1,000 Thread-Count Sheets: Be Careful What You Wish For

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frigilux

frigilux

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I've always purchased no-iron, standard, roughly 300 thread-count sheets. Armed with a generous coupon from JC Penney (after experiencing a thrice-botched online order) I decided to go for the gold-standard and get a set of Chris Madden 1,000 thread-count sheets, which were on sale; in white, of course.

The first quandary occurred when I pulled the linens from my front-loader and put them---two queen-sized bed sheets and six pillowcases (4 standard; 2 king)--- in my Frigidaire dryer with its 5.7 cu. ft. drum. It was, quite literally, filled to the top. I realized I would have to dry the items in two loads: one with sheets, another pillowcases. OK, an inconvenience, but worse things happen at sea, right?

The sheets emerged from the dryer super-wrinkled. I'm talking accordian-like wrinkled. OK, so no more leaving the bed unmade, as the thing looked unsightly.

Then I got into the bed. The sheets are quite stiff and feel rough compared to others I've owned. After grumbling that the ad should have read "1,000 thread-count burlap" instead of "Just like the sheets at 5-star hotels!!", I tucked in for the night---and grumbled some more.

Having lived with them for a week, I decided to wash them in the Frigidaire top-loader, thinking a good beating from an agitator might soften them up a bit. The load totally overloaded the machine. I over-filled the tub to the balance ring, and still they barely managed to turn over once during the 8-minute wash.

I hung them outside on the line, which alleviated the wrinkling problem a bit.

Are these bad sheets, or am I just so used to cheap ones that I don't know what "luxurious" sheets are supposed to feel like? I feel, sheepishly, like an ignoramus who, when given a glass of vintage red wine, decides he prefers Spanada, LOL!

Anyone else have experience with high thread-count sheets?
 
Nothing that luxurious. I have a set of 600-count bought at the evil WM. Queen-size, with three pillow slips. They're nice-enough, no objectionable wrinkling, and make for a medium load in the F&P.
 
Even the best natural cotton thread tops out at about 240 threads per inch, this would be percale which is the tightest weave of cotton sheets. To get more threads per inch vendors use thinner cotton threads and or multi-ply so they can pack more threads per inch.

This is really because many consumers equate higher thread counts with better quality sheets, which is simply not true. Quality will depend upon type of cotton used, thread count, and weaving quality, amoung other things.

Higher thread cotton sheets also are not always long laster and or more durable. Because the threads are often finer, they will wear faster. In general percale sheets do not wear as long as muslin (TC-140), especially vintage cotton muslin linens. You cannot kill the stuff.

As for your sheets, try soaking them overnight in warm water with a small amount of either pure soap or gentle detergent. Then launder again in warm water with no detergent. If possible do not tumble dry, but line dry, pulling items into shape as you hang them up.

Soaking will soften up the fibres and remove much of the sizing applied during production.
 
You can also dry one sheet at a time in your dryer. I do that with my Miele since it would be way too wrinkled coming out. And the difference is astounding doing it one at a time. Plus they get to tumble properly. I do this technique with 600 thread count sheets. You might also want to think about ironing them as well.
 
I have some Chris Madden 350 thread count sheets and I love them. Bought some 1000 thread counts from Target. Like them too - not rough, but not any better than the 350 thread count set. And they do tend to wrinkle.
 
Eugene, I have a set of 400 thread count sheets that behave the same way you describe! They take up the whole machine, wrinkle like an SOB, and can be scratchy. There are two king sheets and 4 king cases. So, I started washing them on the "Casual/Delicate" cycle in the Calypso, 16 minute wash time, with liquid detergent and a bit of fabric softener. It seems to do a good job washing them. The slow spin keeps them from wrinkling. I dry them, one sheet at a time, also on delicate, and dry the pillowcases separately. At least it did solve the wrinkling and scratchy problem. One sheet takes up almost the whole 7.4 cu ft dryer drum when it's dried. They're really nice sheets, and well made, but very bulky. None of my other sheets have this problem, and I can easily wash two sets of them together with no problem....but not these. I believe these are Egyptian Cotton sheets, though not 100% sure.
 
Eugene, it's just another case where people have been duped by marketing. As L points out, above some basic lower number (say 250 or 300), higher thread count means absolutely nothing with regard to softness or quality. And in many cases a higher count = inferior quality, because of durability issues (again as L noted).

Soaking the sheets might help, but I disagree with the advice to line dry them. Just don't use too high of a temperature in your dryer: this will convert the sheets into permanent cardboard faster than anything. If you want to hassle with it, you can try tumble drying them until they're just barely damp and then finish them on a clothesline.

Fabric softener will help, but that causes other problems (e.g. much faster accumulations of dirt and body oils).
 
Line Drying vs Tumble Drying

Because of the tighter weave and other factors, if properly laundered and line dried, much less ironing (if any) would be required verus tumble drying.

Percale linens in general wrinkle more so than say sateen, and therefore require ironing. This is one of the reasons hotels use either a cotton and polyester blend or some other "no-iron" finish on linens to cut down on laundry costs.

Have tons of percale sheets, though most are vintage Wamsutta "Supercale" and am here to tell you with proper laundering, they will come out of the washing machine less wrinkled, If hung properly on the lines they will stretch by their own weight, and further tugging along the hems and selvages goes further. All of the above sets up the final laundry stage of ironing.

As the thread count increases one begins to move from a soft sheet to almost canvas like thing.
 
And Another Thing

Modern front loading washing machines in general to not use enough water to fully immerse many items, including "stiff" bed lines made of percale.

Unlike sateen, terrycloth and other weaves, percale will not "compact down" in the washing machine. This means one either has to use more water and or underload the washer.

Miele now has an option on it's machines for "sheets" that one believes increases the water level slightly. On my vintage Miele, I set the machine to "delicate" and allow to fill, then turn the machine to "cottons". This gives a slightly water level to the wash, rinses are always on high or very high, so there is no problem there.
 
High thread count sheets = Newsprint!

Thats what they feel like your sleep on, newpaper. And a lot of paper/newspring is made of old cotton. I bought some a few months ago to christen my new Sealy Posturpedic with. They were horrible, stiff, scratchy and then a big rip appeared down one side the threads were so thin, back for a refund post haste.
I went to Walmart and bought a Queen set $34 of sheets made out of "Jersey" or Tee shirt material, very stretchy and comfy. I really like them. I'd never heard of them before this. Worth trying them
 
Mine are 240 count cotton/polyester sheets that I bought from Overstock.com about 5 years ago. Other than fading from a very pale blue to almost white now, I've never had a problem. One of the things I learned early on with sheets is to wash them in warm, with plenty of fabric softener in the rinse. Dry on low and they'll come out perfect! Soft, yet satiny and with little to no wrinkles to speak of.

If I don't dry on low or if I don't use softener, they come out crunchy which I HATE!
 
Last time I bought a new set of sheets was last fall when I bought a Waterfall 6 pc bedroom suite with maple inlaid woode veneers made in 1936. I down sized from a queen bed to a double bed and had to get sheets to fit.
I b ought the Chris Madden 500 thread count cotton sheets in a sage green stripe. I find it hard to find sheets in this color as it is the only color sheets I want. I usually but the 240 thread count J.C.Penney sheets. The 500 thread count ones always come out of the washer twisted and full of deep wrinkles and they seem slightly less wrinkled when line dried but I still have to sprinkle and iron them and also starch them to keep them crisp, not that I mind since I do find ironing very enjoyable and like more than washing and drying the clothes.
It has been a hastle with the higher thread count and I will go back to the lower thread count sheets next time it is in my budget to buy a new sheet set.

Sam
 
If You're Gonna Have Fawncy Sheets...

...Get an Ironrite!

Seriously, ironing is the only way to get that fawncy-fawncy stuff looking or feeling like anything. As other people here have said, you really need to stop at about 250-300 count, or you're getting into sheets that are high-maintenance.

If your sheets were ironed, much of the rough feel would disappear, but that's such a chore that you may or may not want to do it. A high-thread-count sheet is supposed to feel crisp with rather a lot of body to it, not soft like a regular percale sheet that's had some use. A Mrs. Danvers-type housekeeper would see to it that those sheets were glass-smooth.
 
Eugene,

You didn't mention what type of cotton was used in these sheets.

I have some 600 count sheets, made of either long staple Egyptian cotton or Pima. I happen to prefer the Pima - it's softer and wrinkles less. Both wear extremely well, and both wrinkle a bit more than lower count sheets. But line drying seems to help reduce the wrinkling.
 
Was going to say the same thing, but had to go and get one's own ironing done.

Unless one has a heavy, hot iron, and knows how to use it, an ironer or laundry press is really the only way to get percale and high thread count sheet to feel and look anywhere like they should.

Calendering smooths the fibres back down, and gives the material a slight gloss, which is what percale should look like when properly got up correctly.
 
Take them back! I say you have defective sheets. I had this happen years ago.... The sheets would come out wrinkled every time. Turns out they were defective. The fabric (cotton) was not "treated" with the "no iron" chemicals they use when the sheets are made. Hence,hard stiff wrinkled sheets. They will always come out wrinkled and feel stiff. Take them back and get something you LOVE!

Jim
 
Frankly I don't care that much about slight wrinkling of the sheets. They smooth out in time in the bed ;-).

I really dislike cotton/poly blend sheets, however. They seem never to be as soft as 100% cotton; the polyester has an abrasive quality that never seems to go away. It's fine for shirts or pants, but for sheets it's a bit much.
 
So true. Creative marketing in the last 20 years has put some pretty faces on polyester, e.g. "washable silk", "Polartek fleece", "microfiber" etc. But it's still crap for nearly everything except automobile covers and shower curtains, and even in those cases, nylon is much preferable to polyester.

The bottom line is, in any office you can easily separate the guys you'd like to know from those you wouldn't.. The second group wears cotton/poly shirts, while the first appreciates the look and comfort of 100% cotton. As superficial as it sounds, it's been true in every office I've worked in over the last 35 years.
 
I have a....

....variety of sheet sets ranging from 100% cotton to 50/50 blends. They wash beautifully in my front loader and I can easily put 2 queen sheets, a queen duvet cover and 4 pillow cases in....

The higher thread count cottons do crease more - much more in the dryer on high heat - than I would like so I dry on low heat and take them out as soon as it beeps. They still have a little moisture in them so I lie them flat on the bed. Not as creased, but then I really don't care that much. Folded correctly when dry and rotated to the bottom of the pile in the linen press means they look pretty good next time they are used...

As for the quantity that I can get in the dryer, well it is a 'Eurostyle' dryer - meaning Miele/Bosch/AEG capacity and it easily swallows the above load without an issue, but for lessening the creasing I dry the sheets and pillow cases and then the duvet cover normally....and provided I dry on lower heat, then the creasing isn't too bad as mentioned above....
 
Have had some dealings with higher count linens in the hotel

One of the Drs owns a 5 Diamond hotel. They tried the higher count linens. And we found that anything over 300 is simply a waste of money.. They are harder to finish do not look that good when finished and take longer to wash as the fibers hold soil in harder and longer. Also do NOT last a long and standard 180 to 250 count.. Guest complained about the stiffness too. Fabric softenrs did little good. They finally stayed with the 200 ct sheet and 300 ct pillowcases. Which when finished look and feel wonderful. On the hospital side nothing can beat the look feel and durability of 140 muslin. They iron faster, better and wash better with less staining. but now almost a thing of the past. the 128 and 130 muslin are just rags .Can still get 140 count muslin from Standard Textile and Hospitex on a 100 dozen order. Not as expensive either. Usually takes about 6 weeks however as they are made to order now. They are still in the old sizes too 72 x 120 not the new modern cut size 66 x 115 and some are even now as short as 102 not near enough for a good hospital bed.
 
Well, since few hospitals do mitered corners anymore, guess what is the point of going with good ole muslin? *LOL*

Those wonderful heavy bedspreads are a thing of the past as well.

Have a large stash of Pequot muslin sheets, pillow slips and a huge bolt of Pequot muslin, and am here to tell you (again), you can't kill this stuff. However heavy muslin does take a bit more effort to iron, but when done properly the linens feel a treat.

Actually am more a pure linen or metis kind of person when it comes to bed linen. If it's cotton it's either vintage percale (Wamsutta, Springmaid,Cannon and Feldcrest), or the above mentioned Pequot. Cannot abide sateen sheets, especially those made by Frette.

L.
 
"Hotel Linens"

Don't fall for the words "hotel quality" or some such when purchasing bed linens either.

All the term means is that the linens are supposed to be hard wearing to withstand repeated commercial laundering and or hard use. However it does not imply the linens are anything special in terms of thread count or some such.

I'll say it again, if you want good quality bed linen, that can withstand hot water washing with or without LCB, stop shopping in stores and head to your local thrift and seek out vintage bed linens. Even those from as recent as the 1970's will out last and wear much of what one finds in stores today, and cost much less.

Look in attics, estate sales, eBay and the rest. Up until recently women normally got tons of linens as wedding presents and hardly used much of it, then more was often purchased during her lifetime and or given as gifts. Since the stuff was hard wearing and long lasting much of the supply ended up surplus to requirements and stashed away.
 
I bought some 500 t.c. 100% cotton Martha Stewart at K-Mart which have been wonderful...they do take up the entire laundry, but really feel nice. Unfortunately, they discontinued them (I think they are dumbing-down the MS lines at K-Mart as they ramp them up at Macy's)...I bought them on clearance (originally $80, I got them for $40, and look carefully at any new K-Mart I visit to see if I can get another set...they're that good :) )
 
I also have a 1000 thread count sateen, which I bought in BJ's. The sheets are bulky, but line dried with fabric softner, and once they are on the bed....they feel like satin. No problem here.
 
"Look in attics, estate sales, eBay and the rest. Up until recently women normally got tons of linens as wedding presents and hardly used much of it, then more was often purchased during her lifetime and or given as gifts. Since the stuff was hard wearing and long lasting much of the supply ended up surplus to requirements and stashed away."

Yup...that is why I am using 100% cotton bed linens, week in and week out. They belonged to my grandmother and mother. Fifty years later, they are still holding up wonderfully.

Joe
 
I alternate between..............

....350 or 400 count Sateen sheets and 600 count non-Sateen sheets. Compaired to other 250 - 300 count non-Sateen sheets in the past, the 600 count sheets do wrinkle more in the laundry then the others did. I ALWAYS dry them in the dryer on the LOW setting (per the instruction tag).

I actually prefer the feel of the 600 count non-Sateen sheets, so I can put up with a little wrinkling.
 
I bought some "hotel quality" linens recently that are fairly soft and nice, but they tangle to hell in the washer. It seems the fitted sheet gets air trapped in it and tangles something terrible. I actually hold the corners out of the water as the 'Tag starts to agitate so they will be pulled under with no air trapped. What's this all about?
Bobby in Boston
 
Vintage American Linens

Really is a shame, but we shall never see the likes of Wamsutta's "Supercale", or Pequot's great muslin again. Even the highly sought after Curity "gauze" cotton diapers wont reappear as well.

For the most part textile mills in the South and other parts of the USA closed down and or transferred production overseas. Equipment was either abandoned or sold off to places like India, if not scrapped.

Many craft people would love to get their hands on cotton feedsack fabric of old, but that too is history. Have heard wonderful tales of persons who remember with great fondess shirts, and other clothing made at home (usually by their mother's) from discarded feed, grain, flour and sugar sacks.

Now before anyone gives pain about wearing "sack cloth", from what one understands it was VERY soft and durable. Not at all like the burlap one sees today.

L.
 
Are Big Lots sheets "factory seconds" or poor quality I was there this morning and the selection was pretty slim for queen sets but the prices were ok. I don't want to buy them if they're poor quality,, I didn't recognize any of the brand names.
 

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