We were given our first set of very good sheets (350 thread-count, satin smooth) as a housewarming gift from a relative. It’s the first time we have had sheets that feel as good as these and want to know what special care, if any, they should be given to keep them this way? It’s probably not a good idea to just throw them into the wash with the rest of our bedding. How can we safely clean them?
— C.B., Hyde Park
We sought advice from Peacock Alley, a luxury linen manufacturer that offers 200 to 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheeting fabrics, and learned the trick to caring for fine bedding is to handle with care.
Peacock Alley says “antique as well as new linens need regular and proper care to retain softness and maintain an impeccable appearance.” The company’s care instructions suggests machine washing sheets on a gentle cycle with Ivory Snow powder or Sacon de Marseilles flakes.
If brown spots appear on the sheets after long storage, boil the linen with a handful of soap flakes or put the linen in the sink over a colander and repeatedly pour boiling water with soap flakes over the spotted area and then wash in the machine.
Peacock Alley prefers line drying fine linens to a tossed spin in the dryer.
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