Treat it with a little TLC and cotton bedding can provide a lifetime of peaceful sleeps. For guidance on how to keep yours looking and feeling its best, all of our products have a care label attached, plus this handy list of tips should answer your key cotton care questions.
If you have any specific queries or concerns though, please get in touch. We love an excuse for a good old chinwag about bedding!
How to wash cotton bedding
Our top tip is to wash your cotton bedding before use, first to remove any industrial smells, and secondly, to allow the material's natural fibres to shrink. We make all of our cotton bed linen a teeny tiny bit too big to accommodate for shrinkage, but after the first wash it should fit perfectly on your bed.
Nothing beats the smell of fresh sheets (apart from climbing under them!), which is why, for optimum comfort, you should wash your cotton bedding at least once every two weeks to prevent bacteria forming. We recommend using a gentle 40-degree cycle as higher temperatures aren’t as friendly for the environment and can damage the item’s yarn, ruining its natural softness.When choosing the right detergent, opt for a less heavy-duty one or go all out for an eco-friendly variety. Our personal favourite is Wilton London, a company that produces non-toxic laundry liquids and fabric softeners packed full of essential oils to keep your cotton bedding smelling sweet, naturally. We suggest washing your cotton sheets separately from your other laundry to prevent a stray zip or clasp snagging the material. This will also help to avoid over-stuffing the drum which can damage both your bedding and the machine and makes the detergent less effective. And the last biggie, please don’t dry clean your cotton bedding! The dry cleaning process uses chemicals and can cause irreversible damage.
How to keep your brushed cotton bedding feeling tip-top
We think washing should be easy peasy, so we’ve made caring for our brushed cotton bedding a breeze.
All our sets can be washed at 40 degrees, but we do recommend a gentler cycle for brushed cotton, such as your synthetic or wool setting, to keep the fabric as soft and cosy as possible. To help better maintain that super-soft brushed finish, make sure to turn the bedding inside out before washing. This will help to reduce any abrasion that might occur naturally in your machine and protect the little raised fibres. For extra softness, pop on the line to dry in a gentle breeze (if you can find a dry spell), or simply pop in your machine for a light tumble. The very best news? Ironing is optional, which means even more time spent snuggled under the sheets.
Can you tumble dry cotton?
Although not ideal, you can tumble dry cotton bedding if you use a low heat setting to prevent it shrinking and remove the items before the cycle ends (we find it's easier to shake out the creases when the sheets are still a little damp!). However, line-drying is the way to go if you want to keep your bedding as fresh as possible, especially as tumble drying will slowly break down the fabric, shortening the life of your bed linen. Sadly though, the great British weather can be temperamental and daily sunshine isn’t always a guarantee, in which case hanging your bed linen somewhere warm inside is your next best option.
How to stop sheets pilling
Unfortunately, pilling is one of those things that occurs to all fabrics over time. Body hair, nightwear, toenails, furry paws and anything that can catch or cause abrasion all play a part in causing it. The good news is you can lessen the chances of it happening by rotating your cotton sheets regularly, so you sleep on different areas, that’s why we design all of ours to be reversible, giving you four options when making up your bed. Just keep an eye on the label so you know the sheet's orientation each time you turn it!
Another culprit is dust because when the particles get bigger and move closer, they create pilling. To tackle this, group your cotton bedding sets together and store them inside one of their pillowcases or one of our Bobby Bags. This not only protects them from dust but also makes it a breeze to find them in your airing cupboard.
Tips for ironing cotton bedding
Although ironing isn’t compulsory, if you want to bring that pristine hotel look home, it’s worth going the extra mile.
Bedding
Once washed and almost dry, shake your sheets to minimise wrinkles, fold and lay flat on your ironing board. Then, with long, quick strokes, use a medium to hot iron to flatten creases (and also kill any bacteria that has survived the wash!), making sure not to leave it in one spot for too long. Ta-dah! Compared to the relaxed nature of cotton sateen, a little extra effort is needed to give cotton percale bedding a crisp finish, but that only means a little extra satisfaction once all the hard work's over.
Fitted Sheets
Cotton duvet covers, pillowcases, and flat sheets are a doddle to iron, however, the trick with fitted sheets is to iron them on the bed using an extension lead for those hard-to-reach corners. Do be careful if you have a polyester topper or mattress though as it might stick, so test a small area first to be on the safe side.
How to keep white bedding white and colours from fading
To keep your whites bright, hang them outside so they can catch some rays, plus sunshine also acts as a natural disinfectant! During darker months though, use specialised white washing powder, but be wary of optical brighteners as they can cause fading over time and, at all costs, don’t use products containing bleach.
However, when it comes to coloured cotton bedding, try to avoid extended exposure to direct sunlight. Of course, short bursts while line-drying are absolutely fine, but if your bed is positioned under a window, we suggest covering it with a bed throw or rotating your bedding regularly.
Also, be careful when using skin or hair products in bed as certain types contain oxidising agents that can cause discolouration or even bleaching.
Caring for cotton bedding isn't tricky, promise! But give it a little extra love and you'll be rewarded with a sumptuous snooze spot that'll be a dream to dive into, night after night. Plus, even ironing becomes a joy with a glass of vino and the radio whacked up!
Sleep well and do share your cotton care tips with us, we love hearing from you.
