Bed linen will require changing frequently as it is in regular contact with the patient. Humans produce and shed fungi and bacteria from skin cells, sputum and sweat as well as vaginal and anal excretions while they are in bed (Tierno [225]). Bed linen needs to be regarded as a potential vehicle for pathogen transfer. Skin flora and pathogens such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), Staphylococcus aureus and meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been isolated from linen (Bloomfield et al. [22]). Regular changing and laundering of linen is important in preventing the spread of these pathogens (Bloomfield et al. [22]). Soiled linen should never be shaken in the air because shaking can disseminate secretions, excretions and micro‐organisms into the atmosphere to contaminate the surrounding environment (Tierno [225]). For this reason, many healthcare settings change bed linen daily. Linen will always require prompt changing when the patient is incontinent (Spencer [217]).

Making a hospital bed is considered an essential technical and practical nursing skill requiring considerations of safety, moving and handling, and infection prevention and control (Bloomfield et al. [22]). As the hospital bed is the piece of equipment most frequently used by patients, making up a hospital bed is fundamental to promoting an environment that is comfortable for the patient (Spencer [217]). There are a number of ways that a bed can be prepared, depending on its specific purpose: surgical, post‐operative or inpatient. Beds are frequently made while unoccupied, but there are also circumstances when the bed will be made while it is occupied by the patient.