How Can the Wrinkling in Cotton Sheets be Minimized during Laundering?

Cotton sheets are going to wrinkle when laundered. That is a trade-off between using soft 100% cotton sheets and the less soft poly/cotton blends that do wrinkle less.

We’ve come to the conclusion that while 100% cotton sheets may be very wrinkled when they come out of the dryer, by the time a person gets in the bed, wrinkles will be much less noticeable. The stretching of the sheets and then the weight of the top bedding seem to minimize the wrinkles. Also, your older sheets will wrinkle less because the cotton fibers become softer over time.

Below are points that will reduce wrinkling in cotton sheets but most are also counterproductive.

• Using fabric softener in the wash or dryer sheets will help reduce wrinkling.
• Smaller loads will produce less wrinkles by not bunching them up… great if your only job is to wash sheets.
• Lower heat settings reduce wrinkling by not causing the wrinkles to set… great if you get paid by the hour to dry sheets.
• Remove the sheets from the dryer immediately when dry… see number 2.
• If you realize that a load was left in the dryer all day or night, throw in a damp rag and reheat. The humidity will lessen the wrinkles.

The above comes courtesy of Palmetto Linen.