Why do hotel sheets feel so much better than the sheets at home? Well, to begin with, hotel sheets are freshly washed, crisply ironed, and perfectly tucked – all by someone who is not you. These fine points go a long way to making hotel bedding a thing of desire. And beyond that, they’re all white – according to some, the most restful colour to sleep on; and often made to last with tighter weaves and higher-quality yarns than what’s standard at home.
Thanks to companies like Hotel Luxury Collection, with a full range of luxurious bedding made by the same manufacturers that produce the world’s best hotel linens including the Park Hyatts, you can create the same five-star hotel bedroom at home.
This week we talk to co-founders and co-owners, David Wearne and Vicki Jones, about the five most important insider tips for taking care of your bedding.
WASHING RULES
- Do double rinse your sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases. It’s important. Excess laundry detergent residue makes sheets go yellow and a single rinse doesn’t remove it. A build-up of detergent over time will yellow and discolour your sheeting. We learnt this from the Halekulani hotel, and swear by it.
- Don’t use fabric softeners; they coat the natural fibres and break them down. The same goes for dryer sheets: Lint sticks to them and causes abrasion inside the dryer that can create pilling.
- Do wash in warm or cold water. Lower temperatures are good for the environment and detergents work well these days, so less hot water is needed. Whites typically go in at 60 degrees Celsius and most other stuff at 40 degress Celsius.
- If using a clothes dryer, take the sheets out before they’re completely dry. Drape them on a drying rack and then just stretch out and fold: which is nearly as effective as ironing.
- Avoid a too-hot clothes dryer: it is what ruins most fabrics. Hot water is not a problem, but a hot dryer weakens and breaks natural fibres. The last minutes of the dryer cycle are when fabric overheats, making it brittle and faded over time. Overheating also makes fabrics static-y, which attracts dust.
Oh and DO clean the lint filter for blankets and other soft surface textiles. If allowed to accumulate, lint creates a type of pilling on surfaces. Don’t store bed linens in plastic which can result in yellowing and should be avoided. Natural fibres need to be able to breathe.
Hotel Luxury Collection has been making luxurious bed linens, goose down king pillows and super-king mattress toppers with a double-layer of feathers to hotel industry standard for the past 15 years that will change your life. Top designers swear by the stuff. www.hotelluxurycollection.com
