New Egyptian Cotton Bedding - surely it shouldn't be this creased! What am I doing wrong!

[shouldntBeButIAm]

Ok so I know this is definitely a first world problem but we've just bought a much awaited new bed. New mattress arrives next week (until then we are using the old too small one which was just bad timing on ordering the new mattress) and I went all out and ordered a new duvet and new 600 thread Egyptian cotton duvet cover and pillowcases.

AIBU for thinking that having spent a small fortune on the duvet cover it shouldn't look like a screwed up rag after washing at 40 degrees and low heat tumble drying?

Please tell me I'm doing something wrong and what will make it less creased without ironing it every time? I work full time and I really don't have the energy or time to iron it every time it's changed? Help please wise mumsnet!?

I hang mine flat on the washing line. Bring it in and lay it flat on the bed to air.

I got some to treat myself recently and I'm afraid I've ended up ironing the high-maintenance fuckers. The creases really spoiled the Naice Hotel look I was attempting to go for!

Did you dry it completely and then leave it sitting in the drier? . Sadly my drier sits in an outbuilding so I don’t always know when it’s finished. Sheets definitely are creased if they are allowed to cool in the drier. You need to get them out and fold while still warm. This is the joy about 100% cotton.... you’re not going to get a perfect finish without ironing.

How much other stuff is in with it? If it’s a super king I wouldn’t be putting too much else in with it, unless you’ve got a big drum. Maybe the pillowcases.
Agree with pp, hang it up to dry if poss.

Unfortunately this sort of cotton has a nasty habit of creasing like mad. Your only hope is to wash it in a large capacity machine on a slow spin and dry it as flat as you can manage. Or use a laundry service.

Maybe stick to easycare polycotton next time.

Pure cotton always creases like that. Especially if you hot wash and tumble dry. I'd try washing again with cold water and plenty of fabric conditioner, then dry on the line, stretched out so it is as smooth as possible. You may even have to iron them - I do .

Yeah, it does that if you tumble it. I've found that the creases disappear pretty quickly with normal storage and usage TBH. Never tried ironing it but frankly life's too short to be bothered about creases in my bed linen.

Fold it as neatly as you can, put the kettle on, place the folded linen on the sofa or armchair, make yourself a cuppa and have a nice sit down.

Bum ironing fixes most things. Shuffle about if you aren't broad in the beam, but be careful not to introduce new creases. Flip the pile for maximum effect. That should get the worst of it.

Best bit? If anyone wants you to do other jobs, you can't, you're ironing!

My late mama (died 5 years back aged 92) taught me this.

nearlygranny I had to read this twice before I "got it "
Now that's my kind of ironing

@NearlyGranny 'bum ironing!' I think that's the greatest advice I've had in a while!

I really don't have time for ironing it! So, I guess I'll be going for the creased look.

I washed the duvet cover and 2 pillowcases, tumble dried till just a bit damp and took it out and hung it over a rack.

I actually don't have a washing line outside!

It's a shame as I was overly excited about it! On the plus side it feels lovely even if it doesn't look it!

I remember stretching sheets and duvet covers with my mum as a child. It was fun! Long before the days of no-iron no-crease polycotton. Cotton does crease unfortunately. But stretching can work quite well - when you take it off the line or out of the drier, two people hold two corners each and pull. You need to alternate between pulling both hands at once and then pulling alternate corners. The tension pulls out most of the creases and it's a lot of fun when you're 7.

I'm not sure if I'm visualising it correctly but I bought some super-high TC Egyptian cotton duvets and bitterly regretted it, they're unwieldy and impossible to iron nicely.

I always buy super-high TC fitted sheets and pillow cases, but now I buy lower-count duvets.

Don't tumble dry it at home. I have pure cotton and wash on 30 or 40 only and dry it on rads in winter or the big laundrette dryer, creases but not too bad or line dry in good weather.

@ShinyMe are you my sister? I have the exact same memory of the exact same process! Still do it now.

@DonPablo sorry, no sisters here! OP, It's an old fashioned technique but it does really work!

I line dry mine in summer and dry indoors in winter. I never overload the machine, it has a 16kg load and I just put one set of king size bedding in, so it has a fair bit of space. It spins at 1200 rpm.

I get the bedding out of the machine as soon as it stops spinning and give it a good flap/shake. Then I fold the sheet/cover in half and use the coat hangers designed for skirts, the kind with clips on, to hang it from the curtain rail in one of the bedrooms. The radiators are beneath the windows, so they dry pretty quickly.

There is a slight line down the middle, that I could iron out if I was arsed, but the rest is crease free. Then it's folded and put in the airing cupboard.

It does cause a bit of condensation, but I just open the window a crack to let it out. Added bonus: the drying laundry makes the house smell nice.

Embrace the creased look, afterall the fashion is for creased pure linen.

I’d be really pissed of if I’d spent a fortune on beautiful new Egyptian cotton bedding and it needed ironing! We are getting a new bigger bed soon and this has been an eye opener.

I think I’d rather have something polycotton that I could just tumble dry.

I can’t imagine not ironing bedding. Pure cotton is the worst. Even with a steam iron it creases like hell.

for sheets I try to go for jersey fabrics.
they crease much less than woven ones.

but I agree with pp. flick and smooth before hanging up to dry.

Many years ago, DH and I went to Egypt on holiday , stayed in 5* hotels and Nile Cruise ............and the bed linen to creased to billy-oh .

But so smooth and silky
I bought some from Costco, it was lovely but I never put an iron near it .

Just embrace it .

I do really love a high TC fitted sheet & pillowcase, but I find that I 'feel' the duvet cover a lot less and I can't really discern between a 200 and 800 TC. The lower TC lies much better, so that's what I use.

Unfortunately cotton really needs to be ironed

You can’t buy 100% cotton and then complain that they need ironing! My tactic is to iron the pillowcases and then cover the bottom half of the bed in a decorative blanket... at the moment I have a Moroccan wedding blanket on.