With busy lives and tired bodies, there’s no better way to end the day than to nestle into a clean, cozy, freshly made bed.

Cotton bed sheets, being soft and breathable, are the most preferred bed sheets of all time. The only down side to cotton sheets is that they tend to wrinkle. Shy of ironing, here are some tips on how to minimize wrinkling.

Washing Tips

• Wash sheets separately with no other laundry. Untangle before placing them in the washer.

• If your washer has different spin speed settings, choose the low spin speed cycle. With a lower spin speed, the wrinkles are not pressed in quite so hard and are easier to come out in the dryer.

• Wash in cool to warm water and dry on a medium temperature. Never dry bed sheets with hot heat, as it will cause more wrinkling.

• Remove promptly from the dryer and either place on your bed or neatly fold the sheets until you are ready to use them.

• Drying bed sheets on a clothes line is a great way to not only save money, but it helps diminish wrinkling as they hang and leaves sheets smelling fresh.

• Launder your bed sheets weekly. Not only are fresh, clean sheets more inviting, but the more cotton sheets are washed, the softer they become. When new, the fibers are a bit stiff, however, with regular washing the fibers become more relaxed, resulting in a softer sheet that is less prone to wrinkling.

How to Make Bed Sheets Last Longer

• Do not use bleach when washing bed sheets. Even though you may be tempted to brighten up your white linens with bleach, regular washing with bleach will actually break down the fibers.

• Do not use fabric softener. Fabric softener, like bleach, will also break down the fibers over time.

• Although we may not want to admit it, we all can have rough feet from time to time.  Dry, rough skin acts like sandpaper, and as it rubs against the fabric it cuts the fibers, causing pilling and overall wear and tear. To help avoid this problem, try to keep your feet and elbows soft and moisturized.  

With proper care, you can extend the life of your sheets for long lasting comfort.