One of the best parts of being able to afford a cleaning lady must be to have her strip, load, wash, fold, and put back on sheets. While I adore really nice sheets (<3 <3 <3), I must confess that I am not the biggest fan in the world of laundry. Several years ago, my ancient washing machine finally bit the dust and it was time for me to buy a new one. The only thing that I really knew I wanted was a gigantic tub so that I could stuff eight loads into one.
Well, now that I am SO much wiser, I can say that my thoughts concerning the benefits of a cleaning lady and my thoughts concerning a gigantic washing machine were both a little off. Washing sheets is not that difficult if you have some handy dandy tips. And gigantic tubs are great for allowing lots of room for laundry to agitate, but they aren’t great for cramming.
Good Housekeeping’s Washing Machine Mistakes lists some practical advice that even the most efficient households probably don’t remember to do every laundry day. Here’s Some More Great Tips for Laundering Your DreamFit Sheets:
1.Don’t Wait Too Long Between Washes
“The longest you should wait before changing out your sheets is two weeks,” says Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. “Weekly is even better.”
2. Don’t Forget to Pretreat Pillow Cases For MakeUp, Lotions, and Other Stains
You don’t even need to use a special stain stick. Just pour ½ a capful onto the stains and scrub gently with an old toothbrush. You can even stick a prestain stick or spray under your bed and when you take your sheets off, just quickly rub the stain with the product.
3. Do NOT Overload Your Machine
If possible, do sheets and nothing else in the load. And do not wrap sheets around the agitator (if you have one). Lay them gently inside the washer instead. The circulation of the wash cycle is one of the most important aspects of cleaning. If you really need to add a few more things to the load, avoid towels, washcloths, and anything heavy.
4. Choose a Cool Water Rinse
Did you know that cool water rinses help prevent even the most stubborn wrinkles? But, “You should also choose a setting with a cleaning cycle that uses the hottest water safe for the sheets’ fabric (check the care tag). “The hotter the water, the more germs you kill,” says Forte.” For DreamFit sheets, warm water is recommended – never hot.
5. No Matter How Much You Want to Let Them Tumble One More Time in the Dryer, Don’t
Overdrying can be one of the reasons why your sheets seem more wrinkled than usual or shrink. And if you take the sheets out when they are still warm, you can lay them on your bed and smooth them out as you put them on and it is almost as if you are “ironing” them with your hands. DreamFit sheets are always dried on low to medium heat.
6. Do NOT Dry Sheets with Towels
Not all linens are created equally, so it’s best to keep very different loads separate to avoid over-drying issues. “Sheets dry faster than towels, so when the sheets are dry the towels will likely still be wet,” says Forte.Plus, according to Cleaning Sheets Mistakes in the Huffington Post, towels can produce a lot of lint that will adhere to your sheets, particularly in the dryer. So, your beautiful white sheets might suddenly be coated by loads of tiny little lint balls.
7. Do NOT Leave Sheets in the Washer
Did you know that “The spin cycle in the washer sucks the fabric of the sheet up against the basin wall. If you leave it there, the wrinkles will set”? All you need to do is take your sheets out of the washer as soon as they’re done and just shake them out before you put them in the dryer. Sounds simple. And you’ll notice a major difference in how wrinkly your sheets are.
8. Do NOT Use Too Much Detergent
9. Do NOT Use Harsh Detergents
Both can do damage to your sheets, particularly if they’re fine quality. “For the most part, your sheets don’t get as dirty as your jeans or workout clothing,” The Hufffington Post writes. “So by simply using a smaller amount and a gentler detergent (even a baby detergent), you’ll actually extend the life of your sheets. Plus, they’ll probably smell better!” And, some fabrics are adversely affected by fabric softeners, so ready the care instructions carefully.
10. Above All, Follow the Manufacturer’s Instruction
We at DreamFit go to great lengths to make sure that our instructions are tested, practical, and easy to follow. Not only do we want you to love our sheets, we want you to love taking care of them as well. You can find DreamFit sheet care instructions at DreamFit.com.
