Two German tourists are baffled by the way many Australians make their beds, admitting they have never seen or heard of a top sheet.
The young women, Elisa and Sarina, were so confused by the extra piece of linen on their bed that they posted a video on TikTok, looking for answers.
“Can someone tell me what this is?” Sarina asked, pointing to the sheet.
“Am I the only one who doesn’t understand this?” she asked again.
They then wondered whether to sleep above or below it, which was shown in a video that caught the attention of thousands of Australians.
It’s not the first time that the use of a top sheet – or confusion surrounding it – has sparked heated debate online, with millennials often taking credit for ditching the practice.
One of the major newspaper’s haters responded to the video about young travelers: “It’s an old people thing.”
Others were eager to answer her questions about the divisive linen and offer their own opinions on its use.
Elisa and Sarina from for_travelssake have documented their travels through Australia, India, Thailand and Laos – they had never seen a top sheet before
“Top sheets save you from having to wash all your bedding every few days. Not using a top sheet is like wearing pants without underwear,” one woman wrote.
“It’s a top sheet, aka the most uncomfortable thing there is,” added another.
Some Australians were shocked to discover that top sheets are not common around the world, after the young women revealed they had travelled around Europe and Asia without the…
‘Did I just find out that top sheets are culturally determined?
While others said they learned this the hard way: on the road.
“Travelling around the UK and Europe in the summer was the worst thing for me,” one woman said.
A young woman, pictured left, is stunned after seeing a top sheet for the first time
‘I travelled in the UK last year and all the hotels (12) had duvets but no air conditioning so I had to ask for a top sheet at all the hotels,’ said another, fuming.
Some people described the top sheets as a sensory nightmare and told the young women to throw them away and get on with their lives.
“I grew up with a top sheet, but as an adult I quickly ditched it. It’s uncomfortable,” one woman said.
“It’s like you’re suffocating,” one man added.
However, others claimed that they would rather sleep outside than without it at all.
“If people don’t give me a top sheet, I’ll sleep on a park bench,” one woman joked.
Fans of top sheets also noted that they are especially useful in warmer weather, when a duvet is too warm to use.
Another pointed out that the average person loses about 1.5 grams of skin per day and that top sheets act as a barrier that protects the duvet from the buildup of dead skin cells, bacteria and oil.
“You don’t have to wash all your bedding every few days,” she said.
Top sheets are common in parts of the US, South Africa and Canada.