serious business. Did you know that 3 bottles of the leading non-concentrated dish liquid equals ONE bottle of Dawn Platinum? @dawndishwash has a powerful formula to help you get through more dishes with less product, which will save you some moola plus you can use it outside of the kitchen! Dawn Platinum cleans windows and BBQ grills, tire rims…anywhere you need to fight a greasy mess, you can reach for Dawn Platinum. We love Dawn Ultra around here, but Dawn Platinum is even more concentrated so it’s the best grease-cutting you can get. You know it works on dishes but where else are you using Dawn, outside of the kitchen sink? Share your best stories below so I can test them out! #ad #dawnpartner
gocleanco
May 9
If you give a Mom a coffee…😵💫 ☕️ Don’t overdo it this week leading up to your big “day off”. #happymothersday
gocleanco
May 3
April in nutshell. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Apr 28
dump scare > jump scare 🫣
gocleanco
Apr 27
DING 🛎️ DING 🛎️ DING 🛎️ If you guessed: Spray Tan Residue, you win 5 gold ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and bragging rights to your friends. #dontdothisathome
gocleanco
Apr 26
You each get one guess: GO! #springcleaning
gocleanco
Apr 17
Check out my IG Live on Wednesday—I'll be chatting with P&G dishwashing scientist, Morgan Eberhard, to answer all your burning questions about the new Cascade Platinum Plus. Remember…the dishwasher pod that blew all your minds a couple weeks ago?! It’s the solution we have all been waiting for; cabinet-ready dishes without pre-rinsing or the need to dry them out of the dishwasher. My DM’s were DEEP when I showed you Cascade Platinum Plus in action and tbh, I didn’t think loading the dishwasher could get so many people steamed up! Drop your questions below so we can answer them on the live with Morgan. She knows her stuff —she’s a legit 👩🏼🔬 folks. #sponsored #cascadeplatinumplus #cascadepartner
gocleanco
Apr 15
Happy National Laundry Day! Not sure why we need a national day for laundry since we do it everyday but hey hey I’m always in the mood to hug a box of tide so here we are! Anyways, in celebration of Laundry Day, we have a blog post all about my new washer and dryer to answer your pressing questions. It will live on the blog so you can go back and check when (touch wood) your machine kicks the bucket. Link is in our bio to read! #laundryday
gocleanco
Apr 13
Nothing like a few before and afters to get your asses motivated! Remember you can start one drawer a day and build from there if you don’t know where to start. Also, try to rope in some friends to help you—6 hands are better than one! Pick a designated day each week for about a month and get everyone together and tackle projects around your homes together. It’s way more fun to clean/organize someone else’s house. Trust me, I made a business out of it. 😉 #springcleaning
gocleanco
Apr 12
Vacuum round up and break down of how they made it into our Amazon Storefront in stories today! We are also planning a Vacuum Fight Club…so drop your favs or the ones you want to see us test in the comments and I’ll hook us up.
gocleanco
Apr 2
#sponsored Did you know that household bleach is derived from sodium chloride - common table salt? During household use, it breaks down to mostly salt and water. Did you also know that you can use Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach to keep your flowers beautiful longer? Wearing gloves, add ¼ tsp. of Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach to every 1.27 L of water you use in the flower vase and stir well to mix. Make sure to trim off the end of each flower stem before arranging it, to increase absorption. Check your flowers weekly and refresh the water as needed. Just mix up a fresh batch of Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach and water solution. #yeahbleachdoesthat @clorox_canada
gocleanco
Apr 1
Wanted to catch y’all before you had breakfast. #cleaningmotivation
gocleanco
Mar 30
Some products you just have to see to believe. 🤯 Cascade Platinum Plus is a brand new product (you might have seen it on the shelves already) that is changing the GAME for your dishwashing routine. For years we’ve been doing work that really should be our dishwasher’s job! Spoiler alert: it’s not your dishwasher, it’s your dish detergent. TBH I was skeptical when @mycascade told me not to rinse and to let the dishes SIT OVERNIGHT BEFORE WASHING THEM but here we are. #sponsored #cascadepartner
gocleanco
Mar 29
It’s the final week of the Spring Cleaning Challenge! How y’all doing? Thrown in the towel yet?! 🫣 This round was fast and dirty (in the best way possible) and I’m telling ya—it feels like a fever dream 😮💨 😵💫 I’ll be recovering on my heating pad come Monday. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Mar 25
Spring cleaning isn’t over until we clean the windows. Sparkling windows make all the difference, you can actually see outside and let the sunshine in! I have a Spring Cleaning offer with @oceansalesltd up in my stories, it is a package deal with the AquaBLADE and the Carbon Tuff Cloths. Check it out! #sponsored