There is no doubt that bed linen is one of the most important elements of the house. It makes sense, doesn’t it? You sleep in it every night after a day of getting covered in dirt and other nasty things. If you don’t shower every night before you go to bed, you’ll have nasty things between the sheets. Even if you shower before bed, sweat and dirt can accumulate where you lay your head to rest. Sorry, but it’s true. But washing bed linens is a challenge. How do you wash and dry them properly, and how do you fold those pesky fitted sheets?
WASHING AND DRYING COMFORTERS
While sheets should be washed weekly, the comforter and pillows should only be washed every 3-6 months.
If you have a down comforter, make sure there is enough room in the washing machine – you don’t want all the down to get stuck in the washer, as it will spoil. Front-loading washing machines are usually the most efficient. That’s why we recommend you go to a laundromat if you don’t have one at home.
Make sure that drying is done at a low temperature. A little tip: put some towels under the comforter. This will help absorb moisture and dry the comforter as effectively as possible.
MATTRESS COVER
Washing the mattress cover is essential. You spend 8 hours on it at night, so that’s where it gets the most dirty.
When you put the fitted sheet back on, start with the hardest (farthest) corner to make the process easier. Mary Elizabeth likes to turn her fitted sheet inside out and then fold it so the viewer only sees the patterned part of the sheet.
STORAGE
You should have an extra set of sheets. For guests or for yourself. To store these sheets, fold them up and place them inside a pillowcase face down. This way, everything will be tidy and the pillowcase will stay clean for the next use.
HOW TO FOLD FITTED SHEETS
In this bonus tip, Mary Elizabeth shows us how to fold the dreaded fitted sheet.
STEP 1: Hold the sheet lengthwise at both corners.
STEP 2: Bring your right hand to your left and fold the corner over to the left.
STEP 3: Replace the left hand with the right hand and shake the bottom of the sheet with the left hand until the corners meet naturally.
STEP 4: Lift the left side again and place the hand back on the left corner.
STEP 5: Repeat step 2, placing the right hand over the left hand and folding it over the left corner.
STEP 6: Fold it into a square shape and place it on a flat surface.
STEP 7: Fold normally!
It’s a little tricky to visualize, so we recommend you watch the video above to see how it’s done, and for lots more bedding tips! If you’re only interested in information about the fitted sheet, start the video at minute 4:30.
