Cotton sheets - washed cotton or regular cotton?

[Kamila33]

Hi there,

Just looking for some feedback on the old fashioned type of thick cotton sheets.  They're nice and crisp and lots of people like them, but they need ironing to look best.  If you had the option of getting those, or a washed cotton version, which would you prefer?

Washed cotton is that treatment which gives sheets a slightly softer feel and a crinkled look so they don't require ironing.  Having trouble deciding as I'm not sure that washed cotton is what people think of when you say 'crisp thick cotton sheets'.

Thanks

[Jim472]

Imo i don't think it's that important. Anyone who would mark us down for having wrinkles is too high maintenance for me. I fold the sheets at the end of the bed pulling the top layer taught for smoothness but the layers under are just dryer fresh, wrinkles and all. 

[Kamila33]

Perhaps I'm overthinking it 😉  

[Rowena29]

Hi @Kamila33,

 I have a lot of beds in my listing and I also have a range of towels and sheets.

I adjust what I put out depending on the group.

If I have a group of  7 young male adult bushwalkers, I used the thick cotton sheets ( I may or may not quickl y iron the pillowslips and revere on teh flat sheet) and black towels.

If I have a couple on a romantic weekend, I use whatever sheets - probalby the washed cotton - but these I do freshen up with a press and a bit of linen water and I use the Sheridan white bath towels.

In other words I put in quite a bit of extra effort for guests that I think will notice and appreciate it, for others, i direct my energies elsewhere.

This may or may not work for you.

the thicker sheets probably have better longevity.

Hope that helps

Regards

[Kamila33]

That's actually a great idea, very thoughtful for your guests. Thank you, that's helpful.

[Sarah977]

@Kamila33  The thicker sheets will take up more space in the washing machine, maybe something to consider. I couldn't tell you where to get them, though.

I'm not a sheet ironer- I line dry and find that if I take them out of the washer right away when they're done, shake them out good and hang them, they dry pretty smooth. If I leave them wadded up in there for awhile before hanging, they do sometimes end up quite wrinkled.

I've found that if you need to iron them, it's way easier to do it on the bed- put the bottom sheet on, when it stretches, most of the wrinkles come out and you can just run the iron quickly over. The top sheet I'll lay out folded in half on the bed, iron it, pull the rest up and iron that, and then flip it out and finish making the bed. I don't do a stellar job and don't care to. None of my guests has complained about the bedding.

I even have a couple sheets I patched when they got a small hole and I didn't have time to go shopping for new ones- I thought guests might find that weird, but one guest actually commented on how cute she thought the patches were.

[Kamila33]

Yes, I'm trying to avoid ironing! Wasn't sure how everyone else handles wrinkly sheets, thank you for the tips.

[Pete69]

I use plain old white 300 thread count sheets from Target. Use fabric softener and no ironing should be required unless the sheets have been sitting folded up for a few weeks / months.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

  @Kamila33 

buy pure linen, leave the wrinkles and call it charming 🙂

we have a cotton/poly mixture and in 3 years of hosting nobody ever mentioned it.   If sheets are clean and new - they are fine so I think you are overthinking 🙂

I was talking with one host in my neighborhood, who had a few Airbnb apartments and one of them was high end, with cotton sheets and all that jazz. After a while, he closed that one and said it was too much work and costs and he just couldn't raise the price. Interesting... because he OWNS THE LAUNDRETTE, has 2 employees on the payroll and his apartments are in the strict city center. So if he couldn't bear the costs of washing/drying/ironing those thick sheets then who can?

He still has two other, budget-friendly units with poly/cotton sheets.

[Kamila33]

Haha yes, clearly getting bogged down in the details!  Actually that's why I was looking at washed cotton, it has that same "charming" look of linen 🙂  But interesting to note about the costs of higher end sheets. Thank you.