Material World: How to Care for Your Sheets Part 2
One of our first ever, and most popular, blogs was about how to care for your sheets, specifically how to wash them.
Since that post, we’ve expanded our fabric offerings to include linen, casual percale and more sateens, and we’ve had some valuable feedback about those less-than-pretty wrinkles that some sheets sport after being washed.
These latest developments inspired us to look at not only the similarities of bedding fabric care but, just as importantly, the differences. Spoiler alert: it’s all about the temps.
General principles still apply: don’t overload the washer; use warm water; avoid harsh detergents, bleach and fabric softeners; don’t over dry: use our dryer balls; and wash sheets at least once a week. (For more details on these basic tips, check out our original blog https://envello.com/blogs/news/are-you-washing-your-sheets-properly).
For the latest tips, see what’s new below:
Linen Love
There are so many benefits to linen sheets, including how they just get better and better the more you use them. To ensure linen longevity, there are a few simple rules to follow.
Cold play: Linen’s big point of difference is that it loves cold water (heat can shrink and eventually break down its threads). Wash linen in cold, on the gentle cycle using a mild detergent then tumble dry on low. Most linen fans love its signature, casual wrinkles but if you prefer a pressed look, iron sheets on low heat when they’re slightly damp.
Casual Percale Care
We put a contemporary spin on our luxurious and crisp percale by prewashing it during the manufacturing process. The result combines the best of both worlds: signature crispness that’s tempered with naturally wrinkled, no-iron comfort.
Warm front: Casual percale, like most bedding, likes a warm-water setting and line-drying – hanging them to dry really does add to their longevity, however, if that’s not possible tumble-drying on low is fine too.
Sateen Satisfaction
Cotton sateen is coveted for its namesake sateen weave that imparts a silky-smooth finish and sophisticated sheen. Bonus: the super-soft feel and silk-like effect means that it tends to wrinkle less than other fabrics.
Cool stuff: Sateen likes a just-right wash, ideally, somewhere in the middle – think cool versus cold or hot. We like to use the delicate setting for this fabric to avoid any thread damage or shrinkage. Drying rules are the same here: hang or tumble-dry.
Wrinkles be Gone!
We’ve heard your feedback and know that some of our carefully sourced natural fibres are prone to wrinkles. The good news? There are easy ways to reduce pesky wrinkles and they don’t involve ironing.
-Shake out sheets before putting them in the dryer to help open up any balling or creases that happened during the spin cycle.
-Always remove sheets from the dryer the minute they are dry, even if the dry cycle hasn’t finished.
-After making the bed, mist sheets lightly with water and run your hands over them, pulling them taut to remove any creases – it really works and is a great iron cheat sheet (pun intended!).
-Wash sheets regularly, not just for hygiene but because the softer the fabric becomes the less likely it will be prone to creasing.
-Finally, if you do prefer to iron, take sheets out of the dryer while they’re slightly damp – the iron’s heat will finish the process. And, remember, you don’t have to iron everything; pressing only the pillowcases and duvet cover will create a sleek finished effect.