Clean, pleasant-smelling bed linen is the key to sound sleep and a great rest. Therefore, it is necessary to wash it regularly, but not very often, so as not to spoil the fabric, which from frequent washing will either unravel, or unpleasant for the body will appear coils. Now we will talk about how to wash bed linen, how often to change it, how to iron and store it so that it pleases you for a long time.
How often should you wash bed linen:
- New bed linen must be washed before use . After all, it was sewn in far from sanitary conditions, then it was transported, stored in the warehouse of the store, maybe buyers touched it, wanting to check the quality. In other words, you should not even have the question “should I wash new bed linen?”, the answer is obvious – “yes!”
- Bed linen should be changed approximately once a week .
- If a person sweats a lot in a dream, then it is necessary to do this more often, as the tissue is moistened. You will feel this quickly, sleep will be stuffy, uncomfortable, there will be a desire to constantly open up and refresh yourself.
- If you are sick, it is better to change your underwear every day or two , washing on delicate mode at a water temperature of 40 degrees. This temperature is enough to kill germs. It is not necessary to raise the temperature in order not to damage the fabric, as it is undesirable to wash bed linen often, and it wears out faster from hot water.
In order to properly wash bed linen, you need to know what fabric it is made of. The most popular are: cotton, satin, calico, percale. They are quite strong, very pleasant. Linen underwear is less common . This is a natural material that is highly durable, but at the same time very rough, unpleasant for the body, so it is combined with cotton to add softness. The most comfortable bedding is made of silk, but it is very expensive, so silk bedding is considered elite. Each of these cases has its own washing characteristics.
How to wash
Hand and machine washing is allowed, but before that it is better to make sure by studying the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you have laundry packaging left, it is usually indicated on it, you can also find information on the company’s website. If there is no such information, then you will have to trust your intuition.
- Sort bed linen by fabrics and colors. Choose what things you will wash them with.
- If washing in a washing machine, fill the drum up to 50%. So washing will be more careful.
- The washing mode and water temperature are selected according to the type of laundry.
Cotton
White cotton fabrics are washed at a water temperature of up to 90 degrees. Whitening agents can be added. But colored in water up to 40 degrees, without bleaches. There should be no problems with how to wash clothes in the machine. This is the easiest option.
Wash colored and white bed linen separately. In addition, cotton cannot be washed together with synthetics, as synthetic fibers will cause the pile of natural fabric to rise, which will make it less soft, and coils will appear.
Linen
Wash treated linen fabrics at a temperature of up to 40 degrees carefully by hand or on the gentle mode of the washing machine. If the linen is dyed, water up to 60 degrees is allowed.
White linen bed linen can be washed with ordinary powder, bleaching is allowed. But colored or unbleached options can only be used with detergents for washing thin fabrics, no bleaches, aggressive detergents.
Linen is a rather stiff fabric, so you can use the advice of those who have experienced it, how to properly wash clothes by hand, so that it is not so difficult. It is recommended to pre-soak in warm water for an hour, then wash in detergent with the addition of 1 tbsp. vinegar
Silk
If you are the owner of silk bed linen and do not want to say goodbye to it, then it is better to contact a dry cleaner. This fabric is very sensitive, one mistake and you no longer have soft and pleasant underwear.
At home, silk bed linen is spun only by hand. Detergents are special for this fabric. The water temperature is up to 30. Soaking is not allowed. It is necessary to wash quickly and very, very carefully. Do not crush, rub, twist. Rinse with cool water, you can add a little vinegar to strengthen the color.
How to dry, iron
Bed linen is dried immediately after washing. Do not allow it to lie crumpled in a wet state for a long time. Otherwise, creases will appear, which will be difficult to iron out later. In addition, the smell of laundry after washing, initially pleasant, can become musty after lying for a long time, which will lead to the appearance of mold.
Dry as flat as possible by hanging on a clothesline in a well-ventilated area. It is better not to speed up drying with heaters or by hanging it out in the sun – this will cause burnt spots on the linen, it may turn yellow and sag. As a result, washing dirty laundry will end in disaster.
To iron or not to iron? It’s a matter of taste. Housewives, who love order in everything, prefer to iron every fold, additionally starching the laundry. So she will look beautiful on the bed. However, experienced housewives know that there is another side to this coin. During sleep, a person sweats, moisture is released, which is absorbed by the bedclothes, relieving the condition. But the ironed and starched fabric practically does not absorb water, so a kind of mini-greenhouse is formed under the blanket. A person becomes uncomfortable, he wants to open up, turns over, wakes up in the morning with a feeling of brokenness. Therefore, it is better not to iron, especially since this will free you up a lot of time for other household chores or for yourself.