How to wash a duvet cover in the washing machine. Effectively and simply: how to wash bed linen

With the advent of household washing machines, a new happy era has begun in the lives of women. The miracle helper does everything herself: soaks, washes, removes stains, rinses and wrings. ? To get an excellent result, you need to know the rules and important nuances.

How to wash bed linen in a washing machine

How to wash bed linen: general rules

You can now wash bulky, heavy bed linen with just the touch of a button. But before you load your pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers into the drum and press that button, it is important to follow certain rules. They are as follows:

Washing colored and white bed linen cannot be combined; the sets must be separated. Otherwise, you can forget about the snow-white fabric forever: it will fade;

Sets made from different types of fabrics should be separated;

Before loading the laundry into the drum, the laundry should be turned inside out (colored sets must be turned inside out);

Children's clothes, especially infant clothes, should be washed separately from adults;

Do not overload the washing machine drum. The permissible weight of dry laundry is indicated by the manufacturer in the instructions; the weight of one adult set is approximately 2 kg.

In any case, the more space left in the drum, the higher the quality of the wash. If the volume of the working chamber is 7 kg, there is no need to try to wash three sets at once. Two is more than enough.

How to wash bed linen in a washing machine

The choice of program depends on two main factors: the type of fabric and the degree of contamination of the set. Linen is made from natural, mixed and synthetic fibers, which require different water temperatures when washing and different spin modes.

To understand at what temperature to wash bed linen, you need to find out the type of fabric. For sewing sets, linen, calico, cotton, satin, silk, microfiber, bamboo fabric, percale, poplin, flannel are used.

The manufacturer must provide washing recommendations on special labels sewn into the seam of the linen. If for some reason there is no information, then when choosing a temperature regime you should use the general rules:

Fabric made of natural linen or white cotton with a high degree of soiling is washed at a temperature of 90°C;

If cotton fabric is dyed, 40°C is sufficient;

Flannel is washable at 40−60°C;

For silk, 3D fabric, synthetics, the temperature should not exceed 30°C;

Natural bamboo fiber is washed at 40°C.

The composition of the fabric determines which washing program to choose. How to wash bed linen and do you need to soak it? If it is white and very dirty, soaking is necessary. Otherwise, the laundry will become more and more washed and will gradually turn gray. Automatic machines are equipped with a soak or pre-wash function, which you must use.

Whatever you say, it’s so nice to go to bed in the evening in a clean, fresh-smelling bed. Many housewives are concerned with the question of how often they need to change bed linen so that it pleases with freshness, but at the same time does not allow it to get bogged down in constant washing?

By the way, the issue of washing clothes is more psychological than hygienic. Long gone are the days when people washed only once a month, and dangerous diseases killed thousands of people. It was from those times that the norms of changing beds came to us - “as often as possible.”

Today, the generally accepted norm is to change the bed once a week, but is this correct? It all depends on individual characteristics. If you shower twice a day, sleep in pajamas, and don't have pets, then why is it necessary to wash your bed once a week? Only a long-term habit can force this to happen, when mom once a week did a big wash and asked to change the bed linen.

You need to change your bed linen based on your feelings, and you can even do it not all at once, but in parts. Naturally, the fastest things to get dirty are pillowcases. After all, we don’t sleep in caps and caps, do we? Therefore, it is recommended to change pillowcases once a week. The sheet can be changed once every two weeks, the duvet cover - even less often.

Bed sheets. Types of fabrics

Cotton is most often used to sew bed linen. Cotton fabrics can be of different types: calico, satin, percale. Calico is the most common material for making bed linen. Calico retains the brightness of the pattern for a long time and almost does not fade. This is a very durable, durable and almost wrinkle-resistant fabric.

Satin is a fairly dense fabric, for the manufacture of which twisted double-weave threads are used. Satin is very pleasant to the touch, somewhat reminiscent of silk. Satin is an excellent option for those who really want to have a silk bed, but the funds do not allow it. In addition, satin is much easier to care for.

Percale is not a very common fabric. The fabric is famous for its strength, but at the same time it has extraordinary softness and tenderness.

Linen is perhaps the oldest material that has been used for sewing bed linen since ancient times. However, linen is a fairly rough material for the body, and it wrinkles a lot. Therefore, a combination of linen and cotton is most often used to make bed linen. This fabric is pleasant to the touch and does not wrinkle so much.

Silk bed linen is the best thing invented for relaxation and sleep. Silk is considered the most elite and sophisticated material for bed linen. Silk bed linen amazes with its softness, tenderness and durability. Silk comes in different qualities. Japanese natural silk with handmade elements is highly valued and very expensive. Chinese and Turkish analogues are cheaper, but they slip a lot and are not as durable.

Rules for washing bed linen

Many housewives ask the question, how to wash bed linen correctly ? Depending on the type of fabric, color and degree of soiling, bed linen is washed differently. Most cotton fabrics are machine washable. Everything here is extremely simple: you need to load the laundry into the wash and press the button, the machine will do the rest itself. White calico linen can be washed at temperatures above 60 degrees, using powder with bleaches. Colored bed linen is washed at a temperature of 40-50 degrees with colored linen powder. If the linen is of high quality, it will not fade when washed and will retain its bright color for a long time. Heavily soiled bed linen should be soaked before washing (many washing machines have this mode).

Before washing, turn pillowcases and duvet covers inside out and clean the corners of accumulated dust.

Silk linen is washed on a delicate cycle without spinning. When washing it is recommended to addfabric softener, containing an antistatic agent.

New bedding made from natural fabric may become wrinkled during washing. To prevent this from happening, you need to follow a delicate washing regime (at a temperature of no more than 30-40 degrees) and drying (no more than 400-600 rpm).

The label on the bed linen will tell you how it is recommended to wash it. It is very important to follow these instructions because... an incorrectly selected mode can lead to unpleasant consequences: early wear, damage, tightening, etc.

Some bedding may require specific washing and drying temperatures. Paying attention to these recommendations is just as important as the number of revolutions. All ratios of fabrics, temperatures, washing modes and number of revolutions are written on the washing machine. This is a kind of reminder that guarantees a good result.

It is also worth paying attention to what detergent preferred for a particular product or fabric. If the label warns against using bleach, it is best not to use it. Bleach, if not recommended for use, can ruin the product. Since chlorine, which is part of most bleaches, is a very strong chemical, the fabric not only bleaches, but also wears out faster. However, some bleach manufacturers produce a so-called “gentle” formula, thanks to which the color of the product does not deteriorate.

However, not all bedding can be washed in a washing machine. Some bedding may be too large or long to wash, so it's best to have it dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is also recommended for silk products. Machine washing may render the silk item unusable. In some cases, machine washing can be replaced by hand washing.

Children's beddingIt is not made of nylon or silk, but if you do buy such underwear for your baby, make sure that it is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Nylon bedding can be washed in a washing machine, even on a normal cycle. But with frequent washing, nylon can deteriorate, so it is better to use a delicate cycle or hand wash. It is not advisable to dry nylon in the sun, but it can be dried in a machine at low speed.

When washing nylon bedding, it is not recommended to use bleach. You need to be extremely careful when squeezing clothes; nylon is a very thin fabric that can be easily damaged.

Products made from acetate are best dry cleaned. But if you don’t want to take your baby’s underwear to the dry cleaner, you can wash it in a machine (on a delicate cycle) or by hand. When washing, use a special detergent designed for such fabrics.

There is no need to wash linen made from natural fabrics together with linen made from polyester. During the washing process, polyester fibers cling to natural fibers, which can cause the laundry to lose its softness and delicacy.

It is recommended to wash polyester according to the instructions on the label or based on the instructions on the washing machine panel. In addition, do not forget that all of the above washing options are applicable only for bedding such as pillowcases, duvet covers, and sheets. If you need to wash a silk blanket, then no difficulties should arise - you just need to take the blanket to the dry cleaner, because... It is very difficult to wash this product by hand.

As for pillows and blankets, in order to avoid having to dry clean them too often, it is better to buy or sew special covers. This will help keep pillows and blankets in good condition for a long time.

Bedding made from natural fabrics may shrink slightly after washing (2-6%), which is taken into account in the size of the product.

Ironing bed linen correctly after washing

It is recommended to iron bed linen slightly damp. Products with embroidery are ironed from the reverse side. Silk bed linen should be ironed slightly damp at a temperature of no more than 110 degrees. If conditioner and antistatic agent were not added during the washing process, the ironed item can be treated with an aerosol antistatic agent.

As you can see, today there are a large number of rules and tips on how to wash bed linen correctly. But the most important rule is to strictly follow the instructions on the product label. Then you will not have any problems with washing.

Timely and competent care of bed linen ensures a long service life. Correctly selected program and temperature conditions make the laundry pleasant to the touch and preserve the color and structure of the material. In order not to spoil things, you need to carefully study the label on the product and determine the type of fabric. This will avoid unpleasant consequences such as deformation, fading or pilling. Following simple recommendations will help maintain the attractive appearance of your laundry for a long time.

Washing features

It is necessary to wash bed linen as it gets dirty, preferably not too often, so as not to wear out the material. The optimal period is once a week. New, newly purchased items must be washed before first use. This will get rid of harmful bacteria, dust and dirt formed during storage in a warehouse or store. Linens must also be washed after use by guests.

Before loading things into the machine, you need to use the following recommendations:

1. 1. Sort laundry by color and fabric type. White items should not be washed with colored items to prevent them from fading. It is also not recommended to place products that differ in material structure into the drum. For example, when washing cotton together with synthetics, pellets are formed, since synthetics, clinging to natural fibers, raise the lint. At the preliminary stage, you should carefully study the product label and distribute linen to linen, silk to silk, cotton to cotton, etc.
2. 2. Separate children's things from adults. It is better to wash diapers for newborns by hand and do not use aggressive or scented detergents that can cause allergies in the baby. When washing in a washing machine, you can rub 2-3 tablespoons of laundry soap and pour it into the drum.
3. 3. Limit the use of bleaches and store-bought conditioners. Such products thin out the fibers of the fabric, so things quickly become unusable. If you want to refresh your products and add a pleasant aroma, you can make a natural rinse at home: add 5 drops of any essential oil (with the scent of mint, lavender, jasmine, etc.) to a liter of 9% table vinegar and use 100 ml of the product when each wash, pouring the solution into the conditioner tray. You can use the conditioner for 2 months, after pouring it into a plastic bottle.
4. 4. Observe weight and volume restrictions. The drum should be 50-60% full. This will allow household appliances to work without interruption and will significantly improve the quality of washing. On average, a set of bed linen weighs 2-2.5 kg, but its volume may vary depending on the type of material. If you can load 5 kg into the machine, but the drum is filled even with 2 kg of sheets and duvet covers; you need to make room so that things can be rinsed well.

Colored laundry must be turned inside out before loading into the drum. Items decorated with embroidery should preferably be placed in a bag for washing delicate items to avoid damage.

Correct choice of mode and temperature for different types of fabrics

The choice of the optimal temperature mode and program directly depends on the type of fabric. Bed linen sets can be made from:

• cotton;
• silks;
• satin;
• flax;
• synthetics.

It is very good if the product has a manufacturer's label or the packaging with important care information has been preserved. If the symbols on the label are unclear, you can use the help table to decipher the symbols:

If information from the manufacturer is lost or missing, it is recommended to follow general recommendations depending on the type of material.

Cotton

Cotton is the basis of such types of fabric as:

• chintz;
• satin;
• flannel;
• bike;
• mahra.

Such items can be washed by selecting the “Cotton” program. For colored items, it is recommended to set the temperature to 40 degrees to maintain rich color; for whites, 60 degrees will be enough. Treatment at 95 degrees will help restore the original whiteness. For stubborn stains, it is recommended to add bleach and run the pre-soak cycle.

You need to iron things slightly damp on the front side; if there is embroidery, on the back side. Dry in a well-ventilated area or outside away from sunlight.

Where should you put the powder in the washing machine?

Silk

Silk items can be washed at 30 degrees in delicate or hand wash mode. It is advisable to turn off the spin so as not to damage the structure of the material. You should choose a detergent labeled “for silk and wool”; you should completely avoid bleaches. It is advisable to add a little water softener to the conditioner tray. To improve the quality of washing, it is recommended to pre-rinse items in cold water with the addition of an antistatic agent.

You need to dry your laundry away from sunlight and heating appliances. Iron from the reverse side at moderate temperature, without steam. To prevent stains from remaining, items should not be moistened with water from a spray bottle while ironing.

Velvet bed linen should be washed only by hand at a temperature of 30 degrees, using liquid detergents. Since you cannot twist the products, you can remove any remaining moisture as follows: place the pillowcase on a large towel, roll it up, and press lightly with your hands. If water remains, change the towel to a dry one and repeat the manipulations. After this, hang to dry in the shade.

Satin

The material feels like silk, but is more durable in structure. Since it contains cotton, such items can be washed in the appropriate mode at a temperature of 60 degrees. If a detergent with active additives is used, the temperature can be reduced by 20 degrees. The number of revolutions during spinning can be maximum, but the optimal option is medium, around 800.

Linen

The optimal temperature for colored products is 40 degrees, for white ones - 60 (90-95 is allowed to return whiteness). It is recommended to set the pre-soak cycle and the Cotton mode. If the linen is finished, that is, it is impregnated for wear resistance and wrinkle resistance, then it is recommended to select the delicate mode.

For best results, before loading items into the drum, it is recommended to soak them for 60 minutes in warm water with the addition of laundry soap. After this, you need to add a few drops of liquid powder, a tablespoon of vinegar and rinse in cold water.

Synthetics

Non-natural fabrics are not very healthy, but they are attractive due to their budget price and practicality: they are easy to care for, have a long service life, and do not require ironing. They need to be washed at a temperature of 30-40 degrees in the “Synthetic” mode. If the temperature is exceeded, pellets will appear on the fabric. To avoid damage to the material, do not add bleach, boil or boil laundry, dry it on hot radiators or radiators, or iron it.

Linen with a 3D effect should be washed on a delicate cycle at 30 degrees.

To always have the necessary information at hand, it is recommended to print or save on your computer this useful cheat sheet:

If by chance it turns out that things have faded, they should be washed again immediately, removing the colored item. You can also save the situation by soaking the laundry for an hour in water with oxygen bleach. To avoid stubborn stains that are deeply embedded in the fibers of the fabric, you need to wash things as quickly as possible, without leaving them crumpled in the laundry basket for a long time.

Nowadays, every modern housewife owns at least several sets of bed linen. The question arises: how to care for linen when the fabrics and colors of the sets are different. But we are ready to advise you, how to wash bed linen to preserve the richness of colors and the strength of all materials. Do you want your bed linen to last a long time? Then use these simple tips for caring for it:

• Rule #1. Read the recommendations from the manufacturer: usually the type of fabric is indicated on the packaging, as well as the washing and ironing temperature conditions, which must be followed.
• Rule No. 2. Before using a new set of bed linen, you must wash it by first turning the pillowcases and duvet covers inside out.
• Rule No. 3. Bed linen should be changed once a week; in this case, you can use a more gentle cycle to wash it.
• Rule No. 4. Before washing, categorize your bed linen by color and temperature. And don’t forget to separate bedding made from natural fabrics from synthetic ones.
• Rule No. 5. Do not use bleach - it negatively affects the color and fabric!
• Rule No. 6. Children's bedding cannot be washed with regular powder. To avoid hand washing, you can add crushed soap or a special children's fabric care product to the washing machine.
• Rule No. 7. When machine washing, it is recommended to follow the weight restrictions and fill the drum 50% - this will ensure gentle washing, easy rinsing and spinning.
• Rule No. 8. It is better to dry bed linen immediately after washing. And when drying colored bed linen in the sun, you should turn it inside out.
• Rule No. 9. Iron bed linen slightly damp. Embroidered items must be sewn from the wrong side.

Cotton fabric

WASH. It is recommended to wash new cotton bed linen by hand in cool water for the first time. Subsequently, white cotton fabrics are washed at a temperature of 90-95°C and, if necessary, bleached. And colored cotton is washed at a temperature of 40°C (this temperature is enough to destroy the germs on the linen) without bleaching agents and separately from white linen. You should not wash cotton underwear together with items made from synthetic material - cotton loses its softness, because synthetic fibers cling to the fibers of natural fabrics and raise their lint.

DRYING. It is better to use a drying device only for products that have a permission symbol on the label. In other cases, bed linen is dried flat out in the open air away from sunlight, because light has a negative effect on cotton.

IRONING. Typically, cotton is ironed wet or under-dried on the front side. If the fabric has embroidery, it is ironed from the inside out. The exception is crepe - it is not ironed.

Linen fabric

WASH. Flax can withstand boiling. Dyed linen fabric is washed at 60°C, finished linen at 40°C in a machine on a gentle cycle. White and bleached bed linen should be washed with an all-purpose detergent. For unbleached and colored fabrics, use a detergent for fine fabrics without bleaches.

HELPFUL ADVICE. To make linen items easier to wash, you must first soap them and soak them in warm water for an hour. Then add a little powder and 1 tbsp to the water. spoon of vinegar, wash, rinse in clean cold water and dry quickly.

DRYING. You should not dry linen bed linen in a dryer - it may shrink.

IRONING. When ironing, the iron can heat up very high, but the fabric always needs to be moistened, and it is best to iron bed linen when it is not completely dry.

Silk fabric

Don't take risks with silk; use dry cleaning services.

WASH. Only hand washing is possible for fabrics without contour contrasting padding with special products at a temperature not exceeding 30°C for a short period of time. Before washing, check if the fabric is fading. Do not rub or wring silk bedding with your hands or a brush. The silk needs to be rinsed well: first in warm, then in cold water.

HELPFUL ADVICE. At the end of the wash, you can add a small amount of vinegar to the water to refresh the color (1 teaspoon per 3 liters of water).

DRYING. Silk should not be dried in a dryer, in the sun or near heating devices.

IRONING. Iron items slightly damp with a moderately hot iron on the wrong side of the fabric without steam. Silk should not be sprayed, otherwise water spots will appear.

Synthetic fabric

DRYING AND IRONING. Do not iron or dry on hot radiators (drying temperature should not exceed 50°C).

Attention! If the fabric is of decent quality and washed according to the instructions on the packaging, then the bedding will delight you for decades!

Every decent housewife is interested in the question: “How to properly wash laundry in a machine, whether it needs to be folded, etc.” and in this
In this article we will tell you all the features of washing clothes in a washing machine, as well as give expert advice and recommendations.

It's no secret that clean, fresh-smelling bed linen creates comfort and even relieves fatigue just by looking at it, which is why keeping the linen high-quality, clean and fresh is very important for all members of your family.

Washing clothes consists of several stages:

1. Preparing laundry for loading into the machine.
2. Direct washing.
3. Drying clothes.

In this article we will touch on the first stage, namely, we will talk about how to load bed linen into the machine and what needs to be done before that.

Sorting by color.

So, the day of washing has come, or rather the hour. The first thing you need to do is sort the bed linen by fabric color. Remember that washing colored with white can give a very unexpected result when your snow-white sheets and duvet covers take on an incomprehensible shade from the colored fabric or are diversified with colored spots.

Sorting by fabric type.

After sorting by color, the second thing you need to do is sort by fabric type. It is very important to follow the rules and washing regime for each type of fabric, because... the properties of matter vary.

The third thing that is important to understand is the optimal load of the washing machine, because... a load beyond its capabilities will entail
poor quality washing. To do this, you should take into account the weight of each bedding set:

Pillowcase - 150 - 250 grams, depending on the fabric.

Sheet - 400-500 grams, unlike fabric and size.

Duvet cover - 500 - 700 grams.

For high-quality washing, it would be better to load the machine to 2/3 of its capacity, so if your machine is designed for 5 kg of laundry, the approximate filling will be 2 sets of bed linen and no more.

Now we move on to placing the bed linen in the drum of the washing machine. To prevent the machine from tossing during washing, it is better to load the laundry not in a chaotic order, but by folding everything first. Also, placement in the drum of the machine should be from largest to smallest: a duvet cover is placed on the bottom, then a sheet, and then pillowcases. This way you will be able to navigate and see the approximate load of the machine, and the laundry will not bunch up.

Remember that there should be order always and everywhere! And how you treat your bed linen determines its service life and appearance. Take advantage of our tips and keep your bedding fresh and clean for as long as possible and make your loved ones happy!