How to avoid food spill/stain on bedsheet?

Question

I eat food on my bed. Many times it spills over it and I have to wash whole bedsheet just because of this. I usually place some paper or butter paper below it.

Sometimes it penetrates (oily stuff) through the paper and sometimes the paper is little short to cover things. I don't have big papers or other stuff that can be helpful. Actually I don't know what else can I use and what should I use.

It's curry, rice and chapatis only. I sometimes use plate also, but it also doesn't help.

The spillage isn't a big one, but still it irritates. I have to think and prepare myself before eating (like it should not spill), which I guess isn't normal.

I can't eat at some other place. I like to eat on bed only.

What I'm currently trying is I guess is just a makeshifter (I mean temporary fix).

Is there any better way to avoid this all experience?

Answer 1

Get a sturdy tray with a rim.

I would recommend a model that can be cleaned easily (e.g. plastic) and is rather sturdy, so that it doesn’t warp or bend when it’s lifted up or set on the bed. That will give you basically a “table without legs”, or a solid surface on which you can place lots of different things that are prone to spilling, rolling away or toppling when placed on a soft surface like a bed. When the inevitable small spillage happens, it won’t hit your bed sheets and you simply have to clean the tray. Bonus: you can still pick up and eat the morsel of food that you dropped on a clean tray.

A tray is also a multitasker - it can corral little things like pens or silverware, be a spot for your cup of morning tea or protect your laptop from overheating.

And when it’s not in use, you can either turn it vertically and slip it in some small slot (e.g. behind your headboard) to make it disappear, yet have it at hand when needed, or display it as decorative item (depending on style and preference). Combined with a small stool, it could even be a night table next to your bed.

Answer 2

Although Stephie's answer about the bed tray (or bed table) is probably the best answer, I also want to suggest a very inexpensive lifehack. If you have plastic trash bags, you can lay one out underneath your food before eating. It is much bigger than paper or butter paper, and liquids will not penetrate it. Also, plastic trash bags are very inexpensive, can (probably) be wiped clean if something spills on them, and can be used as an actual trash bag after being used to keep your bed sheets clean.