How to get the guest bed ready for Christmas, so your visitors sleep as well as they do at home

The guest bed spends most of the year doing nothing. It lives in the box room or the study, or it is the sofa bed in the lounge. Then December comes and someone sleeps in it three nights running. That is when you find out the fitted sheet does not fit, there is only one pillow, and the box room drops to 14°C overnight.

The short version: measure the mattress, choose the duvet by how warm the room is, put out two pillows per guest and keep two sets of bedding. Wash everything a week ahead so it has time to dry.

1. Measure the mattress, even if you think you know the size

Guest beds rarely come in standard sizes. A sofa bed mattress is often 140 x 190 or 120 x 190 cm, a fold-out bed is usually 80 or 90 cm wide, and an airbed is anyone's guess. Measure the width, length and depth.

Depth decides which fitted sheet you need. Our standard bamboo fitted sheets fit mattresses up to 30 cm deep and have elastic all the way round. If the sofa bed or fold-out mattress is only about 10 cm thick, a topper fitted sheet will sit far more snugly, because it is made for that depth.

Our sizes are European, in centimetres. A UK double (135 x 190 cm) takes our 140 x 200 cm fitted sheet. For every other size, with UK names alongside, see our bedding size guide. And if you always end up turning a fitted sheet round twice before it goes on, read our piece on long and short side fitted sheet labels.

2. Choose the duvet for the room, not the guest

You rarely know whether a guest sleeps hot or cold. You do know the room. In an unheated loft or a spare room where the radiator is usually off, a winter duvet is the safe choice. In the lounge, where the sofa bed is and the heating has been on all evening, that will often be too warm. There, a summer duvet with a throw at the foot of the bed works better; anyone who feels cold pulls it over.

UK shops tend to sell duvets by tog. We list ours by fill weight: 150 g/m² for summer, 400 g/m² for winter. The full comparison is in the difference between winter and summer duvets.

One thing guests appreciate: our duvets have ties in all four corners and in the middle. Tie them to the ties inside the duvet cover and nobody has to wrestle the duvet back into its cover at 2am.

3. Two pillows per person

Some people like one flat pillow, others stack two. Put out two pillows per guest and let them choose. Our pillowcases come in pairs, so one pack per person covers it. Check the size: a 50 x 75 cm pillow needs a 50 x 75 cm case, a 60 x 70 cm continental pillow a 60 x 70 cm case.

4. Keep two sets of bedding

If someone stays longer than a couple of nights, or other guests follow after Christmas, you want to change the bed without waiting on the washing machine. Bamboo bedding is washed at 30°C without fabric softener. A washing line or airer is the best way to dry it, because it costs no energy. A tumble dryer on low is fine too, but on the line allow a few hours to a day. With a second set in the cupboard, that is not a problem.

The easiest option is a bamboo bedding set: duvet cover, fitted sheet and pillowcases in one colour, so there is nothing to match up. Whether you prefer buttons or a tuck-in flap is mostly taste. The differences are in tuck-in strip or button closure?

5. Pick a colour that suits everyone

You do not always know who will be sleeping there, so keep it calm. Coco White gives that fresh hotel-bed look and works in any room. Soft Taupe and Sage Green are warmer and are more forgiving of a coffee drip in bed. All nine colours are side by side on our colours page. For more on what makes a bed feel like a good hotel, see why boutique hotels choose bamboo.

6. The small things

Ask anyone who stays over a lot what makes the difference, and you hear the same list:

• a socket or extension lead by the bed for their phone
• a small lamp, so nobody has to hunt for the light switch at night
• a carafe or glass of water
• a towel on the bed or a chair
• curtains that block the streetlight
• the Wi-Fi password on a note

If the heating is turned right up and guests wake with a dry throat, read what to do about dry air in the bedroom.

When to do what

Early December. Measure the mattress and order whatever is missing. Every courier is busy in the run-up to Christmas, so do not leave it until the last week.

A week before. Wash new bedding once at 30°C. Bamboo gets softer over the first few washes. Dry it on a line or airer.

The day before. Make the bed, air the room for ten minutes and, if it is very cold, put the heating on for an hour. Then turn it back down: 16 to 18°C is best for sleep.

After they leave. Wash everything at 30°C, let it dry properly and fold each set with the fitted sheet and duvet cover tucked inside one of the pillowcases. Next time, you grab one complete bundle from the cupboard.

Looking for a thank-you for your hosts, or a present for the guest who always stays? Have a look at why bamboo bedding makes a good Christmas gift.

Frequently asked questions

What size fitted sheet fits a sofa bed?

Measure the mattress. For a sofa bed of 140 x 190 cm, a 140 x 200 cm fitted sheet works; the elastic all the way round takes up the extra length. If the mattress is only around 10 cm deep, a topper fitted sheet sits more snugly.

Which duvet should go on a guest bed in winter?

Choose by the room. A cool or unheated spare room needs a winter duvet; a warm living room is better with a summer duvet and a throw at the foot of the bed.

How many sets of bedding does a guest bed need?

Two: one on the bed and one clean in the cupboard, so you can change the bed without waiting for the wash.

Should you wash new bedding before guests use it?

Yes, once at 30°C. Bamboo bedding gets softer over the first few washes. Line-dry it, which costs no energy, or tumble-dry on low.

Shop our bamboo bedding