Probably the top 5 biggest pleasures in life are climbing into a bed with clean, fresh-smelling sheets. In fact, it’s safe to say that it doesn’t get cozier than this.
Even if washing your bedsheets might seem like a straightforward laundry task, getting the desired crisp and wrinkle-free result is no easy job.
Luckily for you, there are a couple of essential tips on how to properly wash your bed sheets. If you follow these suggestions, you could easily extend the lifespan of your sheets and also make sure that they get the best cleaning with every single wash.
Ingredients:
- clothesline
- stain pre-treatment product
- lemon juice
- laundry detergent
- mild detergent (Perwoll)
How to:
First things first, you must know what your sheets are made of. Check the label or the packaging to make sure you know the fabric content. Some of the most common materials are cotton, Egyptian cotton, and cotton-polyester blends.
But they can also be made from bamboo, linen, or even silk. Cotton-polyester blends might generally come out less wrinkled than other all-cotton ones.
For instance, bamboo, linen, and silk sheets will require one form or another of special care. You could use the guide below to learn how to wash your sheets and keep your bedding as soft and silky as it gets.
Step 1: Separate them.
The first thing you need to do is wash and launder them separately from towels and other clothing. If you’re wondering why, it’s quite simple: it will give them room to circulate in the water, which will clean them better.
Washing alone might also prevent further damage caused by zippers and any other fasteners. Moreover, it might reduce the amount of pilling that could happen over time.
If your washing machine has a center agitator, make sure you loosely form each sheet into a ball before you drop it into the tub. This way, you’ll reduce the damage caused by the sheets that get in contact with the agitator.
Step 2: Pre-treat stains
This step is very important: you need to make sure you always pre-treat the stairs before laundering the sheets. Also, avoid using bleach on bed linens because it might damage the fabric. If you need to brighten your white sheets, just add 1/4 cup of lemon juice to the wash water instead of using bleach.
Step 3: Choose the right detergent.
You might want to try using a mild detergent for cotton and cotton-polyester-blend sheets. Fabrics like linen and silk might need a special detergent, so you might want to check the care label before washing anything.
Step 4: Use the right water temperature.
Make sure you wash them on a gentle cycle with lukewarm water. Washing in hot water is generally unnecessary unless you also want to sanitize them.
You might want to get rid of allergies or even an illness. Then, remove the sheets after the cycle is over to reduce the wrinkles. Shaking out the sheets before throwing them in the dryer could also reduce wrinkles.
Step 5: Dry.
If it’s possible, you could dry your sheets on an outside clothesline, but make sure you keep them out of direct sunlight. For machine drying, use a low heat setting to minimize all the damage that might come from high temperatures.
After the cycle is over, remove them from the dryer and fold them, smoothing the wrinkles with your hands. If the wrinkles have been set, dry the sheets for another five minutes with a damp towel thrown into the mix.
It will add more moisture. Also, make sure you avoid ironing the sheets, especially since the high heat could damage the fibers.
How to Wash Silk
Even if silk is strong, it still needs special laundering to keep its fibers intact. Hand washing is the ideal laundering method, at least for the first couple of washings. Also, make sure you don’t wrinkle the silk sheets.
Instead, try to bolt them with a towel. If you’re washing it in a machine, choose a delicate or hand-wash cycle in cool water with Woolite detergent or any other special soap recommended by the manufacturer.
Also, hang the sheets on an outside line out of direct sun, or even dry them on the lowest setting above the air fluff in the dryer.
How to Wash Linen
Given that linen is a rather durable natural fiber, it could withstand higher washing temperatures than any other sheet (up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit). The more you wash the linen ones, the softer they become.
You could use a mild detergent and avoid bleaches and detergents that contain bleach. Also, linen might dry faster than other fabrics, so the sheets won’t require a hot or long dryer setting. Linen could be ironed at the hot linen setting on your iron.
How to wash bamboo
Bamboo is a natural fiber that still benefits from using either a mild laundry soap or one that’s specifically designed for natural products. Whether we’re talking about bleach or harsh cleaners, they might damage your bamboo sheets.
You could use a gentle wash cycle and prepare yourself to see the colors fade after a couple of washings. In fact, this is exactly why you should wash them separately. As air-drying is preferred in this situation, sheets could easily go into the dryer on a low or even air-dry setting.
When to wash
If you ask Wipe and Organize, we’ll tell you to wash your sheets on a weekly basis, so you can extend the life of your bed linens. I know it sounds absolutely horrible and disgusting, but as time goes by, your sheets collect dirt, dust, skin cells, body oils, fluids, fecal material, and God knows what else, and these put a lot of stress on the fibers.
Besides, skin cells, body oils, and fluids could easily attract microscopic mites. If you want to reduce frequent washing, you might want to bathe before bedtime to carry less dirt into your bed.
Also, keeping excess sweat, oils, and dirt out of your bed will keep them clean for a longer period of time. You might also want to consider having multiple sets available so you can swap them before going to bed. The sheets will last longer if you rotate three sets of sheets per bed.
How to store clean sheets
If you want to save time when making up your beds, keep the matching ones together. Here are a couple of useful ways in which you can store your clean bedsheets:
- Stash the folded sheet set and your second pillowcase inside one of the matching pillowcases. This method is extremely useful for storing sheets in linen closets or bedroom closets.
- Place the folded fitted sheet and your pillowcases inside the folded flat sheet, right before the last fold. This will keep your linen and bedroom closets as organized as possible.
- Also, store the folded sheets in storage boxes. Label them by size (like twin or queen) or even by room (primary bedroom). Given the extra space needed for boxes, this way will work very well if you have a dedicated linen closet.
- Store the folded sheets in under-bed storage containers in the rooms you plan to use them.
If you enjoyed reading this article, we also recommend reading: Fridge Organization Ideas: 9 Tips to Save Space Like a Pro
