How much linen to stock … Standard mattress, sheet, and pillowcase sizes … Calculating desirable sizes for sheets … Blanket cover, coverlet, and bedspread sizes … Blanket, comforter, and comforter cover sizes … Durability of sheets; thread counts, weave and weight, fiber, effect of decorative stitching on durability, whites vs. colors and prints … Choosing comfortable sheets … Hand, absorbency, warmth, decorative stitching … Launderability of sheets; no-iron sheets; wrinkly sheets … Blankets and comforters … Changing and laundering linens … Dressing and making the bed
A good bedroom requires good bedding. To be satisfied with your bedroom linens and your bed, you need to know more about bedding than merchandisers today give you credit for. Linen stores once expected their patrons to be knowledgeable, penny-wise women who would pore over merchandise with sharp eyes. Today they seem to expect us to make decisions based purely on the looks of the linens and our supposed love of luxury. I have made more than one foolish purchase of sheets and other bedding, acting just like the naïve spender whom advertisers target. Poorer but wiser after these experiences, I describe for you in this chapter many things I wish I had kept in mind during a few shopping trips in the past. We should always try to buy linens we regard as beautiful. But when you think through the ways in which sheets and other bedding are used and laundered, you may revise your ideas about what a beautiful sheet looks like.
About Bed Linens
How Much Linen to Stock. For each bed in your home, you will probably find it convenient to stock the following:
3 sets of sheets, top and bottom (including, if you wish, 1 guest set)
3 sets of pillowcases (including, if you wish, 1 guest set)
2 pillow protectors (sometimes called pillow “covers”)
1 or 2 allergen-proof undercovers
2 mattress pads
1 or 2 allergen-proof mattress covers
This gives, for each bed, one set of sheets on the bed, one set in the wash, and one in reserve for accidents or extra changes of the bed for guests. People who keep a set of guest sheets for one or more beds usually choose especially fine or attractive sheets for this purpose and may also use them for a variety of special occasions like anniversaries or special holidays. Because you change protectors, undercovers, and mattress pads less frequently, you will need only one extra set of each of these. Crib sheets and blankets must be changed daily or more often if they become wet or soiled, so stock at least a half dozen of each.
It does not pay to overstock bed linens, for they will simply age on the shelf. An overstocked linen closet also makes more work for you. It is prey to odors and dust. Linens that have sat unused for long periods have had more opportunities to become damp and to develop mold, yellowing, weakness along crease lines, and other problems, so you will have to go in and wash and refold them periodically.
Types of Sheets. What to choose, as opposed to how many, is a more complicated question than it used to be. It pays to understand fibers, fabrics, and their characteristics in making these choices; so the reader is referred generally to chapter 19, “The Fabric of Your Home,” and chapter 21, “The Natural Fibers.” The desiderata in sheets are good fit, resistance to shrinking, durability, resistance to pilling, comfort (a complicated thing in itself), launderability, economy, and beauty. Comfort in a sheet depends greatly on a good hand or feeling, warmth or coolness, absorbency, and absence of pilling.
Getting the Right Size: Standard Measurements of Bed Linens
Standard Mattress, Sheet, and Pillowcase Sizes. Sheet sizes used to be highly standardized and still are fairly uniform, but you now encounter more variations—reflecting, no doubt, more variation in mattress sizes. Be especially alert for different measurements in European-made sheets and pillowcases, and for differences between linen and cotton sheets and pillowcases. The sizes set out in this section, however, are still considered fairly “standard.” They fit the following standard mattress widths and lengths (but see the discussion of extra-deep mattresses below):
Mattress Sizes
| Twin | 39 × 75 |
| Full/double | 54 × 75 |
| Queen | 60 × 80 |
| King | 78 × 80 |
| California king | 72 × 84 |
The length and width of sheets will be stated on the package when you buy them. Flat sheets of all sizes are given a 2- to 4-inch hem at top and ½- to 1-inch hem at bottom. Although almost all sheets have selvage edges at the sides, very fine sheets (and the occasional inferior sheet) may have hems of an inch or so at the sides too. The dimensions of a sheet stated on the package nowadays are the finished sizes, not the “torn” sizes. (The torn size is the size before hemming. When hemmed, sheets are up to 5 inches shorter in length and 2 inches shorter in width. Until the 1970s, sheet packages gave the torn size, not the hemmed size.)
Dimensions of Standard Sheets
| Crib flat | 42 × 72 |
| Crib fitted | 28 × 52 |
| Twin flat | 66 × 96 |
| Twin fitted | 39 × 75 |
| Double or full flat | 81 × 96; 81 × 100 |
| Double or full fitted | 54 × 75 |
| Queen flat | 90 × 102; 90 × 106 |
| Queen fitted | 60 × 80 |
| King flat | 108 × 102; 108 × 106 |
| King fitted | 78 × 80 |
| California king flat | 102 × 110 |
| California king fitted | 72 × 84 |
A pillowcase should be 4 inches longer than the pillow and 2 inches greater in circumference.
Dimensions of Pillowcases
| Standard | 20 × 26 |
| Queen | 20 × 30 |
| King | 20 × 40; 20 × 36 |
| European | 26 × 26 |
| Boudoir (baby) | 12 × 16 |
| Neck roll | 6 × 14 |
All new sheets will shrink a little when laundered, but the shrinkage is almost entirely in the length, with very little change in the width. The long-term shrinkage in the average cotton sheet will be about 5 percent, which works out to about 5 inches in a 108-inch sheet. Flannel sheets will shrink more but are cut longer to allow for this. Thus, even if you have standard-length mattresses, it can pay to buy extra-long sheets (these are often 108 inches long) to assure plenty of overhang for tucking after the shrinking. Once upon a time, you would have planned on providing flat sheets large enough to give 10 to 12 inches to tuck on each edge and top sheets that extended 6 to 10 inches past the head of the mattress (so that you could have a generous fold over the top of the blanket). To do this even twenty years ago, you had to buy the next size larger sheet (for example, a queen flat for a double bed) because standard sheet sizes on a standard mattress gave you only 6 or 7 inches for tucking. (Many people regard 6 or 7 inches as quite adequate, by the way, and the 10 to 12 inches I like is a rather old-fashioned standard. But it still works best.)
It is crucial to measure the depth of your mattress before purchasing sheets because of all the extra-deep mattresses being sold today. Not uncommonly these have a 14-inch depth, and some are even deeper—up to 20 inches. The mattress most commonly sold today is 8 to 10 inches deep. The old “standard” mattress was 6 to 8 inches deep. With a mattress 14 to 20 inches deep, to get the same allowance for tucking that the standard top sheet gives for a standard 8-inch mattress, you need a sheet that is 6 to 12 inches longer, depending on how deep your mattress is, and 12 to 24 inches wider. (A flat bottom sheet would need as much extra length as width.) If you have a deep mattress, therefore, you must buy the next size larger flat sheet, preferably in an extra-long length, to provide a decent allowance for tucking under and turning down. When purchasing fitted sheets, however, you cannot safely get the next larger size, as they probably will not fit. Instead, if you have a deep mattress, make sure you purchase fitted sheets with “universal” or deep corners. Sometimes the package specifies the corner depth, so check labels. Linen stores will often undertake to make custom-size sheets for you, and these are often necessary for beds with unusual shapes or unusually deep mattresses.
Common Sizes for Blanket Covers or Coverlets and Bedspreads. Keep two covers or spreads for each bed. People today tend to leave their pillows uncovered, use dust ruffles, and cover the bed with blanket covers or coverlets that expose the dust ruffle, pillowcases, and sheet tops. Unlike sheet sizes, the sizes of blanket covers and coverlets are not highly standardized. If the exact size matters, measure before you go shopping! Remember to make allowances for extra-deep mattresses. Some common sizes of blanket covers or coverlets are as follows:
Blanket Covers
| Twin | 69 × 90 |
| Full/double | 84 × 90 |
| Queen | 95 × 95 |
| King | 102 × 95 |
It has become hard to find old-fashioned bedspreads that cover the pillows and the sides of the bed down to the floor. Here are bedspread sizes that would work for standard mattresses, but, again, you might need to make allowances if you have an extra-deep mattress:
Bedspreads
| Twin | 74 × 108 |
| Full/double | 88 × 108 |
| Queen/king | 99 × 114 |
Sizes of Blankets and Comforters. Blankets are sized so as to fit under a coverlet. If you want sufficient overhang for a comforter or blanket to serve also as a bed cover, you must be sure to select a size large enough. Blanket sizes are highly variable, as the following list of sizes I have found in stores and catalogues shows. If the exact size matters, measure and calculate, before buying, just how much overhang or tuck you will need.
Blankets
| Crib | 36 × 50 |
| Twin | 68 × 86; 68 × 90; 66 × 96 |
| Full | 81 × 83; 80 × 96 |
| Queen | 91 × 91; 90 × 96 |
| King | 108 × 96 |
| California king | 102 × 102 |
Comforters (duvets) are variable in size. The sizes of comforter covers are the same as the sizes of the comforters themselves, and they also vary considerably. Measuring is needed if you are concerned about exact fit. The following examples of sizes are typical:
Comforters and Comforter Covers
| Twin | 68 × 88; 68 × 86; 66 × 88 |
| Full | 81 × 88 |
| Full/queen | 86 × 86; 88 × 88 |
| Queen | 88 × 96 |
| King | 107 × 96; 102 × 86; 102 × 88 |
Example 1: Calculating top sheet length for standard double (full) mattress. Suppose you have a double (full) mattress, 54 × 75, that is 8 inches deep. If you wanted to tuck in 12 inches of your top sheet at the bottom of the mattress and have 10 extra inches at the top, you would have to buy a sheet that is no less than 105 inches in length.
Extra at top + mattress length + mattress depth + tuck
10 + 75 + 8 + 12 = 105 inches
Example 2: Calculating sheet size for an extra-deep queen-size mattress. Suppose that you have a queen-size pillow-top mattress, 60 × 80 that is 14 inches deep. You find some linen sheets that come only in flat sizes, and you would like to buy some for your bed. Here is how you would calculate the size of the flat sheet you would need as a bottom sheet, if you were to insist on tucking in 10 inches on all sides. As the calculation shows, you will not be able to buy any standard sheet to fit because no sheet is manufactured in so large a size. In length, it would have to be as follows:
Top tuck + mattress depth + mattress length + mattress depth + bottom tuck
10 + 14 + 80 + 14 + 10 = 128 inches
The width would have to be as follows :
Side tuck + mattress depth + mattress width + mattress depth + side tuck
Durability in Sheets
Thread Counts. Do not be deceived into thinking that the higher the thread count, the better the sheet. This is an oversimplified and mistaken idea that is frequently purveyed by merchandisers and fashion writers. It may lead you into paying too much money for a sheet that will not last as long, feel as good, or launder as well as one with a lower thread count. (For an explanation of thread counts, see chapter 19, “The Fabric of Your Home,” pages 276-77.)
Until recent decades, most sheets sold were muslin, a cotton plain-weave cloth with a thread count of about 140. Hospitals and other institutions used muslin sheets exclusively because they were inexpensive, comfortable, and very long-lasting. Most people used them at home, too, especially on children’s beds. The next grade of sheet was percale, with a thread count of 180. It felt finer and was also quite durable. In all middle-class homes until recent decades, there were no aspirations to any sheets better than 180 thread count percale. But in the 1980s increasingly higher thread counts in cotton sheets began to appear—200, 220, 250, 300, and upward—and these typically had ever-finer, softer, smoother hand and were made of ever-better cotton—Egyptian cotton or pima cotton. Some of these, therefore, were and are good buys. Using fine yarns, high thread counts, and high-quality fiber, they achieve a good balance of durability, launderability, and improved hand. My favorite type of sheet for ordinary home use is a resin-free all-combed-cotton percale with a thread count of 200 to 250 and a care label that says merely “Machine-wash.”
But superfine, supersoft, high thread count cotton sheets that are somewhat delicate now dominate the market. On a recent trip to Bloomingdale’s I found for sale only one type of plain-weave sheet and one type of twill sheet, both with thread counts of 300; all the other sheets were sateen with thread counts higher than 300. Sateen sheets (cotton sheets in satin weaves), which have more or less replaced hardy plain-weave and twill in upscale stores, have high thread counts of 400 and up—to 1000 or more. Yet they are less durable than plain or twill weaves because they use looser twists and floats in the weave, and they are very light and thin. (The terms “twist” and “float” are explained in chapter 19.) They cannot be bleached; they soon acquire the grayish or yellowish tinge of aging cotton. They wear holes faster. They are costly. Of course, if they suit your fancy and your pocketbook, you should have them; and if you are on a budget, you can reserve them for special occasions, guests’ beds, and the like. Just be sure you are not under the impression that you are necessarily getting a long-wearing (or highly launderable) sheet fitted for hard, everyday use. This will depend on many more factors than high thread count.
Weave and Weight. Both twill, the most durable type of weave, and plain-weave sheets tend to be more durable than satin weaves, because the latter contain threads with floats and low twist, which are vulnerable to abrasion and tearing. Cotton knit sheets tend to be less durable than woven ones. Heavier-weight fabrics tend to be more durable than lighter.
Some high thread count cotton sheets in plain weave are very sheer and light. They are, therefore, quite lovely and cool, but they are not likely to wear as well as heavier sheeting, particularly if subjected to vigorous laundering and heavy use. You may wish to keep them for special occasions or for hot summer nights. Very sheer linen sheets (of lawn, say, or a similar weave) are equally delicate. For some people, these, not sateen, are the height of luxury.
Fiber. The best cotton fabric used for sheets is combed pima or Egyptian cotton. (Sea Island cotton is rarely seen in sheets.) Wrinkle-treated cotton sheets generally do not last as long as untreated cotton or cotton/polyester sheets, but the latter may pill and all-cotton will not. High-quality cotton is extremely durable, even when subjected to frequent vigorous laundering. So is unbleached linen; bleached and dyed linen is less durable. You can, unfortunately, all too easily pay premium prices for linen sheets that are not of the highest quality and will wear poorly. (See chapter 21, “The Natural Fibers,” pages 327-31, on how to evaluate the quality of linen.) Even high-quality linen, moreover, will not be able to take hard wear if it is very finely woven or lacy or bears other delicate decorative needlework.
Decorative Stitching, Cutwork, Lace, and the Like. Decorative stitching on any sheets can make them less durable. Cutwork and lace are highly susceptible to tearing. Embroidery can fray or fade. Even simple hem stitching at the pillow and sheet hem will wear through far, far sooner than the rest of the sheet. If you have bought expensive sheets for special occasions only, you will be using them infrequently and you can launder them gently; thus they will last. But when you are buying sheets for hard everyday use and are trying to make economical decisions, your best bet is to choose sheets without these features.
Whites Versus Colors and Prints. The colored and print sheets in linen stores are often as hard-wearing as they are beautiful. In fact, they are so widely appreciated and so reliably used to advantage that I feel I need to add only a word of praise for the now-overlooked plain white ones. White sheets do not fade. If they are made of a fiber that can take hot water and bleach, you can also keep them white and spotless for many years. Most colored and print cotton sheets tend to fade; polyester and polyester blends tend to be more resistant to fading. Some prints and colors are bleachable, but the bleaching will hasten the fading; unless you wash all pieces of a set at the same time in the same loads, some will fade at different rates from others and they will no longer look good together. Off-white and unbleached muslin and other cotton and linen sheets present similar problems. They may come to look dingy over time or begin to lighten with continued laundering. Unbleached linen inevitably whitens over time. You can brighten off-whites and unbleached sets with bleaching, but then you must be sure to do all pieces of the set together or they will turn different shades of off-white. Eventually you will end up with either white or dingy sheets.
The colored, satin-stitched scalloped edging on some cotton sheets has never faded perceptibly in my experience, even with chlorine bleaching. (But you should follow care labels or test the fabric for bleach-fastness before resorting to bleach.) I also find that if you pick your prints carefully and take care to launder sets together, fading may not look bad or may not be noticeable. The bright blue stripes on a blue-and-white-striped sheet, for example, my objectively become less bright blue but do not look washed out. The real problem is dealing with stains: strong stain removers and chlorine bleach may create uneven lightened areas in the print.
There is no denying that white cotton, without wrinkle treatments, is easiest to use and to keep looking good. It is also convenient not to have to worry about matching bottom sheets with top sheets and pillowcases, or with spreads, comforters, and other aspects of the bedroom. White is the color of choice for those who have no time. In fact, because of its launderability I prefer it even for children’s bedding. The idea that prints “hide” stains and dirty marks has never really been convincing to me; I find that I see them quite well and that the need to protect the color of the print often interferes with removing marks effectively. Thus, although I find prints hard to resist, I have moved gradually during a very busy period of my life to white and bleachable mostly white bedding of all sorts. If you decide to go with white, you can compensate with plenty of colors and prints in area rugs, spreads or quilts, artwork, wallpaper or wall paint, and the like.
Comfortable Sheets
It is more important to choose comfort in your sheets than in any other fabric you buy, except, possibly, your underwear. A number of factors affect the comfort of a sheet, and some of them are highly subjective. Do not be unduly swayed in your choices by the fads of the day.
Hand: Silky Soft or Crisp? My best friend dearly loves sleeping in silky smooth, softly draping, lustrous sheets; sateen sheets answering to this taste are available in ever-greater variety and in several types of fiber. In some stores offering high-end goods, it is hard to find sheets that are not sateen. Still, I prefer crisp, plain-weave sheets. My friend’s luxurious sheets caress the skin, but they also cling closer to the body, which means that they prevent air from circulating in the little tunnels and valleys that form between your skin and a crisper sheet. The silky feeling can transform into a clammy one, especially if you are the sort of person who perspires a great deal. Satiny sheets also tend to slide all over you. Sometimes this produces a hot feeling, perhaps because of the airless friction of skin against moving, clinging cloth. Satin-weave sheets, moreover, do not let air in or out well, which aggravates the problem.
Still, if you are one of those to whom a silky hand and a soft, light drape appeal, some of the beautiful all-cotton, high thread count sateen sheets are just what you want. Although you can often find some good buys in these, I wore holes in a costly set of them in three years—a short life for a costly sheet—and they grayed early but could not be chlorine-bleached (presumably because the fine exposed threads in the floats would have been damaged, the luster would have been lost, or, perhaps, the holes would have come even sooner).
Real silk satin sheets, which are extremely costly, are highly absorbent and skin-friendly in many ways. However, they are quite warm, and their care labels sometimes call for dry cleaning; they cannot be bleached or subjected to the vigorous laundering you may need to give to sheets. If this type of sheet is your ideal, perhaps you could have a set for “good” or for special occasions, just as once upon a time the real linen sheets were kept for important days and people. Avoid “satin” sheets made of polyester. Polyester, which is unabsorbent, is not a desirable fiber for sheeting.
Those who prefer a crisper or cottony smoothness in sheets will always love, as I do, good combed all-cotton percale with a thread count between 180 and 250—the standard luxury sheet of the prior generation. (At higher thread counts, you lose crispness.) It provides superior comfort, durability, and launderability at lower prices. All-cotton sheets with lower thread counts are no longer sold, which is a shame because fine muslin sheets (thread count 140) also excel in crisp comfort and durability.* Cotton/polyester blends, which have replaced muslin in the low end of the market, are wrinkle-resistant but have a slightly scratchy or harsh hand that is less pleasant than that of all-cotton sheets. Wrinkle-resistant, all-cotton percale sheets with moderate thread counts have a better hand than cotton/polyester sheets, although there is a faint rubbery quality to them.
Cotton flannel and knit sheets offer you more softness without crispness, which is just what some people want. Consider lightweight cotton knits for summer and flannels for winter. (But cotton knits sometimes have inconvenient laundering instructions. See “Launderability of Sheets,” below.) Even if you generally prefer a crisp sheet, you might find you enjoy the warmth of flannel in winter. If aged percale is what you love best, you can even buy prewashed percale, which has lost its initial crispness. I find it annoying, however, to pay more for sheets that are slightly worn and would rather wear them soft myself.
The queen of fibers when it comes to sheets is real linen (flax), the fiber that gave bed “linens” their name. If real linen sheets sound or look dreamy to you but you have not tried them, do not expect satiny smoothness or silky softness. Linen is very crisp and, until much laundered, rather stiff. If cotton sateen appeals to you, linen probably will not. It is highly absorbent, and although good linen fabric is exceedingly smooth and lustrous, its greater body and crispness gives it something of the quality of good muslin. Like muslin, it softens with age, wears like iron (if of good quality), and wrinkles easily. Many people, including me, like it best of all sheeting. Much of the appeal of linen and muslin to their fans is that because they are crisp they let air in and out, do not cling, and do not slide all over you, as satiny sheets do.
Absorbency. Absorbency is one of the chief factors affecting the comfort of sheets. Linen (flax) sheets are most absorbent, but all-cotton sheets that have received no resin treatments are also highly absorbent. Polyester is unabsorbent and thus uncomfortable in sheets, which are going to have your perspiring bare skin and body weight pressed against them for hours and hours. One hundred percent polyester sheets are rarely marketed for adults, but I have often seen all-polyester crib sheets. All-cotton knit crib sheets, which do not need ironing either, are a much better choice.
Cotton/polyester blend sheets are superior to all-polyester sheets—the hand is better, and they are more absorbent. They come in both expensive and inexpensive styles. I know many people who find them indistinguishable from cotton, but I believe that those who perspire heavily can tell the difference readily and are likely to find them uncomfortable. Trading wrinkles for comfort is a bad bargain—better just to let the sheets wrinkle and feel comfortable.
Generally speaking, very light, fine, or flimsy sheets are less absorbent than those with more body simply because there is less fiber present to absorb moisture.
Warmth. Cold sheets are less of a problem in today’s warmer houses and apartments. You can always add warmth to the bed by means of blankets or comforters or nightclothes and need not rely on your sheets. If your bedroom gets very cold, however, cotton flannel sheets are best. Flannel and knit sheets do not have that initial icy feeling that is so unpleasant in a cold bedroom. Nor do polyester, polyester-blend, and silk sheets, which are all generally less cool than cotton. The coolest sheets of all are lightweight linen (flax). All-combed-cotton percale sheets are also very cool. In general, finer, lighter sheets are cooler than those of heavier weights. Cotton sheets that feel icy in winter when you first get in bed will quickly feel warm again, but you can put a hot water bottle in the bed to take off the initial chill, especially at the feet. A heating pad will do the same thing, but you have to remember to turn it off.
Decorative Stitching. Decorative stitching can be scratchy or make uncomfortable ridges on your pillowcase or sheet. When buying pillowcases, look to see that embroidery, lace, or cutwork is positioned on the pillowcase in places where your face will not rest upon it. You can also choose to use plain pillowcases on your sleeping pillow and save fancy work for decorative pillows. Simple hem stitching will not affect your comfort, but the stitching will wear out and tear long before the rest of the pillowcase.
Launderability and Ironing
Launderability of Sheets. Irresponsible merchandising seems to have bred a generation of people who expend time and money on sheets that are much more trouble than they need to be. In the time-pressed household, this can matter. Everyone needs everyday sheets that can take vigorous laundering (the particulars of which are described below). No one should buy everyday bedding that must be dry-cleaned. Dry cleaning is expensive, inconvenient, and does not remove mite allergens. Moreover, you press your face into your bedding, and this might expose you to drycleaning fluid fumes that are not healthy to breathe.
Sheets must be changed and washed vigorously once a week or more often if they stop smelling or feeling fresh. It is not a bad idea to change pillowcases twice a week or sometimes more often, as they soil faster than the sheets, particularly in hot weather or when you are perspiring from illness or other causes. Crib sheets for infants should be changed daily or more often if they become soiled. Do not forget that sheets lie next to your skin hour after hour, night after night. They receive saliva, perspiration, body oils and more intimate fluids, skin flakes, and any soil on your body. Sometimes you bleed on them. You sometimes get sick in your bed, and sick people and the very young may be incontinent. Children’s beds are subject to a miscellany of stains and spills, including cough syrup and colored medicines. Therefore, your everyday sheets, especially those on infants’ and children’s beds, should be easy to launder vigorously and should never require gentle or complicated treatment. Sheets should be colorfast. You should not have to wash sheets separately. Nor should you have to try to clean them with gentle soaps or detergents. For reasons of health (to decrease the risks of allergies and infections), to remove stains, and to keep the sheets really clean and bright or snowy white, you should be able to wash them in hot water with strong detergent and, in my opinion, chlorine or other strong bleach—even on print or colored sheets—as necessary to sanitize and to remove stains and dirt.
Your sheets should shrink only minimally with hot-water washing and drying on the regular setting. You should be able to dry them in the dryer or on the line, as you wish. If sheets are not preshrunk, insist on knowing how much they will shrink and buy them big enough to fit after shrinkage.
The care label you want on sheets will either say all this or may say simply “Machine-washable,” which implies most of it. Whatever the care label says, plain white cotton percale sheets (preshrunk and not subjected to wrinkle-resistance treatments or other resin treatments) can be laundered in the way you need to launder them. Wrinkle-treated sheets, cotton/polyester sheets, and colored and print sheets sometimes have care labels saying “No bleach” or “No chlorine bleach” or “Wash warm.” Check care labels, decide if you believe them (see chapter 2), and decide if the sheets are worth it to you, given these limitations. My white cotton knit twin-size sheets, which I am sorry I bought, had a care label that specified cold water, gentle detergent, no bleach of any sort, and tumbling dry on the low setting—everything that a care label on a sheet should not say. (And even with cold-water washing the sheets shrank, so if you are considering buying any, you might try getting them a size too large.) On the other hand, I ignored the care label on white cotton knit crib sheets and laundered them with regular detergent and chlorine bleach, and encountered no mishap other than shrinking. By the time my son had outgrown the crib, the crib mattress had so outgrown the sheets that it took both my husband and me to stretch them on. But I would buy them again anyway; these crib sheets feel so warm and soft that they are perfect for a baby’s skin.
Cotton/polyester sheets launder less well than all-cotton. They tend to hold body oils and as a result sometimes yellow or develop a stale odor. They may pill as well. (For curing or preventing such problems, refer to chapter 22, “The Man-Made Fibers and Blends,” pages 369-70.)
My impression is that when you are buying sheets and towels it is often safest to buy them from manufacturers that specialize in making linens and towels rather than from “designer” companies. Designer sheets and towels, more often than those from specialized manufacturers, have poor durability, fade, and have care labels calling for inappropriate laundering procedures. In everyday linens, beauty, practicality, and quality go together. Do not trust a maker who forces you to choose between them.
No-Iron Sheets; Wrinkly Sheets. Cotton/polyester blend sheets have the highest wrinkle-resistance. Resin-treated all-cotton sheets have varying degrees of resistance to wrinkling, some a lot and some a little; their wrinkle-resistance diminishes as they age. Knit and flannel sheets are naturally wrinkle-resistant.
Untreated all-cotton and linen woven sheets wrinkle considerably. Traditionally, therefore, they were always ironed. Sleeping on fresh, ironed sheets is one of life’s treats, but ironed sheets are not necessary to health or comfort. If you are hard-pressed for time or have better things to do, feel free to laugh loudly at the thought. Certainly, it is gracious to give a guest ironed sheets. Giving them to yourself for special nights, or anytime you particularly need rest or simply feel like making your room look especially good, is pleasant too. But if you do not want to iron sheets—and this does take time unless you have a mangle—don’t conclude that you must buy wrinkle-resistant sheets. Wrinkled cotton or linen sheets look fine. Cover them with a day spread if they do not look fine to you. When you are sleeping in the dark, you’ll like the way they feel and you won’t be able to see them, and wrinkled cotton tends to smooth out as you sleep on it. (To reduce wrinkles without ironing, see chapter 6, “Ironing,” page 112, and chapter 13, “Fabrics That Work,” page 193.)
Blankets and Comforters
In blankets, you look for functional qualities such as warmth, comfortable weight, a pleasant hand, durability, and static and pilling resistance. Assuming you do not use the blanket next to your skin, absorbency is less important in a blanket than a sheet.
Blankets that are used in the traditional way—layered between sheet and cover—need laundering or cleaning less frequently than sheets, but if you sleep with the blanket next to the skin, you will need launderable blankets that can be washed and changed in the same manner and on the same schedule as your sheets. If you want to avoid breathing drycleaning fumes, avoid blankets that need dry cleaning. If you are worried about allergies, choose only blankets that can be frequently laundered in hot water. Read care labels carefully. When high launderability is your main concern, especially if you want to use hot water, cotton blankets in colorfast colors or white are superior to wool, acrylic, nylon, or comforters. Some wool blankets are washable, but do not purchase a wool blanket expecting to wash it frequently. A polyester blanket will probably be fine with frequent laundering, but you may be forced to second-guess the care labels—it may tell you to use warm or cool wash water.
Some people sleep better with a blanket that has some weight, but those who want a lightweight warm blanket should try acrylic, polyester, or nylon. Acrylic and polyester sometimes pill, which looks and feels unpleasant, but they will keep you warm even if they do pill. The synthetics also tend to develop static electricity, which can start you off in the morning with flyaway hair. Wool, properly cared for, will look good and function well without pilling for a very long time. It drapes to the body better than synthetics. When the atmosphere is very dry, it will develop a little static but less than synthetics. Some wool blankets are soft, smooth, or even fairly silky; others are thick and scratchy. Synthetics tend to feel soft and smooth and fluffier, never scratchy.
When you want only a little warmth, a thin cotton blanket or cotton “thermal” blanket is best. The latter are made in a knit or waffle or honeycomb weave. Such weaves are also available in wool, acrylic, polyester, and blends. All are machine-washable (except, perhaps, the wool), but the synthetics may not take hotter water temperatures. Be sure cotton is preshrunk.
Conventional blankets of both natural and synthetic fibers are usually, but not always, napped to produce the comfortable, fuzzy, warmth-holding surface. In cold weather, wool blankets are quite warm, as are quilts. Acrylic blankets are warm, sometimes even warmer than wool. Use two or three blankets for greater warmth, or a down-filled comforter. Or use a blanket plus a comforter for frigid quarters. You may read in newspaper articles or advertisements that a comforter will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Remember, however, that a comforter is a sack filled with down or some other insulating filler and that covering yourself with it will always make you warm. If you do not find a down-filled jacket comfortable in August, a down-filled comforter will not seem so either. I would not recommend creating a bedroom routine and decor overly dependent upon a comforter that will not be comfortable for half the year. If you are using a comforter or duvet, choose its weight carefully. In any city apartment I have ever lived, a lightweight down comforter was too warm even in winter, but in a cold Midwestern house the same comforter was delightful.
Electric blankets can be a godsend in very cold bedrooms. They are not for children, however, and even adults must use them with care.
Changing and Laundering Linens: When and Why
Long tradition dictates changing sheets and laundering them once a week. This should be considered a minimum. And if you or your mate perspires heavily or if ill-health causes you to spend extra time in bed, twice a week, or even more often, makes more sense. When you are spending all day in bed recuperating, you can change the sheets daily (or ask someone else to do it). Likewise, if you make extra use of your bed for any reason—you like to work there on your laptop, you read or watch television there, or you snack there—you may need to change the sheets more often than once a week.
Because your pillowcase becomes soiled faster than your sheets, you might want to consider changing only your pillowcases twice a week rather than once. If you use no top sheet, it is probably best that you wash whatever bedding is next to your skin on the same schedule that you follow for sheets.
Launder pillow covers (the zip-up ones under the pillowcases), mattress covers and pads, blankets, and comforter covers once a month or more often (once a week, or as frequently as the doctor orders, for asthmatics or other allergy sufferers).
Once or twice a year or more often if they become soiled, launder and change the allergen-proof undercovers, if any, on the mattress and on the pillows. (See “Bedclothes: Making the Bed,” below.)
Assuming that allergens are not a problem (you have no allergies or you use allergen-proof undercovers), you need to wash pillows and comforters when they smell stale or unpleasant, when they look dirty, or when you have reason to know that they are not clean—typically about once a year or even less often.
From time to time, turn the mattress and flip it over. Traditionally, mattresses were aired and sunned twice a year, in spring and fall. This kills mites and discourages molds and funguses. Pillows need to be aired and sunned more often. Urban dwellers can try to make up for the impossibility of sunning and airing bedding by careful use and laundering of mattress and pillow undercovers and by diligent vacuuming of pillows, mattress pads, and mattresses.
Sheets help keep mattress pads and covers and blankets clean, but the protection is not absolute. The oils and perspiration to some extent get through the sheets; the mattress cover or pad and blanket eventually get soiled, and over the years so does the mattress. The more frequently you wash the sheets, the better your chance of keeping the next layer clean, and the more often you wash that layer, the longer the mattress remains clean.
Pillows get even dirtier than other parts of the bed and bedding. Your eyes tear on the case; your mouth drools on it; your face, which is sweatier and oilier than the rest of you, rubs against it; your hair, which is often dirtier than your face, also rubs against it. And since your nose is pushed into the pillow all night long, you have to make sure you wash your pillow when it is soiled and wash its cases and covers frequently.
If you dress the bed properly, you should never need to wash the ticking on your mattress. But if it is soiled by a spill or accident, you would clean it as you would any upholstery. The main thing is not to soak it and to be extremely careful not to get the interior wet; otherwise you might get molding or rotting inside.
If you have throw rugs or small carpets in your bedroom, take them out for sunning and airing now and then if that is possible.
Keep Bedding Mite- and Allergen-Free. The most important precaution you can take in the battle against dust mites and their allergens is to use mite- and allergen-proof covers for pillows, mattresses, box springs, and comforters. These can be ordered from companies that specialize in allergy-control products, and they can be found in many stores that sell household linens. Vinyl and plastic were once used for this purpose, but they are uncomfortable. Newer materials prevent mites and allergens from passing through yet are water-vapor permeable, soft, and comfortable, with a luxurious hand; they are available in a range of prices. It seems wise to use them on all beds, whether or not anyone in your family is now mite-sensitive.
In addition, it is advisable to wash sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and mattress covers with hot water—over 130°F; higher is better. Wash bedroom curtains the same way. Even cool wash temperatures will remove dust-mite allergens, but only hot water will kill the mites. Dry cleaning will also kill the mites, but it will not remove the allergens. See chapter 10, “Sanitizing the Laundry,” pages 151-52.
If you use allergen-impermeable pillow covers, it probably does not matter whether you use synthetic, feather, or down pillows, but we all should follow our doctors’ advice. It is worth noting, because allergic people are often advised to use polyester pillows rather than feather or down ones, that two studies raise questions about the superiority of polyester pillows when it comes to allergens and allergic reactions. One found that there was a substantially lower risk of serious asthmatic attacks among children using feather pillows than among children using polyester ones.1 The other found that after six months of use, new polyester pillows contained about eight times as many dust-mite allergens as new feather pillows—a significant difference.2 Do not use foam rubber pillows, which can support the growth of mold, further aggravating allergies.
Dressing and Making the Bed
A friend of mine remembers being counseled by her elderly aunt long ago that even if she found herself in poverty or sickness she should always make a good bed for herself. Not only is this advice as good today as it was then, the bed that was good then is still good today, too, since people discovered the secrets of good bed-making many centuries ago.
The minimum well-dressed contemporary bed has a mattress for softness (and box springs or some other undermattress to make the bed less hard), which is encased in a cover for cleanliness and comfort. The sleeper lies on a sheet, which serves the dual function of protecting the skin from the scratchiness of the mattress or mattress cover and preventing the deposit of skin oils and perspiration on the mattress. There is also a sheet above the sleeper, and this, too, serves a double function, protecting the skin from the scratchy blanket and protecting the blanket from the skin oils and perspiration of the skin. The sleeper’s head rests on a pillow covered in a case, which does the same two jobs as the sheets. On top of the sheets there is a blanket or two—or a quilt or comforter—to keep the sleeper warm. During the day, when no one is sleeping, a decorative cloth covers the whole arrangement, keeping it clean and making it look beautiful while not in use. All this was also true of the bed of any person of means in twelfth-century France. Museums have Renaissance paintings of beds made up just like yours.
Bedclothes: Making the Bed. To dress a modern bed, you need the following items:
Protectors and covers for mattresses and pillows
Skin-contact linens
Warmth-providing covers
You may wish to enclose your pillows, comforters, and mattresses in allergen-impermeable undercovers. These are made of fabrics coated with a polymer membrane that is permeable only to water vapor and heat and prevents dust mites, allergens, and other fine particles from passing through. Such undercovers are indispensable for the bed of anyone who suffers from asthma or other allergies as well as on the beds of all children as a preventive measure.
Next, on the beds of the incontinent or ill or of children still of an age to wet the bed, place a rubberized cotton waterproof sheet or some other type of waterproof shield. This prevents the mattress from getting soaked. (If the mattress does become soaked, you can never really get it clean again. You can try the upholstery shampooing machine that injects and then extracts moisture, but this may not be entirely successful.) The all-plastic waterproof shields are less comfortable than the rubberized cotton.
Over the waterproof sheet, or, if there is none, directly on top of the allergenic undercover, or, if there is none, directly on the mattress, you place a mattress cover, a mattress pad plus a cover, or a padded mattress cover. This is to keep the mattress clean and places an additional layer of absorbent, skin-friendly material between you and the mattress, which is likely to be made of a less comfortable synthetic fiber. All-cotton mattress pads with cotton stuffing are sometimes hard to find, but they are preferable. You may think that only the princess in the fairy tale could detect through her sheet whether the mattress pad, or its stuffing, was made of polyester. It is true that many people cannot, or don’t mind even if they can. But do not conclude that you cannot unless you give it an all-night test. What feels comfortable for a minute or two might not after a few hours.
On each pillow, place a zippered muslin cover—also called a “pillow protector”—directly next to the ticking if you are not using an allergen-proof undercover, or over the allergen-proof undercover if you are using one. (Yes, this means two covers and you haven’t even gotten to the pillowcase yet.) Place the zipper of the muslin pillow protector at the opposite end from the zipper of the allergenic undercover. Then pull the pillowcase over the pillow protector, placing the open or buttoning end of the case opposite the zippered end of the pillow protector. This helps keep the pillow and its contents clean longer.
Then, in the manner described below, put on the bottom sheet, the top sheet, a blanket or comforter or other warm cover, and finally the bedspread (also called a counterpane), quilt, or other day cover. Tuck in all sheets and blankets snugly and smoothly. Wrinkles and folds are uncomfortable to sleep on and look unsightly. Use sheets with a generous allowance for tucking to anchor them securely so they do not pull out when you are sleeping; this helps you sleep better and saves you labor making up the bed when you get up. (For recommended tucking allowances and information on sheet sizes, seepages 199, 202.)
How to Make the Bed
Fitted Bottom Sheet. Lay the sheet right side up. For a fitted sheet the only trick is to use enough muscle power. Walk from one corner of the bed to the next, pulling the elasticized corner of the sheet over the corner of the mattress. If the sheet has shrunk, try doing diagonally opposite corners first, as this will hold the sheet in place better while you struggle with the other two. Let the weight of the mattress work for you to stretch the sheet by lifting the mattress corner enough to get the sheet corner on, then letting go. Be sure to purchase preshrunk fitted sheets; if you have deep mattresses, buy sheets that have “deep pockets” or “universal” or “high-contour” corners.
Flat Bottom Sheet. A flat bottom sheet is tucked under with mitered or “hospital” corners on all four corners. (See instructions for mitered corners below.) The selvages on the long sides of the sheet go along the sides of the bed, the wider hem goes at the head of the bed, and the narrower hem goes at the bottom. (Because sheets wear more at the top of the bed, my Italian grandmother sometimes put the sheets on with the foot at the head and vice versa, for more even wear.)
Top Sheet. Assuming that you have folded the top sheet according to the directions in chapter 7, “Folding Clothes and Linens,” you now unfold the folds parallel to the selvage ends and lay the sheet, with the crosswise folds still folded, across the width of the bed, in its center. Then grasp the two loose corners of the hem nearest you and give the sheet a flick; it will unfurl, with the wide hem at the top and the narrow hem at the bottom. If the sheet is a print, it should be placed wrong side up so that when the top hem is folded down over the blanket, the print shows its right side. Fold under and miter the two corners at the foot of the bed.
Mitered or “Hospital” Corners. A properly mitered sheet corner will both look neater and stay securely tucked while you sleep, keeping you comfortable and making the job of making the bed the next day much easier. First, tuck in the bottom edge of the sheet. Then pick up the corner of the sheet (the place on the side edge of the sheet directly opposite the top corner of the mattress) between the thumb and forefinger of one hand, and bring the corner around to the side of the bed. Put the side of the sheet up on the bed, out of your way, for a moment. Tuck in the part of the sheet that is left hanging down while you hold the corner taut at the side of the bed. Let the corner fall and tuck under the side of the sheet near the foot of the bed. The corner is now mitered. (Some people prefer to leave the side of the top sheet untucked.)
How to make “mitered” or “hospital” corners
Blankets, Quilts, and Comforters or Duvets. If you intend to use one or more blankets, you put them on now. Put on the blanket, right side up, over the top sheet so that the top of the blanket comes to a point about 6 to 10 inches from the head of the bed. Tuck the blanket in at the foot and make corners at the bottom, as for sheets. Then fold down the top sheet over the blanket. You should have a generous portion of the sheet turned down so as to protect the blanket from body soils and odors. If you like, you can tuck the blanket and top sheet under at the sides of the mattress; but this is a matter of taste. You may, if you wish, add a second top sheet or some other thin, light spread on top of the blanket. This adds a modest degree of weight and warmth and helps keep the blanket clean. Or, in summer, you can use a second sheet in place of a blanket.
Comforters (duvets) are usually left untucked because they are too thick (and sometimes too narrow or too short) for tucking. Some people use no cover over the comforter. Quilts, too, may be used like blankets, under a spread or coverlet, or may be used decoratively as the final cover on the bed.
Day Cover. Finally, place the day cover—a blanket cover, coverlet, or bedspread—on the bed to protect the bedclothes from dust and soil and to look good. A bedspread, which used to be used in most homes but is now much less common, may or may not come all the way to the floor. (If it does, it is not used with a dust ruffle.) Although some people sleep under a bedspread for warmth, you may wish to remove it when you sleep, folding it over a rack or placing it over a chair or chest; some people simply fold it neatly at the foot of the bed. If you use a dust ruffle on your bed frame, you usually use a blanket cover or a coverlet over the blanket (or over the comforter or quilt) instead of a bedspread. A blanket cover or coverlet comes down only to the edge of the bed frame, leaving the dust ruffle showing.
Finishing the Bed. Once the day cover is spread evenly and smoothly over the bed, you put the pillows in their cases and finish the bed in any style you like. A very common contemporary style is to fold the top sheet over the comforter or blanket cover, leaving two, four, or more pillows showing at the top of the bed. Any pillows that are not for sleeping are often covered with decorative cases.
Some old-fashioned ways of finishing the bed, which give more daytime protection to the pillows, are these:
Variations. In temperate weather, sometimes you are most comfortable using two top sheets and no blanket. In cooler weather, when you are using a blanket it may still be useful to use two top sheets, as described above. The extra sheet adds less warmth and weight than a second blanket but may keep you just warm enough. If you use the second sheet, you may put it on top of the blanket to keep the blanket clean longer.
Blanket on bed with sheet folded over top edge of blanket
Bed with bedspread
Blanket cover with pillows exposed and sheet turned down over blanket cover
I do not favor the new style of using no top sheet. People who do this simply spread a comforter or duvet, with or without a removable cover, over the bottom sheet. Or even if they make a more traditional bed for themselves, this simpler bed is what they provide for their children. The main attraction of this ascetic habit is that in the morning the bed can be fixed in an instant simply by pulling the comforter up, or even leaving it attractively rumpled—a system quick enough for the busiest parent and easy enough even for very young children.
The habit of voluntarily forgoing a top sheet to avoid the trouble of pulling up a second one in the morning would have been unfathomable to countless poor people who, over long centuries, could only dream of the luxury of two sheets. I admit that it is unfathomable to me too. This is one of those shortcuts that actually cost a lot in time and trouble and gain you very little. There are concrete reasons to use a top sheet: it is more comfortable, cleaner, and more convenient.
Sheets are designed to be comfortable next to your skin, and there are many different types of sheets to suit many different tastes. (See pages 205-8.) Blankets and quilts and comforter covers are not; they are less skin-friendly, not really being intended for this. Not only are sheets—good ones—meant to feel good on your skin, they are meant to save you the trouble of having to launder your blankets or other warm covers every week or more often.
You can wash sheets—good ones—often and vigorously and easily, but many blankets and comforters are hard to launder or must be sent out to be laundered in commercial-size machines. (See chapter 8, “How to Launder Tricky Items.”) Laundering also makes comforters and blankets age quickly—they fade, bunch up, grow thin and spindly, pill, or even pull apart; and they are expensive. Cotton and synthetic blankets are fairly easy to wash, but even they do not hold up to laundering nearly as well as sheets do, and they cost more than sheets. You might think that your comforter is protected by its cover and thus will stay cleaner, but the fewer protective layers between you and your comforter, the more often you are going to have to wash it. Comforter covers, too, often do not launder easily or well, and are nearly always bizarrely costly for what they are. (You can easily make one by stitching together a couple of sheets of the right size, and putting on snaps or ties to close the opening.) If you are going to use a comforter or duvet cover and you do not use a top sheet, keep three covers for each comforter, and change and launder the cover once a week or more often. (If you do not use a comforter cover, the comforter itself will need frequent washing.)
Although doing without a top sheet may save you a few seconds straightening the bed in the morning, it costs you time washing duvet covers, comforters, blankets, or quilts, for these will definitely become soiled and odorous quickly. In my view, the long-term savings in bed-making time is not worth the cost in laundering, bedding replacement costs (when the appearance or function is damaged by frequent laundering), or loss of comfort. It would be far better to have a more traditional bed and simply not worry about getting it perfectly smooth on rushed mornings: pull up the bedding, throw on the cover, and go.
Dust Ruffles. Dust ruffles (or valances) for beds are ruffles or pleated cloth sewn onto a rectangle of cloth. You lay the rectangle between the mattress and the box springs, and the ruffles or pleats hang down to the floor, covering the box springs and bed frame. They are there to make the bed look attractive, and they are entirely optional. If you find them difficult to take off and replace for laundering, just do without. If you need to cover the sides of your bed entirely, get a spread or other cover that reaches nearly to the floor. Vacuuming dust ruffles regularly will make laundering necessary less often.
Turning Down the Bed at Night. When you turn down the bed at night, you first fold down or remove the day cover; fold it over a rack or the footboard of the bed, or lay it neatly somewhere. Then turn back the corner of the top sheet and blanket in a diagonal fold deep enough to permit someone to insert herself or himself, as into a pocket, without untucking the bedding. This makes the bed feel more welcoming. You can turn down the bed for children or yourself, say before your bath, so that it looks inviting when you come back ready to turn in. Or if you are first in bed, you can turn down the other side for your mate.
Miscellaneous Bed Manners. For both physical and psychological reasons, a bed treated with respect will be fresher and will more readily induce sleep. Old-fashioned bed manners forbade sitting on a bed in street clothes, especially someone else’s bed and most especially a sick person’s bed. If you lie down on a made-up bed for your afternoon nap, cover the bedspread with something you can readily launder. Otherwise, wash your face, undress, and crawl between the sheets. Don’t put bags, purses, briefcases, shoes, and similar things on the bed. They have been on too many floors, sidewalks, and other questionable places.
* When I discovered, to my amazement, that you could no longer buy a plain, all-cotton muslin sheet, I happened to mention this to my aunt, a chronic overstocker. Stored on her shelf were several high-quality muslin sheets that she had bought some thirty years earlier in Macy’s and A & S in Brooklyn, and she sent them to me, still in their original packages, unopened. I have been using them for a few years now, laundering them with the strongest methods. They are extremely comfortable, snowy white, and appear to be indestructible. White muslin sheets, if you could get hold of any, would be an excellent bet for children’s beds.