Can I put this question about bed linen here please?

[pretend]

I would like to buy some new bed linen online. It's got to be plainish white and I'm currently looking at The White Company.

I want a little piece of luxury when I climb into bed, so I want really lovely quality bed linen. I don't mind paying a bit for it.

So, should I go for Egyptian cotton, pure cotton or something else? The stuff I've got on at the moment is really old, so I can't remember what it is. Although it has a really nice feel to it, it's a bitch to iron, and because I have better things to do than spend two hours ironing my bedding (like MN) it goes on unironed and looks like a screwed up rag.

So what I want to achieve is low maintenance luxury, if possible....

Can anyone help me?

Thanks

[violetwellies]

Pure linen, from a variety of sources, I've inherited some, gorgeous and soft and not too creasy. EBay, White co. Some European online stores, love it, never iron anything.

Pure linen, always white, line dried after a hot wash, folds flat without creases. It's mind boggling that you should even consider ironing it.

[GrimDamnFanjo]

I buy pure linen for the bed it's a real indulgence but I wouldn't go back to cotton now . I've bought a lot of stuff from Clatteringford over the years.

[carrie74]

My mother always told me to buy cotton percale. Always. Never deviate. I have to say, she's been right.

I tend to favour John Lewis and Laura Ashley.

[lurkingaround]

For me it would be Eygyptian cotton, percale weave, >200 or 300tc, decent brand. In a sale. Only buy in a sale. The better brands often don't discount much but any discount is better than none.

[pretend]

Percale linen or percale cotton?

[lurkingaround]

Hmm. Non iron Egyptian cotton sheets? Hmmm. Interesting. ?Suspicious the sheets are coated Sorry whiskey, am no more help.

Percale, 200-400 tc, good quality brand is a fairly good bet usually.

[agoodbook]

very difficult - its nice to feel them
I have noticed that the higher the thread count, the nicer it feels, but it wears out more quickly, I tend to go for 300/400 count

[Oxfordblue]

I've just bought my 2 DDs White duvet covers from Sainsburys. Interestingly they are 200 or 400 thread count but a poly cotton mix.
I've NEVER bought anything other than 100% cotton but this is lovely, quick wash, hung on the line to dry & in their beds looking fab. Duvet sets were £20 each.

[pretend]

Ooh sounds interesting, but having had my fingers burned by Egyptian cotton (not literally) I'm wary!

Creasy bastards!

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

INTERESTING
I got an email about non iron Egyptian cotton from none other than the white company and it did indeed pique my interest.


Anyone have this??

[lurkingaround]

It is difficult then. Go for a good brand. (But there again, I've had some Sheridan sheets that wore really badly.) Pick a decent brand, and buy where there's free returns.

[pretend]

This is where I'm struggling lurking because I'm buying online. Live in a silly place so I'm not able to actually test anything before I buy it...

[lurkingaround]

Just to add, don't just look at thread counts when buying - higher tc doesn't necessarily mean better. Sometimes to make a high tc, they use poorer quality, thinner threads, to squish in (technical term) more threads per inch without increasing the cost. Feel the sheet.

[pretend]

Thanks I'll check that out

[ovenchips]

Sorry, I meant to say they have a range of thread counts (upto 1000TC) and explain on their website the necessity or not of ironing various ones.

[ovenchips]

Also second (or third) Soak and Sleep. Better than White Company and in fact all other bedding places I have bought from. Prices are better too!

[agoodbook]

I use Just Linen for towels/sheets.

Always percale for sheets

www.justlinen.co.uk/justlinen/sheridan-plain-dyes.asp

[lurkingaround]

op

[nottheOP]

www.lauraashley.com/uk/duvet-covers/albury-cotton-seersucker-duvet-cover/invt/alburybl

[nottheOP]

One of ours are seersucker and they can't be ironed! Or there is no point at least.

[pretend]

Oh that made me chuckle lurking

Happiness is a hot bubble bath and clean sheets. Both are solo activities these days and how glad I am of that fact

Sweaty man in 200tc percale linen sheets?

[lurkingaround]

I couldn't get beyond that crumpled-ness that you mention cirrusblue. I wonder if I had persisted with them would it have settled a bit. My world goes all blurry and wobbly when I think of crumpled sheets. I jest.

Though it is one of life's luxuries I think, crisp ironed good sheets. Seriously. Hah (said in a derisory snort sort of way). There was a time when a hunk of a boyfriend was a life luxury. How times change eh?

[blodynmawr]

I can't profess to be as nerdy as lurkingaround but am very fussy about bedding quality and softness. Gazillion thread count bedding is often on offer at Debenhams. I have also bought excellent quality discounted Sheridan, Sanderson etc sheets from Just Linen on several occasions.
HTH

[cirrusblue]

Well I haven't found linen sheets look like a rag at all, but mine are thick and quite high-end. There are some creases and a general rumpledness about them but that is part of their make-up and you don't feel them and it does not affect how comfortable they are.

[pretend]

Thank you, I'll have a look at the non iron stuff.

Theoretically I'd wash the sheets every week and lovingly iron them for crispness. In practice I'm doing well if they are bunged in the washer, tumbled and folded. Crispness might be something for special occasions when I feel like wielding the iron