Ahhh, is there anything quite like sinking into fresh sheets after a long day? Ensure your organic cotton sheets look their absolute best and help you sleep soundly year after year—whilst simultaneously lowering your energy bills and reducing your carbon footprint—with these small but impactful tips. A little care and attention goes a (very) long way!

 

the million-dollar question

 

How often should bedding be washed? Generally, washing once a fortnight should ensure you get that fresh sheet feeling night after night. Although, as there are so many different circumstances that determine this one, we can’t decide for you. For example, if you’re a hot sleeper or during the summer months, you may want to wash your bedding more regularly.

 

Having two bedding sets means that you never have to be without nightly doses of much needed comfort on laundry days!

 

washing temperature

 

Did you know you don’t need a hot wash to get a really good clean? The thought of germs may be making you restless, but a hot temperature doesn't actually kill more bacteria than a cooler temperature, the detergent is what’s important. Good laundry detergents give you great results even at lower temperatures and consistently washing at 60ºc+ can damage the natural fibres in the long term.

 

So, we suggest washing at 40 ºc, and even better still, perhaps consider washing at 30 ºc if your bedding isn’t too dirty to up your sustainability kudos. 30°C uses 38% less energy than washing at 40°C.

 

We do recommend avoiding the quick wash cycle on your machine as this won’t give the detergent enough time to work well.

 

breakfast in bed mishaps

 

Act fast! You may have just climbed back into bed with your hot tea on a Sunday morning and the last thing you want to do is put a wash on, but this is our top tip for rescuing your sheets. Apply stain remover directly to the stain (ensuring it doesn’t contain any bleach if you have coloured bedding). If you don’t have any stain remover to hand, you can spot clean by adding a little laundry detergent or washing up liquid to the stain.

 

separation

 

White cotton easily picks up other colours. Keep your white sheets beautifully white by not washing them with any other colours.

 

Worried about your striped bedding? No need to toss and turn. Our stripes are yard died, meaning they’re colour fast and won’t leach any dye, just wash with light colours.

 

Avoid mixing the load with items that might snag your bedding like zippers and bras.

 

button it up

 

To avoid a tangled bundle of sheets and pillowcases inside your duvet cover once the cycle has finished, button up your duvet cover before washing.

 

detergents we recommend using

 

If you’ve been conscious and chosen organic cotton bedding, why stop there? Unfortunately, conventional detergents are some of the most toxic cleaning products out there. They’re often full of artificial fragrances and harmful ingredients we have no idea how to pronounce, making doing laundry dirty business! But there’s no need for sleepless nights, just use gentler detergents and considering non-bio options to reduce skin irritation.

 

Many of us are guilty of using too much in our washes when we want to give our bedding a really good old clean. However, using too much simply makes it much harder to remove during the rinse cycle. It isn't an exact science. For example, you’ll need a little more detergent if you live in a hard water area than a soft water area. You may also need a little more for a particularly dirty load. But as a general rule, we recommend to follow the manufacturers guidelines, then, once you’re used to a particular brand, you can adjust according to your situation.

 

If you’re using fabric softener, remember very little goes a very long way. You really don’t need much! Organic cotton softens naturally over time, but if you iron your sheets a little softener will protect the fibres from the heat.

 

give them space

 

Ensuring you don’t fill your machine over three quarters full means the detergent and softener will be effectively rinsed out and you’ll also help avoid prominent creases.

 

top tips for drying

 

Another easy breezy way to avoid creases setting into your sheets is removing them from the washing machine as quickly as possible and give them a good shake before drying them.

 

We always advise trying to avoid the tumble dryer whenever possible. However, if you need a helping hand during the winter months or you don’t have access to an outdoor space, try to do so on a low heat setting.

 

Another little tip if you’re using your tumble dryer is to remove your bedding while it's still warm and just before it's completely dry. Do this last bit of drying naturally (hang them over a banister, put them on the line if the suns shining or lay them flat on your bed) and it’s like doing a touch of ironing without the hassle! Don’t be shy of using your washing line even if it’s not summer. All you need is a slight breeze on a dry day.

 

to iron or not to iron

 

Do you love it or loathe it? If it’s the latter, we get you. It can be time consuming. What’s more, we find there’s something wonderfully welcoming, soothing and refreshing about sinking into the natural wrinkles of bedding. However, if you do find beauty and comfort in immaculate sheets, it’s perfectly safe to iron organic cotton.

 

This one is simple, but you’ll notice a big difference. Iron your bedding while it’s still a little damp (but not wet) using the cotton heat setting. This will make achieving perfectly crisp bed linen so much easier. We find adding a glass of vino makes time spent ironing go by so much quicker, too!

 

how to keep whites bright

 

Hanging your white sheets out to dry on the line on a hot day works wonders as the sun’s rays act as natures very own bleach. Just watch your darker fabrics and don’t prolong exposure, bring these in as soon as possible once dry.

 

And there you have it. Love your bedding and it’ll love you back for years to come. Shop organic & Fairtrade, lovingly made bed linen.