After being in the bed linens business for ten years and having the opportunity to talk with so many wonderful customers, I have found that there is no medium ground when it comes to the preference of blends verses all cotton bed sheets.  People either love blended fabric or hate it, and the same is true with 100% cotton.  Both fabrics have their pros and cons; it’s just a matter of personal preference.  Simply put, here is the difference between the two:

1)      Blended fabric used in bed sheets is usually a combination of cotton and polyester.  If you like easy care, no-iron sheets, then you may prefer a polyester blend.  Polyester is also more durable than cotton, so sheets made with polyester tend to last longer.  The down side to a polyester blend is that it is not as soft as cotton, and although it will soften a bit with the first few washings, it will never be as soft and luxurious as 100% cotton.

2)      100% cotton sheets are more luxurious than a cotton blend and are the most widely preferred because of the softness and comfort against your skin. Unlike polyester, cotton is breathable and helps wick moisture away from your body, allowing you to sleep more comfortably.  Do expect cotton sheets to wrinkle, some more than others, but if comfort is your goal, you’ll gladly put up with a few wrinkles here and there.

1)    To help reduce wrinkling of cotton fabrics, wash items using the permanent press or delicate settings.  The slower spin cycles will help to keep wrinkles from being deeply set into the fabric.  Also, promptly remove items from the dryer when the cycle has ended.  If you have a cool-down setting on your dryer, this is a great feature which keeps clothes tumbling until you are able to get there and remove them from the dryer.

2)    Always wash cotton fabrics in cold water to reduce shrinkage, and wash separately from other fabrics.  Blended fabrics, especially those containing polyester, act as an abrasive.  This can cause the cotton fibers to prematurely wear and pill.

3)    Use liquid detergents for cold water washes; powders will not dissolve well and will leave a white residue on dark clothes.

4)    Too much bleach in your wash will turn some white fabrics yellow and will also cause fabric threads to break down.

5)     Hang your laundry outside to dry as much as possible. This not only saves electricity, but also helps your laundry to last longer. All the lint in your dryer is actually small particles of the cloth being worn away.

6)     It is important to clean your dryer lint filter after each load.  Lint build-up on the filter increases drying time as well as electricity/gas costs.

7)     When washing comforters and delicate quilts, it is best to wash them in a washer that does not have an agitator.  This helps to reduce stress on the fabric.

Many people suffer from dust mite allergies and if you’re one of them, you know how troublesome those little critters can be.  Symptoms can include itchy watery eyes, persistent stuffy nose, repeated sneezing upon wakening, headaches, runny nose, eczema, and even nausea, to name a few.

Dust mites feed on dead skin cells, so you will find them in places where we spend much of our time, such as our favorite upholstered furniture, in carpeting, inside mattresses, bed sheets, blankets, and in our pillows, etc.  It is nearly impossible to rid our furniture and bedding from all dust mites, but there are ways that we can combat these nasty critters and reduce their affects on us.  The best place to start is with your bedding.

1)      As strange as it may sound, it is not the dust mite that most people are allergic to; it is their fecal matter.  Washing your bedding will remove the dust mite allergen, but does not kill the dust mite itself.  To kill the dust mite you can either wash your bedding in a water temperature of at least 130̊ F, or if you prefer to wash in cold water, place your sheets and pillowcases in the freezer for a couple of days after laundering them. Placing them in the freezer will kill the dust mite, keeping your sheets allergen free until they are ready to be used.

2)      Encase your mattress and box spring in zippered allergen-impermeable covers.

3)      Use a dust mite proof pillow protector.  This is very helpful since our face is buried in our pillows each night, causing us to directly breathe in the dust mite allergen.

4)      Wash blankets and comforters every two to four weeks in hot water to rid them of dust mites and their allergen.

5)      If at all possible, remove carpeting from your bedroom.  Carpet is a huge breeding ground for dust mites.

Some of these remedies may sound extreme, but as a dust mite sufferer myself, I have found them to be extremely helpful and actually ‘life changing’.  Yes, there is a cost involved, but aren’t you worth it?

Over the years many people have asked how Cozytown Linens began. Here is our story…

We’ve always been a one income family; I’m a stay-at-home mom, and my husband and I have three children. My desire has always been to be a mom at home caring for my family, yet like most moms, I wanted to contribute financially. In 1999, we were at a point where some changes needed to be made in our lives. At that point I had been home-schooling our daughter for two years (Kindergarten through 1st grade), and it was now time to send her off to school, as awkward and depressing as that was. My little blue-eyed blonde was growing up too fast and I was a mess. She was starting a new and exciting adventure, and after two weepy weeks, I realized it was time for me to start one as well.

I had always desired to own my own business, but was clueless as to what and how to begin. After a couple of months of prayer and seeking the Lord’s guidance, a good friend suggested that I sell items on eBay. She had an established business on eBay and was making a nice income. That sounded like a great idea and it was certainly working well for her, but what would I sell and would it work for me? She suggested that I start with something I liked, and that’s when the thought came to me…..QUILTS! I love quilts. I enjoy sewing and had made a few quilts at that point in my life, but nervousness kicked in again and I thought, “Who would buy my quilts, and how many could I possibly make in a month?” I knew I would need to make and sell more than one a month and even that would keep me mighty busy. I soon found a supplier who sold finished hand-made quilts….the perfect way to try out this ‘eBay thing’. Before long, my little enterprise, entered into with such trepidation, but nurtured with such hard work, began to grow with each grateful customer. Soon–to my great surprise–we were building a website for this fledgling business, what is now known as Cozytown Linens. Wanting to add to our product line, I found a supplier for American-made sheets, bedskirts, mattress pads, and comforters. I fell in love with the quality, beauty, and durability of the products and I began selling those too.

Somewhere between working on a laptop at our kitchen table, and working in the neat little office my husband decided he needed to build for the business, I realized that I was a business owner! Me: a mom at home–flying down a hill like a little girl on her bicycle with her feet up off the pedals! Sure there were times I felt I couldn’t do all the things I needed to do on the website to make the business a success—but I held onto the bike handles for dear life and persevered. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” I didn’t want to fail my family, my customers, or myself.

Our eldest son is out on his own now and has since blessed us with a beautiful energetic grandson. We have our teenage daughter here with us who is a senior now (I’m flying down this hill too fast!), and our five-year-old son who is our little Guatemalan miracle, making life pretty exciting for us. The business, too, is especially busy now–busy enough to warrant hiring some office help. The reason for this upswing in work is due to word-of-mouth from happy customers, and also recommendations from Simmons Mattresses, Sleep-Comfort Beds, custom bed manufacturers, The Washington Post, and many other prominent newspapers across the country. I couldn’t believe that companies like those would even know about our little enterprise, nestled up here in Saratoga County, on a country road in the foothills of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains–but they do!

I love not having to punch a clock, love working right out of my home where the beauty of nature is just steps away, and I love being here for my husband and children. I thank God for this unique business, and our webmasters for their knowledge and diligence in helping us reach our goals. I am also thankful for the many wonderful customers we’ve had the privilege of serving throughout the years. We are blessed beyond measure, and life is good.