Tired Of Getting Sand Everywhere When Sitting on the Beach? Grab a Fitted Sheet

Enjoying a day on the beach isn't hard. With the sound of waves crashing in the distance and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the cooler, you're almost guaranteed to have a good time. No matter which of the South's best beaches you've chosen to put down sandy roots for the weekend, it takes very little effort to have a fun experience with family and friends. That is, once you've gotten the beach day set up.

A proper hours-long beach day is really only as good as its set-up. You need sunscreen options, stocked coolers of drinks and snacks, boogie boards for the kids, and a plan for the seating area—whether you're going for chairs or towels. The only downside of a beach day is that sand inevitably will get everywhere, including in your eyes, inside your tote bag, and even between the bread slices of your sandwich. No matter how hard you try, sand also makes its way onto your chair or towel, causing constant scratchiness on your skin as you try to relax.

That's where the fitted sheet trick comes into play on beach day. It's an easy (albeit unexpected) way to keep sand from getting on everything as you're moving to and from the water and partaking in beach activities. All you need is a fitted sheet and a beach bucket. Here's how to do it.

Right when you arrive to the beach area where you'll be setting up, spread out the fitted sheet with the exterior faced down to the ground and the interior facing upwards. Basically, the opposite way you would put it on a mattress, so the scrunched corners are curling up. While still holding onto the fitted sheet, place items such as your beach bag, cooler, shoes (make sure they are sand-free!), or anything else that can act as a weight inside the scrunched corners, which should then wrap around the items to hold the sheet down and in place. The fitted sheet, which should now be acting as a massive towel or blanket with slightly raised sides, will also keep your essentials dry and away from sand.

Now, place a bucket filled with water right outside of the sheet. Whenever anyone wants to get into the fitted sheet to sit or lay down, you only need to step inside the water bucket to thoroughly rinse off any sand on the feet and legs. Then, when you step inside the sheet, there should be no sand to dampen your day. Pro tip: Have a towel folded on the inside for people to step onto after rinsing for drying and double-checking for sand. You can also bring wipes for getting rid of any extra sand on the body before stepping inside the sheet.

From there, you're able to place your beach chairs or towels inside the fitted sheet for optimal enjoyment. As for what kind of fitted sheet to use, you can bring an old one that you already own or purchase an affordable option to reserve strictly for beach use. Queen- or full-sized works best. Overall, this is a great way to keep rogue sand from ruining your beach excursion without spending an excessive amount of money on specialty sand-wicking towels or tents. Just make sure to refresh that water bucket from time to time—it'll need it!