Egyptian cotton bed linen

Becles

I've always had cheapo poly-cotton bed linen, but about 8 weeks ago I decided to treat myself to a 400 count egyptian cotton king size duvet cover, pillowcases and flat sheet. However it's a pig to launder and it's driving me mad

I'm washing them at 60°C with powder and fabric softener. The washer has a 1600 spin, but they seem much wetter than other stuff when they come out. They are also extremely creased, as if I'd screwed them up and squashed them as hard as I could!

As they are so creased I'm using max steam on my iron and it's taking me a good hour to iron them as I have to keep going over and over them. That just irons the worst of the creases out and they still look untidy and creased when I put them back on the bed.

I've tried ironing them dry, ironing them when they are still damp, and ironing them before I dry them, but nothing makes a difference. I'm using a tumble drier as I can't get stuff outside this weather.

What am I doing wrong and how do I get my bedding lovely and crisp like the pictures on the website I bought it from?

At the moment, we are having our bathroom refitted so visitors are having to use the en-suite loo, and one of them commented that I hadn't ironed the bedding and although they were teasing me, I felt so

ChocClare

Don`t put it in the tumble drier. Honestly, you`re on a hiding to nothing there.

I have linen sheets (glutton for punishment, but they are FANTASTIC to sleep on) and on the very few occasions I have tumble dried them, they looked like I `d scrunched them up, chucked them in a corner and forgotten them.

I know it`s a pig in this weather. It wasn`t so bad in our old house because we had two ceiling driers (I believe they`re called Sheila Maids, but my [foreign] husband always muddled this up with Lazy Susans so they ended up being called Lazy Bit6hes). Anyway, you could hang the hugest sheet on the Lazy Bit6h because the ceilings were so high, and as one of them was positioned in front of a wood burning stove, I never had any problems - just hung them folded properly and then ironing while they were still a bit damp, then back on the Lazy Bit6h to air. Sadly, we now live in a 17th century cottage whose ceilings are all of 5ft 11ins high, so no longer have this luxury. Do you live in a house with stairs? Is it feasible for you to hang your sheets or duvet cover over the balustrade so that they hang straight down the stairs? (You may need to put something on the actual baluster so that the damp cloth neither damages the wood nor gets stained).

The other thing (and I am aware that I sound like some Victorian masochist here) is starch. Spray starch is fine, but not as good as good old Robin (other brands of starch are available). If the idea of dipping your sheets in starch and then wringing out (or spinning again) fills you with horror, then you can make up a solution and put it in a spray bottle. Cheaper than spray starch in a can, and you don`t get silicone all over the floor. You do have to chuck it once you`ve used it though, as it will go mouldy if you don`t - so don`t make up gallons. Starch makes sheets a MILLION times easier to iron, and stops them creasing so badly.

Repeat this mantra: it will be easier in the summer (you may wish only to use this duvet cover in good drying weather!!!).

All my sheets are pure cotton or linen, and all but two of my duvet covers, and I don`t spend forever ironing them. However, if you do finally lose the will to live, may I recommend John Lewis Cotton Percale? Looks and feels like cotton and is easy care. OK, so it`s got a bit of polyester in it but you`d never know. My two non-100% cotton duvet covers and pillow cases are John Lewis cotton percale and I bought them when I got married 24 years ago. One is wearing a little thin but they are both still in regular use and are great to sleep on.

Wonder_Girl

There are some tips here - http://www.egyptiancottonstore.com/caring-for-your-linen.php

Alison_Funnell

Washing line and a good breeze. Works wonders on linen and cotton. Also in the winter iron whilst wet and dry on an airer.

Just a thought do you ever pull your linen? It's trick my gran used. You have one person at each end holding each corner and you flap it hard in unison, a bit like cracking a whip. you then do it again having folded it in half width wise etc then hang to dry. Also works when you get it off the line and it's stiff linen ( just thing of a thinner version of the jeans effect).

The good thing is the older they get the easier to lose the creases.

Pitlanepiglet

ChocClare wrote: »

(I believe they`re called Sheila Maids, but my [foreign] husband always muddled this up with Lazy Susans so they ended up being called Lazy Bit6hes).

:rotfl::rotfl: I've got a dyslexic husband, we often end up with names like this for things :rotfl: I want him to move our kitchen lighting so that we can have a ceiling airer and I never know what to call them....until now!

I'd echo not tumbling and ironing when slightly damp. If the sheet is very dry already then spray it with a water spray and fold it up onto of a radiator so that the fibres are all damp and relaxed, they will then be much easier to iron. That was my top tip from a Royal butler on the telly a while ago. The same logic applies to cotton shirts and makes them much easier to iron.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I gave up on my egyptian cotton bedding and gave it away.
It was driving me mad as I love nice pressed bedding.
I'm back to percale.
I either buy Dorma or John Lewis.
Never ever put bedding in the dryer,they'll always come out creased and hard to iron and they don't smell so nice either.

Becles

Thanks all.

I've got nowhere to dry a duvet cover and sheet of that size in the house. Ceilings are too low, and I've had airers and things hanging over the bannister before, but with dogs and children running around, they just get knocked over.

The instructions on the packaging said it was ok to tumble dry so I didn't realise you were not supposed to

thriftlady_2

I never iron mine, I never iron any bed linen. Yes they don't look crisp and new anymore but nobody sees them except me and OH and he doesn't care if they're ironed or not. I am the original Lazy Susan:D

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

thriftlady wrote: »

I never iron mine, I never iron any bed linen. Yes they don't look crisp and new anymore but nobody sees them except me and OH and he doesn't care if they're ironed or not. I am the original Lazy Susan:D

As long as your'e comfortable and happy why should it matter.

Minihauk

When I have anything large to dry (bath sheets, duvet covers, sheets) I fold them and hang them over a door (bathroom, toilet, living room). They dry quickly because the heat from the rooms is circulating, and because they are folded don't need so much ironing. The house looks like a chinese laundry sometimes, but I hate tumble dryers.

nappentass

Ir*n - dirty four letter word in our house :rotfl:
I love the Northern Nights cotton bedding from QVC, it's lasting way longer than percale used to (which went thin & ripped) so has worked out cheaper.

30 wash OS vinegar as softener, I usually get OH to help me fold it out of the washer and leave them folded for a while in the basket then hang on a radiator airer thats hung on the banister over the tiny stairwell - apart from crease at fold they've always come out fine, well unless OH doesn't and hangs em up all wrinkly
HTH