From Pima cotton to pillow protectors, thread count to towels, styling to sheet colours, we love receiving your questions and providing solutions. Today we've rounded up our top questions about linen care, and preserving the lifespan of your sheets. Want us to answer your questions? Send us an email at info@aulitfinelinens.com and we'd love to help you out!
Q: Should I be washing my sheets in hot or cold water? What's the difference?
A: If you have white sheets, washing in cold water or hot water are both effective - it's your personal preference. Cotton satins should be washed in cold water first to set the fibres and prevent pilling. If you're washing your coloured sheets, we always recommend washing in cold or lukewarm water - hot water can cause colours to fade or bleed.
Q: I have white sheets - what is the best way to keep them bright and white?
A: To keep your whites white, we always recommend washing them in a gentle detergent such as Sunlight or Ivory (other detergents are very harsh and can do damage to the cotton over time). Quick tip: soaking your sheets overnight in hot water with a mild detergent prior to washing will really help to brighten them. If you feel the need to use Oxy Clean or a similar non-bleach product, we recommend doing a second rinse cycle to make sure the sheets get thoroughly rinsed.
Q: I live in a small space and don't have a large area available to hang my sheets to dry. Can I put them in the dryer?
A: Of course! You can put them in the dryer for 10 - 15 minutes on normal heat and then take them out and drape them over any folding rack to finish drying. You will be surprised how dry they are after 10 - 15 minutes! That final 45 minutes of heat is what damages the fibres. Taking them out of the dryer will also prevent wrinkling as well as preserve their lifespan.
Q: Occasionally accidents happen - what's the best way to get stains out of sheets?
A: To remove stains, we try to stay as natural as possible. Baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar can work wonders! We’ll also use Oxy Clean or Shout for really stubborn stains. There's a great article from Good Housekeeping that breaks it down by the type of stain - you can read it here.
