Your guide to bed sheet maintenance 101
Bed sheets were graceful and cotton-y when my mother headed the house, now when I am married and went to buy a stash, I was confused. I wanted to pick them but some were too expensive to be true and then there were dirt cheap options all around the internet. I brought two online and they were made of polyester and would get static, cause itching and tore in about two months flat. Like most domesticated things I understood buying bed sheets to is an art and maintaining them is no easy task either. So to help all those women who like me have been conned, here is your bed sheet knowledge 101:
Measure your mattress
The mattress can pose quite a few problems, I have by now at least 5 bed sheets which do not fit my huge mattress and even if I tuck them tightly while spreading on the bed they open. Mattress and bed sizes matter if you have a bed which is above the standard queen size bed or a mattress above 5 inches.
Look at the fabric
Fabric plays an important role in your sleep environment. While most people take sheets online which are a mix of synthetics and cotton, they can make your sleep uncomfortable due to the lack of breathable fabric. Cotton, linen, silk and satin are preferred fabrics. Velvet or jacquard sheets work well but only in cold winter season.
Thread count matters
Thread count in layman terms means the number of threads woven into a square inch of the fabric. A minimum of 200 and a maximum 600 thread count is considered the best. However, most manufacturers in India do not mention this.
Avoid whites
Whites are great to look at but a task to maintain, between cups of tea or coffee on the bed, that odd dirt hand or a toddler who often keeps grubby toys on it these sheets are a pain to maintain.
Whites can get dirty and unless you have someone to handle your washing we would recommend avoid!
Use a fabric conditioner
A fabric conditioner is a must for bed sheets, it works well to smoothen the sheets and soften them. Detergent can be harsh and often strip the sheets of softness and colour. A fabric conditioner works better in the long run.
Read labels
Be sure you don’t have any specific cleaning requirements to follow. Most sheets can be washed at home in your washing machine, but specialty fabrics may require careful consideration.
