The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BEDLINEN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
E
D
L
I
N
E
N
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "sheets etc" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sheets etc = bedlinen.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BEDLINEN mean?
BEDLINEN noun- The cloth items used to make up a bed, such as sheets and pillowcases, formerly made of linen but now coming in a wide variety of material such as cotton or polyester.