Bed linens are not cheap. To make your investment last longer there are some linen care tips you should know. The proper washing, drying and storing methods will keep bed linens looking and feeling their best for years to come.

How To Wash Bed Linens

Don’t wash bed linens in hot water. Not even the whitest of sheets and pillow cases should be washed in hot water. The hot water breaks down linen fibers and elastic. Wash bed linens in warm water on gentle cycle.

Use a mild laundry detergent for washing bed linens and never use chlorine bleach. Any stains on bed linens can be pre-treated with a laundry stain remover like Shout! or Spray ‘N Wash. If white bed linens begin to look dingy, or to prevent them from becoming dingy, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar or 1/4 fresh lemon juice to the wash water when laundering them.

Thick comforters should be professionally cleaned or taken to the laundry mat and washed in the large capacity washers on a gentle wash cycle.

How To Dry Bed Linens

Whenever possible, hang bed linens on an outdoor clothes line to dry. This will prolong the life of the fabric and give linens a fresh, clean scent. If line drying is not possible, dry linens in the dryer set on low and remove them from the dryer just before they are completely dry and fold them.

Don’t use fabric softener sheets when drying linens. The fabric softener sheets leave a chemical film on the linens that will become brittle over time and damage the linen fabric.

How To Store Bed Linens

Store clean, folded linens in a dry, dark place like a linen closet or dresser drawer. The linens need to be kept out of direct sunlight, which will fade the linen color and break down the fabric fibers.

Rotate stored linens to keep them fresh and clean. When your remove and wash a set of bed linens, use a fresh set from storage to re-make the bed and store the other set after washing.