Should new bedding be washed?

Should new bedding be washed? - This question arises immediately after you brought a new kit home from the store. Removing it from its packaging, we note how crisp, snow-white it is or vice versa - bright, colorful, perfectly smoothed, it smells fresh. Is it really impossible to immediately take it, lay it on the bed and enjoy a successful purchase? In this article we will deal with this issue once and for all.

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Wash or not wash? That is the question

Washing new linens is similar to vandalism, because the manufacturer tried so hard - stroked, starched.

Opinions are divided on this point:

• Some housewives do not even think about this dilemma; they bought it, made beds, slept for a week on a new set of linen, and then threw it into the wash. Why wash just bought? The new - it is the new, which means - pure.
• There are those who know from certain sources that before bedding, new linens undergo a steaming process, which, in fact, kills all microbes in the fabric, as well as other pests that could appear at previous technological stages. Therefore, you can safely lay a new crisp bed starch, without fear of anything.
• But most consumers nevertheless are of the opinion that a new set of bedding should be washed, and serious arguments are made in this regard.

Do I need to wash new bedding? - Reasons to do this:

• Firstly, it is necessary to wash new bedding, because it passed through the hands of sellers and buyers. Accordingly - we do not know how many people got it out of the package and touched it with dirty hands. Especially if you bought it in a dusty market.
• Secondly, before the laundry was packed, it was cut up on equipment (of course not sterile), living people sewed (also, probably, not in gloves). Rolls of fabric before sewing were also somehow transported, stored on dusty shelves, and sometimes right on the floor.

Important! All kinds of microbes, dust mites, mold spores and other muck settle faster in natural tissues. And how long the kit was kept - no one will tell you for sure.

• Thirdly, the manufacturer, before packing the linen in a box or bag, must bring the kit into a “presentable presentation”. Namely: it produces a sizing of the fabric, that is, it applies a “sizing” (synthetic resins + starch). This procedure gives shine to linen and enhances the brightness of colors, brings the aroma of “new and fresh”, and of course, gives the effect of starches. And this creates for the consumer a deceptive feeling of cleanliness and novelty of the purchased kit.
• Fourthly, not all manufacturers of bedding fabrics are so conscientious. Often they try to save money by using low-quality dyes, and sometimes they disrupt the process of dyeing fabrics. Therefore, the kit can molt, the paint will come in contact with the skin, which can lead not only to spots on pajamas, but also to allergies.

Important! High-quality bedding manufacturers on the package indicate not only the size of the kit, the composition of the fabric and washing recommendations, but also indicate whether new bedding should be washed before use for the first time.

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Rules for washing bedding

After the first wash, the laundry will get rid of excess paint and stiffness. It will not lose the aroma of novelty and freshness at all, but it will be soft and safe to sleep on it.

Important! It is necessary to wash not only new bedding, but also other clothes (of course, excluding the upper): dresses, jeans, blouses and underwear. Not only because many people measured and touched these things before you, but also because it is necessary to get rid of excess dye in the fabric, soften it and eliminate extraneous odors.

Washing the new kit:

1. Take the laundry out of the package, carefully read the manufacturer's washing recommendations. Our help will be here character decoding.
2. Even if it’s cotton, 40 degrees Celsius is enough for the first wash delicate mode. Spin - no more than 600 revolutions.
3. Apply liquid gentle agent No additives, that is, do not use bleaches, stain removers or rinses. It will be enough at the last stage to add conditioner to soften the fabric and facilitate the ironing process.
4. Baby bedding refresh using a special baby powder or liquid detergent, but do not use conditioner, otherwise it can lead to coughing or allergies.
5. If you have purchased several sets, wash each one individually. Only white bedding can be handled together, and then, if your washing machine pulls such a burden.

Important! Sometimes the packages indicate the weight of the kit. If not, then one and a half cotton sheets weigh on average 1.6 kg. For more information on calculating the correct load, see our article. “Weight of laundry”.

6. If you purchased colorful linen, then before washing, turn the pillowcases and the duvet cover inside out, and you can put the sheet in the duvet cover. These actions are necessary so that the picture does not lose clarity due to friction against the drum.

Important! Natural fabrics can give from 2 to 6% shrinkage during primary washing, let it not scare you, everything is within normal limits.

 

General recommendations for washing bedding:

• The most important thing is to observe hygiene standards and change bedding at least 1 time per week, and pillowcases can be done more often. Adhering to this rule, the bed will not have time to become very dirty and there will be enough washing in the normal mode. It will also prevent the fabric fibers from wearing out quickly.
• If you nevertheless used the laundry for more than a week, then it would be better to pre-soak it for a couple of hours.
• Wash color separately with detergent or detergent marked “color”.

Important! When washing colorful and vibrant sets, never use bleach.

• The washing mode should be delicate, water with a temperature of 40-50 degrees.

Important! To preserve the brightness of the picture for longer, turn the pillowcases and duvet cover inside out before washing.

• Wash white only with white things or generally separately. You can use a special detergent for washing white things andoxygen and optical brighteners.
• If there is embroidery or lace on the bed, turn it inside out before sending it to the washing machine, or better, put those parts of the kit where there is decor in special laundry bag.
• Observe the temperature of the wash for each type of fabric:
  1. for synthetics - no more than 40 degrees;
  2. calico, percale and poplin - can withstand 50 degrees;
  3. cotton can be exposed to temperatures from 60 degrees and above, up to boiling.
• For bedding of your children, use only detergents from the children's series.

Important! Avoid perfumes, rinses and conditioners. Household chemicals can cause allergic coughs and skin rashes.

• Do not mix synthetics with a natural fabric during washing, as the fibers polyester cling to natural ones - this can lead to tissue stiffness and spools.
• With a silk kit you need to be extremely delicate. This expensive natural fabric does not like hot water (washing should be carried out at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees), friction and spin. So it is advisable to wash such laundry manually or, in extreme cases, in delicate mode without spinning in the washing machine.
• When washing silk, use only special detergent or baby soap, or even shampoo. Most silk fibers are afraid of mechanical damage and chlorine.

Important! In the process of washing, it will also be correct to add an anti-static conditioner. This will remove the static electricity generated by ironing and using such laundry.

• It is not recommended to use a machine dryer for bedding, except in delicate mode. Still, it will be correct if the fabric dries in the fresh air, and even better in the sun (just dry it inside out in the open sun so that the picture does not fade).

Important! Ultraviolet will further disinfect laundry.

• Dry to the end of the bed is not necessary. When it is slightly wet, it is better smoothed out with an iron.

Important! The most important thing is that the less household chemicals and high temperatures you use when washing, the longer your bedding will last. The fibers of the fabric will not wear out quickly.

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Ironing bed linen

With a question, whether it is necessary to wash new bed linen, we understood. What about ironing? How to make this process less difficult and faster?

• To iron the bed, as mentioned above, you need to be slightly wet. Then it is easier to smooth, especially for cotton fabrics - you do not have to use steaming, which accelerates the wear of the fibers.
• It is recommended to iron natural fabrics with a bright pattern from the inside at a low temperature. Also, the inside of the kit with lace and embroidery is ironed.
• Before applying the iron, duvet cover and pillowcases are carefully spread at the seams so that they do not deform.
• The silk set is ironed only from the inside, with a moderately hot iron. Do not use steam or spray water on it; otherwise, spots will remain. It’s better to drive the iron over wrinkled areas for longer.

Important! Also, for the same reason (the appearance of spots on the fabric), you can not spray water when ironing flax and bamboo.

• Cotton can be ironed with a very hot iron and steamed if it is very wrinkled during washing. But try not to abuse the steam in order to extend the service of bedding.
• To facilitate your work, try to iron the laundry immediately after drying, otherwise, if it dries, it will be much more difficult to get rid of wrinkles and wrinkles.

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Secrets of proper storage of bed linen

To keep the laundry fresh and clean after washing until next use, it must also be stored correctly. Here are some helpful suggestions for this:

• Keep clean bedding on a separate shelf or in a drawer.
• So that the sets do not get confused with each other - fold each in its pillowcase.
• Can be used for storage vacuum bags. Then the linen will not be saturated with extraneous odors, will retain its freshness and will take up much less space.
• For added flavor between sets of linen, you can put sachets with herbs, such as lavender or fragrant geraniums. Or use aroma pillows soaked in essential oils (orange, ylang-ylang and others to your taste). Then your bed will be fragrant with the smells of nature, and not with chemical washing powder.

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As you can see, the answer to the question of whether to wash new bedding is extremely simple - it is necessary! So you will protect yourself from troubles in the form of harmful microbes or coloring allergens, you will be completely confident in the cleanliness of the kit, and sleeping on it will be doubly pleasant.Follow the helpful tips in this article, and washing, ironing, and storing any bedding will not be a problem for you.