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Washing and drying your bedding may require specific care depending on the fabric type:
Cotton: Cotton is a prevalent fabric in bedding, and it also very easy fabric to wash and maintain. Most cotton products are machine washable and can be placed in the dryer at a low setting to prevent shrinkage.
Polyester: Polyester is a very durable material which requires similar care to nylon, but it is safe to line dry. Again, to avoid pilling, hand wash when possible.
Nylon: Nylon is fairly durable, and is generally machine washable, even in a normal cycle. Use warm or cool water only, and go light on the detergent. Never use bleach. It is safe to put nylon in the dryer on lowest heat setting. Do not line-dry nylon linens, because the sun is nylon's enemy.
Silk: Treat this fabric the same as acetate, but be careful about line-drying as silk is more sensitive to sun-damage. Also, because silk is usually very thin, be especially careful when wringing out.
Satin: Satin made of silk and nylon should be shielded from the sun, so if you have a bright sunny room, go for acetate or polyester satin. It's best to just dry-clean satin bedspreads and satin comforters. They are impossible to hand-wash, and bunch up too much in a washer. - Use only very mild detergents or linen washes. Don't use too much detergent, and be careful not to pour it directly onto the fabric.
- Wash similar colors on the gentle cycle with warm (not hot) water.
- Never use chlorine bleach or detergents with bleach. Enzyme-reactive stain removers may be used as needed.
- Forget fabric softeners! Buildup will coat threads and leave them brittle.
- Let the sheets air dry if possible. Otherwise, use the low setting on the dryer and take them out while they're still damp.
- Iron sheets while they're still slightly damp to the touch. When pressing monograms or embellishments, place them facedown on a thick towel to avoid flattening the design.
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