How to Care for Egyptian Cotton Sheets

According to Beyond Beds, "Egyptian cotton is considered to be one of the finer types of cotton, as it refers to a long staple fine cotton usually grown in northern Africa." Due to mercerizing, a process the cotton staples are put through, the resulting fabric is extremely soft. Caring for Egyptian Cotton Sheets will keep them soft and beautiful.

Things You'll Need

• Mild laundry detergent
• Non-chlorine bleach (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash Egyptian cotton sheets in a load by themselves. This prevents damage to the sheets by getting them caught on zippers, hooks or buttons. Use cold water and mild laundry detergent in the wash. Do not use chlorine bleach on these sheets. According to Beyond Beds, chlorine can damage the cotton fibers over time; use a non-chlorine bleach to brighten white or ivory cotton sheets.

2. Remove the sheets from the washer as soon as the wash cycle is complete. This helps to reduce wrinkling.

3. Shake out the Egyptian cotton sheets before placing them in the dryer. This will also help reduce wrinkling.

4. Dry the sheets on a warm temperature setting. Set the dryer to a shorter dry cycle and take the sheets out of the dryer before they are completely dry. Hang the sheets to allow them to finish drying.

5. Place the sheets on your bed, smoothing out the wrinkles with your hand. According to Beyond Beds, ironing is not necessary, although some people prefer the crisp look of freshly ironed cotton. If you do iron them, My Down Comforter recommends using a warm iron on Egyptian cotton sheets.

Tips & Warnings

• The mercerizing process not only makes the Egyptian cotton sheets softer, it also makes them less likely to fade due to repeated washings.

References

• Beyond Beds
• My Down Comforters

Resources

• Beyond Beds-How to Launder Your Fine Bedding
• My Down Comforters-Egyptian Cotton Sheets