Cotton Sheets - Help reducing wrinkles

[bbenedict]

SO, I got some WONDERFUL Egyptian cotton sheets. Only problem is, that they wrinkle to beat the band when washed. They were so wrinkled, I couldn't put them on the bed without ironing them.:eek:

I know that, over time and after repeated washings, that cotton gets to the point where it doesn't wrinkle. However, that may take a while and I'd REALLY like to avoid ironing if at all possible.

I've tried monitoring the dry cycle and shaking the sheets out and redistributing. I've tried fabric softener. I've tried detergent for delicates.

Any ideas out there? Something you've found that works. I'm hoping for a magic bullet. Maybe something to add to the wash?

TIA
Bonnie

[HejazSunKat]

They were so wrinkled, I couldn't put them on the bed without ironing them.:eek:



No? :D I think it's safe to say that I will never be caught ironing a sheet in this lifetime. Is it possible for you to hang them outside to dry? Not only would they be wrinkle free they'd smell wonderful from all the fresh air.

[Robyn1007]

Yep, I'm with Linda, no way I'd ever start ironing sheets. But, the only thing I can think of would be drying them separately and taking them out when they are still a bit damp? You could also make the bed then use some Downy Wrinkle Releaser and hands smooth them.

[Valerie226]

I love my cotton sheets but they wrinkle and I iron the edges. they seem to get wrinkled in the same pattern each washing and those wrinkles are where they wear thru first. so I bite the bullet and iron the edges. It would be a major undertaking to hang them outside. Ironing the edges takes my 10 minutes. the main body of the sheet smoothes out after it's on the bed. I do understand why you're not excited at the idea. I also have some 100% cotton sheets that don't wrinkle at all.

[clairea]

Can you slow down the spin cycle on your washing machine? I find that when my washing machine is set to spin on high speed, it tends to leave many 100% cotton things (including sheets) terribly wrinkled. Setting the spin speed to medium seems to have taken care of the problem.

OTOH, my MIL has her sheets ironed. They sure do feel good when you slip into the bed. Of course, I never take the time to do that at my house, (and notice I said MIL "has it done").

[foodfly]

I bought Egyptian cotton also – I didn’t resist the sales pitch on HSN. Now I have wrinkle problems, too.

I tried all the things you did. I even have soft water.

The only thing that minimized (but did not stop) the wrinkles was taking them out of the dryer immediately when the dryer turned off (the cotton is still warm) and promptly folding them so that they did not lie around anywhere (inside or outside of the dryer) cooling & setting unwanted creases.

I have noticed that the Egyptian cotton sheets continue to soften after repeated washings and I agree they do become less wrinkly after stretching them onto the bed.

But I'm a non-wrinkle sheet lover.

In the past I have ironed other types of king-sized sheets, but my experience has been that Egyptian cotton doesn’t like to cooperate. I tried once or twice, then quickly gave up on the idea, of ironing out those stubborn wrinkles.

I do, however, iron the pillow cases – the area is smaller, but still a pain. The material grabs itself taking extra effort (and time) to properly align and complete.

Next time I purchase linens, there will be no more Egyptian cotton for me.

I never had these problems with Percale.

[Kristilyn1]

C'mon! Are you girls for real!!!!????

Noticing wrinkles on sheets????!!!! :D

I'm impressed but also weirdly horrified. The woman I used to live across the street from.....she's my standard of clean/organization that I could never live up to. Just her and her husband...she's in her late 60's, still works though doesn't need to......washes her sheets, guest towels and bathmats EVERY SINGLE DAY, in EVERY SINGLE BATHROOM!!! Even if they haven't been used!!!

Kristi

[Meganator]

...They sure do feel good when you slip into the bed.

You can REALLY tell the difference between an ironed sheet and an unironed sheet? :confused:

[leightx]

I think some sheets are just more inclined to wrinkle than others. I have some darling ones from Bombay Kids (with embroidered baseballs around the hem - they're for DS :p ), but I can't stand the things because they wrinkle so badly. They're 100% cotton, 250 thread count, and were pretty pricey. The wrinkles are so bad that you would definitely notice if you slept on them. We tried washing them to see if they ever "straightened up," but gave up after about the 10th wash... They sit in the closet now, and now he'll only use the $10 sheets from Target that are soft and smooth.

[wallycat]

I am not trying to pass judgement (me, the LEAST judgmental) but if my sheets are clean, that is reason to rejoice....wrinkles, be damned!!

[clairea]

You can REALLY tell the difference between an ironed sheet and an unironed sheet? :confused:

You can! They are so nice and smooth and crisp. Of course, I did say I like the way they feel, but I don't iron my own sheets;)

[Kristilyn1]

You can! They are so nice and smooth and crisp. Of course, I did say I like the way they feel, but I don't iron my own sheets;)

Oh, THAT'S why I don't iron them......that smooth and crisp feeling actually grosses me out.

Well, okay that's not why I don't iron them.....but it's another reason not to.

Kristi

[Puppylove]

Kristilyn I'm mostly treking with you on this one. I don't want a bunch of loose cloth when I lay down, but wrinkles? I can barely keep my clothes wrinkle free, I couldn't imagine ironing sheets! Don't they un-wrinkle once you put them on the bed and tuck them in?

[lindrusso]

Don't they un-wrinkle once you put them on the bed and tuck them in?

The bottom sheet stays pretty smooth, but not so much the top sheet.

I would prefer not to have wrinkled sheets because I'm anal that way, but not anal enough to actually iron them. I hardly ever iron clothes, let alone unwieldy king-size sheets!

Come to think of it, the only thing trying to iron my sheets would get me is dog hair all over my sheets since the parts that aren't being ironed would be lying on the rug. I'll take the wrinkles over the fur!

[SandyM]

I iron my sheets. :eek:

Okay, I said it.

When I stayed with my cousin in NY a few years back, her spare bed was so comfortable. The sheets were soft, but crisp (if that even makes any sense). It felt like slipping into a bed at a four-star hotel. I asked her how she did it - yep, you guessed it. She ironed those bad boys. Just the top sheet, though.

I don't have any pets, so there's no concern with pet fur. It takes me about an hour, and I usually do it on Sunday evening. I strip the bed earlier in the day, wash them, and wait until after dinner, when it's time to just relax. And away I go. In front of the tv, or with the iPod tuned to LOUD, I iron my sheets. :D

And rebel that I am, I iron the top sheet, the pillow cases, and the flat part of the bottom sheet. :p

[jphilg]

One of the sticking points in my marriage has been the sheets issue; I like crisp, ironed percale sheets, and he likes soft, sateen-finish sheets. Since I don't have the time or inclination in this lifetime to iron sheets, I just buy sateen finish. They do wrinkle, but for the most part, they shake out. Or I smooth them out when I make the bed.

If we ever find ourselves with a ton of extra money, I will employ someone who can iron the sheets once a week. There is absolutely nothing like a pair of high-thread count sheets (Frette!) that have been laundered, spritzed with lavander water, and ironed. That, and a rainy night, is the best night sleep humanly possible.

[Puppylove]

OK, you know what . . . I think I'm going to iron my sheets next time and see if there really is a difference, I've just gotta know!
Now I have to try and find my iron and a board though, I think I might have given them to goodwill :D

[charley]

Not all cotton is the same and as a result some sheets wrinkle much more than others. I don't mind the wrinkles so much as the fact the pillowcase and sheet edges curl up instead of laying flat. I guess ironing would take care of that, but it's not something I'm willing to do.

[bbenedict]

Yep, I'm with Linda, no way I'd ever start ironing sheets. But, the only thing I can think of would be drying them separately and taking them out when they are still a bit damp? You could also make the bed then use some Downy Wrinkle Releaser and hands smooth them.

That might work. When I was frequently pulling the sheets out to "unwad" (for lack of a better word) them while they were drying, they seemed to be doing okay. It was in the final 10 minutes or so of drying that they seemed to wrinkle.

HejazSunKat: I don't have a clothesline (and am not sure neighborhood covenents would allow them). I live in Atlanta, and when I have dried small items outside ( like clothing), they just dry really stiff and they don't smell good at all.

I do have a two story entry. Perhaps I could try hanging them a little damp over the bannister. Maybe the gravity would pull some of the wrinkles out as well.

It is certainly not that I want to iron sheets. And I've never really noticed whether or not they feel different. (Will have to take note.) It is more of a visual thing. Especially since the pillowcases and top portion of the sheets are visible when the bed is made. Ironing the edges might be a compromise, but I'm not sure the way I'm wired that I could stop there once I started.

I really love the feel of cotton and prefer natural fibers. It was a real pain trying to find bed linens (especially duvet covers) in natural fibers. Although I agree, with percale I never had any problems.

When I was shopping, there WERE no-wrinkle 100% cotton sheets but they were TWICE the price. I even asked the sales person if they had any problems with the particular sheets I was purchasing being returned. "Oh, no." she said. "These sheets are VERY popular. They fly off the shelves."

Lesson learned. Next time I'll spring for the really expensive sheets. Now can anyone explain to me whey flannel doesn't wrinkle and other cotton sheets, do?

Oh, and Kristilyn1, WOW, washing all the linens EVERY day. That does sound extreme, but then I have a brother-in-law who even irons the kitchen washcloths. His story is, it is so they can fit in the drawer. And a little off subject, I had a principal who used to vacuum her whole house in the morning and then again in the afternoon even when nobody had been home all day!

Well, thanks everyone for "feeling my pain" and for offering suggestions. If any other ideas come up, I'm all ears.

Thanks!
Bonnie

[Kevlar]

I like to iron. Its mindless, relaxing and gives an immediate result. I iron my cotton tea towels, as they look nicer and fit into the drawer better.
Sometimes I will iron my cotton pilowcases and just the top edge of the top sheet. It makes them so nice to sleep on.
Yes, I do have a lot of free time! :)

[jabelt]

Screw the 100% cotton - get sheets with polyester. #1 they are so much cheaper and #2 they don't wrinkle. I wasted an enormous amount of money on expensive sheets over the past few years and then finally decided to do the totally uncool thing and go for the polyester. Now, there's no looking back!


If you are anti-poly, I must say that I did buy some wrinkle-free nanotech fiber sheets from JCP for a pretty reasonable price that are mighty fine!

[AZgal]

C'mon! Are you girls for real!!!!????

Noticing wrinkles on sheets????!!!! :D

I'm impressed but also weirdly horrified. The woman I used to live across the street from.....she's my standard of clean/organization that I could never live up to. Just her and her husband...she's in her late 60's, still works though doesn't need to......washes her sheets, guest towels and bathmats EVERY SINGLE DAY, in EVERY SINGLE BATHROOM!!! Even if they haven't been used!!!

Kristi

That lady has a problem!

[LaraW]

My grandmother irons her sheets. And, it is true that they do feel very nice to slip into at night.

I don't have anything else to add to this except my aunt and uncle, when they were first married, were having a conversation about ironing sheets. My uncle was talking about how his mother ironed the sheets and how nice it was to sleep on them at night. Without missing a beat, my aunt said "well, I guess you'll always have something to look forward to when you visit her". :D

I don't currently have any sheets that need irong, but I can see that would be something I would do if I did have them. And all the while, my DH would be looking at me like this :rolleyes:

:)

[bbenedict]

My grandmother irons her sheets. And, it is true that they do feel very nice to slip into at night.

I don't have anything else to add to this except my aunt and uncle, when they were first married, were having a conversation about ironing sheets. My uncle was talking about how his mother ironed the sheets and how nice it was to sleep on them at night. Without missing a beat, my aunt said "well, I guess you'll always have something to look forward to when you visit her". :D

:)

How cute is THAT! Thanks for sharing.

Well, I've been out of town, but on returning had to wash 1 cotton pillowcase off the guest bed. I'm hanging it to dry. We'll see........

[bbenedict]

[QUOTE=jabelt;1233251)


If you are anti-poly, I must say that I did buy some wrinkle-free nanotech fiber sheets from JCP for a pretty reasonable price that are mighty fine![/QUOTE]

Are they wrinkle-free nanotech cotton?

Bonnie

[jabelt]

This is from JCP website. I think these are the ones I purchased, but it doesn't mention nanotech...

Studio 350 Thread-Count Wrinkle-Free Sheet Set


Available in 8 colors
350 thread-count
Wrinkle-free fabric Fitted sheet fits up to an 18" thick mattress
Studio by JCPenney Home Collection. Soft, smooth and totally irresistible, these breathable sheets keep you cool and comfortable. Wrinkle-free fabric offers the convenience of going straight from the dryer to the bed without ironing. It's durable too, holding up wash after wash. 100% cotton. Washable. Imported.

[MsJeannie51]

Please let me know if you find an acceptable product. Even years later, the problem of wrinkly cotton sheets has not been solved. I tried the softener, no spin, water temp, etc. The last straw is when the ironing doesn't even get the wrinkles out! I wish they would display a washed example before you purchase!!!!!!!! Someone says single ply yarn is better but I have seen mixed reviews. Thank heavens for reviews. Unfortunately I have to avoid poly. If someone finds a natural fiber, minimally wrinkled after washing bed sheet, let me know, I'm still looking, even willing to iron if it works.

[Jazzmatazz49]

I like hotel sheets because they have been ironed. If it was really important to me, I'd send them to the laundry with my husband's shirts.

[Peweh]

I like hotel sheets because they have been ironed. If it was really important to me, I'd send them to the laundry with my husband's shirts.

On the topic of husband's shirts... my favorite sheets are made of Oxford Cloth, it's like sleeping in your DH/DBF's favorite shirt! 100% Cotton, made by Ralph Lauren (I buy them at TJ Maxx or Homegoods, can't afford the REAL price, LOL) I take them right out of the dryer and they are wrinkle free. Of course, I'm on a learning curve with my new top loader Kenmore Oasis (same action as a front loader - low water high speed spin) and was shocled how wrinkled DH's dress shirts & khakis came out - may be the same for the sheets. I will experiment with a lower spin.

Sleep tight everyone, on your hopefully wrinkle-free sheets!

[Terri_A]

I'm Terri and I'm a sheet ironer...

[clairea]

Of course, I'm on a learning curve with my new top loader Kenmore Oasis (same action as a front loader - low water high speed spin) and was shocled how wrinkled DH's dress shirts & khakis came out - may be the same for the sheets. I will experiment with a lower spin.

[Slight hijack] Peweh, I have this washing machine and love it. Do try a lower spin speed for the sheets. I was really surprised by how wrinkled they came out the first few times too. Now I just wash them on the "normal" setting instead of the "sheets and towels" setting, set the water to hot, and they come out wrinkle free. [/hijack]

[Peweh]

[Slight hijack] Peweh, I have this washing machine and love it. Do try a lower spin speed for the sheets. I was really surprised by how wrinkled they came out the first few times too. Now I just wash them on the "normal" setting instead of the "sheets and towels" setting, set the water to hot, and they come out wrinkle free. [/hijack]

Thanks, Claire! I searched the CLBB for info (after I bought it - Washer Emergency :rolleyes:)and I was happy to see you had good things to say about it. I will try the lower spin.

Hijack over!

[swedish cook]

I buy my bedlinen at IKEA and iron the pillowcases. Duvet covers are smoothed out across the bed before they are completely dry. The flat sheets are usually ready to fold at the same time.
Come to think about it I have some ironing to do - mostly DH's shirts ;)

[SandyM]

I'm Terri and I'm a sheet ironer...


Hi Terri...... :D

I do too.

[Beth]

Isn't that why they have elastic and you can stretch 'em out across the bed real tight? ;) :D

Seriously, ain't gonna happen here on any regular basis. It's been done a couple of times, but not worth it. Even if I had otherwise been inclined to iron sheets, that would have fallen by the wayside when I started having neck problems. Much more important to buy great sheets and to fold them right out of the dryer (which is BIG so they don't wrinkle much to begin with). Come to think of it, that may be the largest reason, literally, DH wanted the biggest dryer possible. ;)

BTW, we have one set of bamboo sheets. They don't wrinkle as bad as cotton and feel so smooth on the bed.

[charley]

I will not iron sheets!

Life is too short to spend ironing needlessly. Like many of you I'm still searching for perfection. Closest I've come is from Tuesday Morning years ago. Everything from Penney's sucks!

[SandyM]

Life is too short to spend ironing needlessly.

Apparently Terri and I would disagree with this statement. Or perhaps our ideas of what is needless and what isn't vary greatly from yours. And that's okay. ;)

Seriously, it takes me an hour a week. My life won't stop if I don't iron my sheets, but pressed sheets make me happy.

[charley]

\

Seriously, it takes me an hour a week.

I'm willing to spend an hour ironing dh's rayon and cotton shirts, but it ends there. No one but the 2 (4 including the kitties) of us sees the sheets and I'm not crazy enough to iron them. :p

[Beth]

If you like ironed sheets, it's not the look so much as the smooth feel. The fiber, the grade and length of the fiber, the twist and the weave as well as the thread count all play a part in how the fabric will feel and wear. So will the laundering and the finishing.

[SandyM]

If you like ironed sheets, it's not the look so much as the smooth feel. The fiber, the grade and length of the fiber, the twist and the weave as well as the thread count all play a part in how the fabric will feel and wear. So will the laundering and the finishing.


Agreed. I don't care how they look, but how they feel when I crawl in? That's where the ironing comes in. That, for me, is part of the "finishing".

Different strokes. :)

[Terri_A]

No one but the 2 (4 including the kitties) of us sees the sheets and I'm not crazy enough to iron them. :p

See, for me it's not about "seeing" wrinkles. It's about the way the sheets feel when they're wrinkled vs. when they're pressed. My mother would tell you that I've always been a texture freak - from things my skin touches to food to everything. It just feels icky on my skin to lay on wrinkled sheets.

So, maybe that's the difference between Sandy and I (sheet-ironers) and those who don't iron - perhaps the feel of wrinkled sheets doesn't affect you.

[Romandub]

I also love the feel of ironed sheets. I grew up overseas and there, the sheets were not only ironed, but starched! I love the feeling of crawling into cool, crisp sheets on a hot day. However, I am too lazy to iron them myself. So I fake-it (sort of.) I iron the pillowcases and the top of the flat sheet because I hate how the top part looks folded over the comforter if it hasn't been ironed! To each his own, I suppose. But if I had all the money in the world, I would probably send my sheets out to be laundered and pressed! :D

[cocoa'smom]

I've never ironed sheets or even considered it until.....my DD moved into her first apartment at college this weekend. She had bought some beautiful Egyptian Cotton sheets with a pretty embroidered design on the top edge. She washed them for the first time and they came out so wrinkled and creased. I ironed the top of the top sheet (the design part) and the pillowcases and told her that was the one and ONLY time that would ever happen again. I wanted her new bed to look nice for her first apartment. I guess I don't buy such nice sheets for myself - I've never had any problems or issues with sheets wrinkling as badly as these did.

[LakeMartinGal]

I have had lots of sheets that wrinkle at first, but after all the washings, come out fairly well smooth. I bought some at Sam's Club that are very satiny, high thread count, and feel like silk! The only part of a sheet I'd consider ironing is the turn-over-the-blanket part! But I can certainly see why others would iron it all!;)

[LakeMartinGal]

lycosis_pakson Reported

[jrichards]

For those of you who read The Pioneer Woman, she described before how she handles the sheets at her lodge.

Basically, she removes the sheets from the washing machine and puts them on the beds still damp. She smooths them out as putting them on the bed. But doesn't tuck them in while they're damp.

She said this works great.

Jennifer

[Kay Henderson]

This may not meet your standards but it works for me. I have a new set of cotton sheets that wrinkled badly. I started putting just the top sheet into the dryer, and when it was done, the bottom sheet and pillowcases. The sheets are considerably thicker than my older ones and the top sheet larger than my other top sheets. I think my dryer was just overwhelmed.

Kay