Bed Linens, Sheets & Shams
We understand that you’ve invested in fine bedding and linens because you know that these things have an impact on the quality and quantity of sleep you get every night, which in turn determines how you will feel and perform the next day. In fact, The Better Sleep Council goes so far as to recommend you purchase high-thread-count sheets, a plush comforter and duvet cover, matching shams and pillow cover to make your bed extra inviting and uniquely yours.
We know that our responsibility is not to just give you clean bedding, but to do our part to ensure that your linens maintain their ‘like new’ feel, look and scent, so you get a good night’s rest in your own beautiful and relaxing surroundings.
We became experts at fine bed linen care by doing our homework and investing in the best tools and technology available so that we can ‘spoil you’ with our superior linen care.
You can rely on us to help you with the before (making your purchase), during (caring for your bed linens at home) and after (professional care for your bed linens). Here are some tips, tidbits and pieces of information, we’ve learned along the way:
100% cotton is the fabric of choice for fine linens: Why?
Egyptian Cotton: Is it the best?
High Thread Counts: Are they better?
Changing Bed Linens: How often is often enough?
Laundering Bed sets: What does King Garment Care Do?
Storing Fine Linens: What should you do?
Before: Selecting Your Fine Linens 100% cotton is the fabric of choice for fine linens: Why?
Cotton has superb conductivity. In layman’s terms, that means it can carry heat away from the body to keep it cool and will keep you comfortable by wicking moisture (perspiration) away from your body as well. You don’t want to heavily treat cotton with so called softeners because they coat the fibers and inhibit this wonderful characteristic.
Cotton has better conductivity than both wool and silk. When properly cared for, it will not pill. The fact is 100% high grade cotton is soft and smooth to the touch; just what you want to snuggle into after a long day of work or play.
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High Thread Counts: Are they better?
YES, when it’s a true thread count. Technically speaking, thread count is the number of threads, both vertical and horizontal, in a one-inch square of fabric. Theoretically therefore, a single finer cotton thread (smaller diameters, ELS - Extra Long Staple (ELS - average length 13/8 – 1 1/2 inches)) will inherently have more threads per inch in weaving. Generally, a higher thread count indicates a tighter weave and softer fabric.
However, some manufacturers can be disingenuous in specifying thread count, by counting each strand (yarn) twisted within a thread as a ‘count’, which could double the thread count advertised. This is why it is important to purchase high quality bed linens from reputable brand name firms. And yes, at King Garment Care we know and appreciate the difference.
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During: Caring for Your Bed Linens At Home
Changing Bed Linens: How often is often enough?
Microbiologist Zehava Eichenbaum, associate professor at Georgia State University, said a typical family should change their bed sets at least once a week. Remember, we shed both hair and millions of skin cells every day and through the night. These dead cells and hairs are magnets for dust mites and other allergens, as well as being microscopic abrasives that can cause pilling if not washed out regularly. As we all know, dust mites and other particulate will also shorten the useful life of your mattress, so regular sheet care is an investment in a longer lasting mattress as well.
However, if anyone in the family has night sweats, allergies or sleeps in the nude, sleep specialist Michael Breus, Ph.D. recommends you change your sheets twice a week. Having multiple sets of sheets that are changed frequently and professionally laundered regularly, which will enable your quality bed linens (like the ones featured in our photo) to last up to 15 years.
A final caveat: Some hair and skin care products contain oxidants or other ingredients that may affect colors. Make sure such products don't come into direct contact with pillowcases and bed sheets.
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Storing Fine Linens: What should you do?
Always protect your linens from direct light. Be sure to cover linen closet shelves with unbuffered acid-free tissue paper, found at our couture closet on line shop or a textile museum supply source. It is ideal for linen storage because it doesn't discolor fabrics over time or off gas corrosive chemicals from adhesives or dyes like most commercial decorative liners do. Lay some over shelves to protect your linens from paint, wood stains or stray splinters.
Protect the sheet sets not in your usual rotation (i.e. extra guest room sets) from airborne dust and particulate by wrapping them in unbleached muslin or unbuffered acid-free tissue paper.
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After: Professional Care for Your Bed Linens Laundering Bed sets: What does King Garment Care Do Better?
Your linens are first inspected by experienced laundresses, equipped with unbleached cotton gloves, aprons and ultra violet lights, who identify fibers, colors, trim, areas of wear and needed repairs. After testing and sorting by fibers, colors, condition and delicacy of trim, your linens are laundered in accordance with their expert instructions. Lace trimmed or delicately embroidered pieces are processed in our exclusive protective net case that permits superb cleaning, but protects ornamentation from snags and other processing hazards.
Water temperatures are carefully monitored for the proper range (130 -140oF) to kill dust mites and other micro-organisms, while still protecting the fabric and colors from high heat. Your bed linens are always shaken out and processed with like fabrics to avoid pilling and abrasion, and processed using gentle detergents, conditioners and anti-microbials, that are specially formulated and chlorine free.
If your linens are stained or heavily soiled, they will be treated to our exclusive pre-soak treatment, rather than subjecting them to higher water temperatures, more aggressive detergents or longer washing cycles. Bleach is shunned at all costs; it is too aggressive an agent, one that can weaken fibers, shorten the useful life, effect texture and/or change light reflectance. Finally, all your bed sets will be treated to two final cold water rinses, leaving your sheets, pillow cases, duvets, etc. soft and smooth to the touch. When you do all this, there’s no need to use fabric softeners which coat the fabrics and inhibit their ability to absorb moisture, wicking it away from your body.
The cleaning and drying cylinders we use are designed to limit mechanical action, minimize spinning and prevent undue stress on fibers, as well as to control temperatures to eliminate over drying of your fine linens. They are NEVER laundered in equipment with an agitator, which could easily distort or damage delicate linens. Commercial laundry mangles should never be used, so of course, we don’t even have one on premises. Your linens are hand finished while still slightly damp on a hot head press or totally hand ironed. You select the level of finishing care you desire.
Last but not least – have it your way. If you provide us with your shelf dimensions, we can fold and package your bed linens for a custom fit to your storage specification.
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