!44: Aren't You Glad You Don't Have to Make Your Own Bed Sheets

!±8± Aren't You Glad You Don't Have to Make Your Own Bed Sheets

Did you know that that bed linens used to be a handmade item, painstakingly embroidered and sewed and then passed on from generation to generation as a treasured heirloom...?

Today the fanciest of bedding and linen can be had with a simple trip to the store and a bit of cash. Of course it's a much less personal experience, but with our busy lives these days who has the time or inclination and energy to cut and sew our own sheets and pillowcases..?

I dare say that the quality of bedding is much superior today than it ever was, with luscious linen, silk and of course most people's favorite, cotton -- which we love on its own or when blended in with other fabrics like polyester.

Yes yes everyone seems to hate to even mention the word polyester, but poly cotton blends are still popular bedsheet because they tend to be warmer and wrinkles less then cotton does.

I just love simple 220 - 300 thread count cotton sheets. They get softer every time you wash them, which is unbelievably luxurious.
They feel cool to the skin, and wick away moisture -- this is why a lot of people don't like the poly blends... because they tend to hold on to moisture from the body and won't let it escape.

I don't go crazy if the sheets might wrinkle a tiny bit in the dryer, but most of the time I manage to get them out of there before they're completely dry or hot, which is what we should be doing in the first place- because the heat actually bakes the fibers in the cotton fabric and makes the bedding more brittle and apt to pill and breakdown.

For an even better option, consider hanging them outside to dry -- or even inside in the laundry room if you have the space. They will smell so amazingly fresh you'll swear it's spring time even in the winter. Make sure you don't use any harsh laundry detergents, a gentle liquid is best, and let it dissolve really well in your machine before you add in your sheets and pillowcases. Experts from Annichini, actually recommend not using whiteners or bleaches, except for the occasional oxygen bleach when there are stains that won't come out otherwise.

Take care of your bed linen properly and it should last for many years. And every time you take them out of the dryer, be glad you didn't have to make them yourself!