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How to choose cotton sheets

How to choose cotton sheets

Marjorie Gilbert Marjorie Gilbert

Cotton's close relatives are okra and hibiscus. Cotton use may be extended back to 7000 years. This cotton was grown in Mexico, Pakistan and Egypt, and it was woven as early as 3000 BC. Merchants from Arabia brought cotton to the attention of Europe. It was known to the entire world by 1500 AD. Equipment for spinning developed in 1739, in England. In 1793, Eli Whitney's cotton gin helped to bring cotton fabric to the rest of the world.

Content

When buying cotton bedsheets, read the label of the tab to determine the fibre content. The fibre content refers to what the sheets are made of. The better cotton sheets are made from 100 percent cotton. Sheets which are of less good quality are made from a combination of other fibres and cotton. Examples of such sheets are those made of polyester. The case is different if the sheets are made with a combination of other natural fibres such as silk or linen. Egyptian cotton and pima or supima cotton as the best quality.

Thread count

The thread count must be considered when buying sheets for your bed. Thread count refers to the number of threads per inch.The higher the number of threads, the better the quality of the sheets. If the thread count is 300, then these sheets will be good products to buy. However, the thread is the best indicator of the quality of the sheet. If the yarn is thicker, then the sheet will be softer and the quality of the sheet would be greater as well.

The finish of the sheets

The finish refers to what is added to the cotton fibres. This keeps them from shirking when you wash them. The chemicals used for most sheets are silicon, formaldehyde, and chlorine. They may even be treated with alkalis. Another method of finishing is mercerising as well as singeing. Mercerising refers to a treatment which is "conducted under tension, in order to increase strength, lustre, and affinity for dye." Singeing is a process which involves "burn[ing] off the tiny fuzz that can later develop into pilling on your sheets." Sheets that are very inexpensive may not have been singed or mercerised. Organic cotton sheets and sheets that have been "clean finished" are sheets that have not been finished with chemicals. Organic cotton has been grown without any chemicals. There sheets that have not been treated with any finishes. They will probably be more expensive.

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