The best way to launder your bed linens...
We are frequently asked, “How should I care for my luxury bed linens”.
- Luxurious high-quality bed sheets are made from finer grades of cotton; but, luxury bedding & sheets are robust.
- There are a few steps that may want to take as well a few things you should avoid doing when laundering them.
- By taking these extra steps, you can extend the life of your bedding and it will help them retain their super-soft feel and hand.
Note, even if you don’t have luxury linens, these tips should be considered with regular department store linens as they are likely cotton and this will add to their life as well.
When washing (do not dry-clean your cotton bedding) consider the following:
- Use cold to warm water.
- Wash them in a gentle cycle.
- Only put one set of sheets in the washer, do not overload the wash machine.
- Your bed sheets will be cleaner.
- Overloaded wash machines will have a tendency to bunch up the sheets, causing unnecessary tension on the fabric during the wash & spin cycle.
- Ensure the detergent is dilute before you put your bedding in the washer.
- Do not pour detergent directly on the bed linens, start your wash, add your detergent and allow the washer to fill around ½ way before you add your bed sheets or duvet.
- Do not use excessive amounts of detergent as this will coat the fabric making it rough and can cause them to discolor as the un-rinsed detergent will absorb dirt and dander.
- If you think you have a detergent build up, run your sheets though a ½ cup vinegar rinse cycle (no detergent). Then wash them again with the recommended amount of detergent.
- To keep your linens brighter and fresh smelling pour a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the wash water each time you launder them.
- If you need to spot any stains on your linens, dilute a small amount of detergent in a cup with some water and treat accordingly.
- Do not use chlorine bleach. Bleach can degrade and damage the cotton fiber.
- Avoid harsh detergents.
- Products such as Tide or Cheer, as well as many other detergents, contain “BRIGHTENERS”. Brighteners are often bleach derivatives, see the below ingredients list from Tide & Cheer.
Use a mild detergent. We happen to like a product called Le Blanc Linen Wash, which is sold on our website here.
When drying your bed linens:
- Only put (1) set of sheets in your drier
- Use a low to medium heat setting.
- Once dry – don’t let them sit in the bottom of the drier as this will only create more wrinkles and expose them to unnecessary heat.
- Do not over dry your bed sheets – take them out of the drier when they are slightly damp to the touch.
- Hand press them flat as you fold them up, or put them right back on the bed.
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