How to Wash Egyptian Cotton Sheets

Pretreating Egyptian Cotton Sheets

Inspect your sheets for stains. As you remove the used sheets from your bed, inspect each closely. Check for any yellowing spots, or any blood or sweat stains. Keep note of where these are so that you can target them later.

Remove any large stains with baking soda and vinegar. Place your sheets in the washing machine, and add one tablespoon of baking soda. Use a cold, gentle cycle. Add one cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle. This removes stains naturally and effectively. Vinegar also works to soften brand new Egyptian Cotton sheets, as they can sometimes feel a bit too coarse straight out of the packet. Washing the sheets in baking soda and vinegar will also remove any yellowed tinges from the sheets.

Use hydrogen peroxide to target small stained spots. Spray small stains with pure hydrogen peroxide, and then dab using a white rag. Rotate the rag as the stain begins to lift off. The rag should be white to prevent dye transferring from the rag to the sheet. You can also treat stains with a commercial stain remover. Make sure that it can be used on colored fabrics (in case your sheet sheet is not white), and use it before washing the sheet.

Putting Egyptian Cotton Sheets in the Washing Machine

Place the sheets in washing machine separately from other items. Egyptian cotton sheets should always be washed alone. Zippers, buttons, and hooks on clothing items could damage and tear the sheets during the washing cycle. To prevent the machine from overloading, and to aid in the rinsing cycles, you could wash the sheets individually, particularly if they are large in size.

Use a gentle laundry detergent. Pick a quality and pH balanced laundry detergent to wash your Egyptian cotton sheets with. Measure out only half the amount of laundry detergent that you would normally would use, to reduce any damage to the cotton fibres caused by the chemicals. Place it in the washing machine. Ensure that the laundry detergent you use doesn't contain bleach. Bleach can damage the natural cotton fibres, and will cause the sheets to wear out faster. This type of laundry detergent will not only work well for white Egyptian cotton sheets, but also for coloured or patterned Egyptian cotton, as the colours will stay vibrant and bright. Don't use fabric softeners when washing Egyptian cotton, as the harsh chemicals could harm the natural fibres. The sheets will naturally get softer with each wash.

Set the washing machine to a cold, gentle wash. The cold water will prevent the sheets from shrinking during the washing process. A low, gentle spin speed will reduce the chance of the sheets being damaged by the agitator.

Remove the sheets from the washing machine immediately when the cycle is done. As soon as the washing cycle is completed, take the sheets out of the machine. This prevents those pesky wrinkles from creasing the sheets, and saves you more time in the long run. To further prevent wrinkling, give the sheets a good shake as soon as you take them out of the machine, before drying.

Caring for Egyptian Cotton Sheets After Washing

Use a dryer to dry the sheets fast. You can place the freshly washed Egyptian cotton sheets in the dryer to get them warm and ready to use in no time. Make sure you use a low and mildly warm setting to prevent shrinking the sheets. Avoid using dryer sheets when drying Egyptian cotton. The chemicals can be damaging to the natural fibres. A good alternative is felt wool dryer balls, which do the same thing but without the harsh cleaning agents.

Dry the sheets on a washing line to save electricity. Line drying is also a good way to dry Egyptian cotton sheets. Hang the freshly washed sheets up on a clotheshorse indoors, or if the weather is good, outside to dry. This is especially useful if you are concerned about accidentally shrinking your sheets in the dryer.

Iron the sheets to get a crisper appearance. Ironing Egyptian cotton sheets is optional, and best done when they are still slightly damp. Use a very low setting on the iron to avoid burning the natural cotton fibres. Don't use the cotton setting on the iron. This is too high, and will damage the sheets.