1. Natural Cotton or Man Made Polycotton Bedlinen?
There are two main types of bedding fibres - natural and man-made. Organic fibres, such as cotton, linen or silk, are produced by organic methods such as crop growing or silk worm factories, they are usually much softer and more breathable. Good quality Cotton sheets allow moisture to evaporate helping your body to maintain a constant temperature through the night. Polycotton percale sheets and duvet covers are made from acrylics and polyesters and then blended with a portion of cotton for extra softness and durability, often much cheaper and easier to wash and iron. Belledorm sell a superb range of Non Iron Bedding in a percale fabric which is guaranteed for 7 years, a superb fabric that is ideal for hotels and small guest houses.
2. What is Thread Count?
Bedlinen Direct sell a range of sheets that have a minimum of 200 threads per square ranging up to 1200 threads per square inch to indicate the quality and comfort you get for your money but the numbers can be baffling. The higher the thread count number, the softer and more luxurious the fabric feels and is to sleep on. If the thread count is too high, the fabric will be very delicate, less durable and require more care than fabric with a slightly lower thread count, good quality branded bedding from Sheridan ensures that the cotton used in their bedding is manufactured to be extremely robust and hard wearing and will last for many years.
You cannot go wrong with cotton, it comes in a variety of weave standards - percale, sateen or twill. The weave and style of the fabric will make a difference to the look and feel of your bedding, percale gives you a minimum quality guaranteed whereas a sateen fabric gives you that lustrous shimmer effect. Pima and Egyptian cotton yarns are the most lavish weaves, 400 count and higher give you a sumptuous sateen effect and a greater degree of comfort and quality. Block weave fabrics are normally woven to a 200 thread count, the yarns are much thicker and absorbent and are ideal if you have never tried cotton sheets before.
4. Sustainable and Eco Friendly Concerns.
Egyptian cotton is favoured by upmarket brands and luxury hotels and has long been renowned for being the highest quality yarn. The cotton is grown in the Nile Delta region of Egypt and is picked by hand so no machines can harm the delicate large staple cotton fibres. Sustainable farming techniques ensure that the cotton buds are cared for and no pesticides are used in the growing process. Natural bedding is the best as they are good for the skin and help reduce itching and scratchiness which can be found on lesser quality fabrics.
5. Organic Bedlinen.
Concerned about your health and the state of the world? Organic cotton is soaring in popularity, grown without chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilisers the growing process is slower but results in a superior grade of cotton that has larger fibres than mass produced bedding. No artificial colorants, vegetable dyes or eco bleach are used to colour the sheets and duvet covers, organic cotton looks clean and fresh but slightly ivory in colour as sheets that are bright white have had to be bleached and dyed using chemicals.
6. Longer Lasting Linen Bedlinen.
Before cotton, the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs slept on pure crisp linen sheets. Renowned for its opulent and clean looks, linen is woven with a pure natural shine. It has a whole host of benefits including being ultra crisp, cool and breathable, which is essential in hot countries. It is also antistatic, hypoallergenic and antibacterial which is great for keeping those dust mites at bay relieving any allergies you may have. Linen is extremely long-lasting and can be washed many times without any deteriation of the fabric. Many manufacturers blend cotton with pure linen in order to keep costs down as good quality bed linen can cost a small fortune.
No one really likes ironing bedlinen, flat sheets and duvet covers are fine but have you recently tried to iron fitted sheets? The elastic makes it near impossible to get pristine results every time. If the thought of ironing your bed linen on a weekly basis makes you want to cry, look for easy care sheets or non iron bedding, usually made with manmade polyester/cotton mixes but you can now buy Sheridan and Belledorm sheets that are easy care. Percale bedding is much denser and requires less effort but for the best results ensure that the fabric has been mercerised and sanforised, this little known manufacturing procedure gives the cotton a sateen texture and prevents the cotton from creasing and pilling.
8. Treat Yourself to Silk Bedlinen.
Natural bedding is the best and silk sheets are at the top of the tree when it comes to comfort and quality. Silk has natural hypo allergenic properties and the ancient Chinese believe that sleeping on silk can aid with health and sickness. Silk is extremely smooth and can help with bed sores and other types of skin complaints.
9. Allergy sufferers.
Anti allergy bedding is becoming more and more popular. Mattress protectors and mattress toppers provide excellent levels of comfort but also give you added layers of protection from the house dust mite. This tiny mite is a major cause of concern for anyone suffering from allergies. If you have sensitive skin you should also avoid bedding made from polyester as this can irate the skin, use cotton or silk. Natural sheets are smooth and soft to the touch and get better after washing as this softens the fabric up over time making even better.
10. Caring for your Bedlinen.
Always take care and read the wash care label before washing or dry cleaning your bed linen, ideally you should wash your sheets and duvet covers weekly. Look after your bed linen, do not over load your washing machine and use your iron gently as you do not want to crush or flatten the cotton fibres as this will reduce the quality and lushness of the fabric. Tumble drying is a time saving way of drying your sheets but too much heat and constant over drying of the natural yarns can cause them to become brittle over time. Use the tumble drier on a low heat setting as this is both kinder to your bedding and also to the environment. For best results try to remove the sheets from the drier whilst they are slightly damp, this will help with creasing and also protect the fabric from becoming too dry.
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