Great Cover-Ups: Unraveling the Mysteries of Household Linens : Wrap Up Lasting Luxury With Smart Shopping and Care of Sheets, Down Comforters, Towels and Tablecloths

Given that sheets, tablecloths, and towels are part of every household, one would think that buying and caring for these familiar items would be a snap. Not so. The large array of linens available is staggering and can be confusing. Is it better to buy Egyptian cotton sheets or cotton percale? How high should the loop on a towel be for maximum absorption? And just how long should a tablecloth drop over the side of a table?

The differences in the types of bedding, dining and bath linens are not just a matter of style, but of quality and price. At the top end, the highest quality--and priced--linens are imported from Europe. Coveted for the use of natural fibers and fine workmanship, linens from Italy, France and Germany have a reputation for being the best. But their cost is often prohibitive to the person in need of everyday sheets, towels and table coverings. Linens made in this country--usually from domestically grown cotton--may not be as luxurious as top-line imports, but there are linens that come close and at a fraction of the price.

January is traditionally a good time to shop for linens because so many retailers have white sales. But with all the choices, it can be difficult to decide what to purchase.

Here are some of the basics about linens:

SHEETS

Only in the past few decades have sheets become available that are wrinkle resistant and so don’t need ironing. Because of improved cotton strains and weaving techniques, as well as chemical treatments, most sheets rarely need pressing.

But with the new technology came a little less comfort, according to the pros. Many sheet manufacturers use formaldehyde and other chemicals to treat the sheets and make them wrinkle-free. “You can really smell it when you take them out of the package,” said Sandra Tobin Marx, owner of Between the Sheets in Newport Beach. Her shop only carries European-made linens that have not been treated with chemicals. “People buy our sheets because they are softer and more comfortable, and they’re not laying their faces on fabric soaked in formaldehyde.”

The trade-off for softer sheets without wrinkle-free treatments is that they must be ironed or professionally laundered. There is also an enormous difference in price.

Thread count and cotton type are the criteria used to price sheets. Thread count refers to how many cotton threads per inch are used to weave the fabric. The more threads, the softer and smoother the sheet. Muslin comes in at a 160-thread count; at 180 the fabric is called percale , standard now for sheets.

“We don’t even carry muslin sheets anymore because percale can be made so cheaply now that you can buy percale at muslin prices,” said Gino Fabbricatore, Orange County district manager for Mervyn’s.

The same is true for sheets made of cotton/polyester blends. Although there are still discount shops that sell them, the price for 100% cotton sheets has come down so much in the past decade that there is little savings in buying blends.

“Cotton breathes better and is softer than a blend. And with the price only a dollar or two more, people buy the cotton sheets,” said Wade Mathieson, assistant manager of Bed Bath & Beyond, a national chain of discount retail stores with a location in Huntington Beach. “Everything now is percale and permanent press, until you get into the top end.”

Sheets considered top-end have anywhere from a 200- to 600-thread count and will be made of either Pima or Egyptian cotton. Egyptian cotton is considered the best. Originally from Egypt, it is now grown mainly in Europe. It is the longest of cotton fibers and the strongest. Pima and supima are cottons grown in Arizona and are considered second only to Egyptian cotton.

European-made bed linens are considered superior because of the complex weaving process used to make the sheet, according to Tobin Marx. “It’s a much slower weave, and the Egyptian cotton makes a finer thread, so you have a sheet that almost feels like silk. American cotton does not have the same long, stable yarns, and so, even though you can get a 300-count Pima cotton sheet, it’s just not the same animal.”

Cost is also considerably different between Pima and Egyptian cotton sheets. A king size Pima sheet will run about $85; one made from Egyptian cotton can cost anywhere from $150 to $300.

But the cost is not keeping some from buying the more expensive sheets. “People are becoming more demanding (of) their bed linens,” Mathieson said. “I think it has a bit to do with the recession. Instead of going to France or wherever, they are staying at home and putting more money into their surroundings.

“We now carry supima cotton sheets at 300 count; 18 months ago the top we carried was 280 count.”

Sheets made from these more expensive cottons are said to last longer than percale if they are cared for properly. If they are not professionally laundered, care must be used not to wash them in too harsh a detergent or to dry them in too hot a dryer.

“Most (laundry) products off the shelf will eventually cause fibers to disintegrate,” said Jeannette Tromanhauser, co-owner of La Belle Maison in Santa Ana. “We recommend Planet and never (using) chlorine, which also eats away at fibers. Borateem or Snowy bleach can be used, because they whiten without the sheet having to soak too long.”

Tobin Marx also recommends Cheer, which carries the approval of the American Cotton Council. “Never boil the sheets. A warm cycle is sufficient to clean them. And don’t dry them until you can smell the fibers burning.”

DOWN COMFORTERS

“Down is probably the most misunderstood product on the market,” Tobin Marx said. “In America you’re allowed to call a comforter 100% down when it has 70% down and 30% can be feathers, including the quill and shaft.”

Feathers weigh more than down--the term for the fine, insulating bird feathers--and are more rigid. “They make a comforter pokey and heavy. So when people compare down comforters by weight, they must look at the amount of down that is in it, not the total weight,” Tobin Marx said.

Down is coveted for its lightness and heat retaining properties. Birds use their down feathers to insulate against the cold by fluffing them up and trapping air between their bodies and the down. Their bodies heat the air, thus forming a barrier to cold.

A down comforter works in the same way: the greater the percentage of down feathers, the lighter the comforter and the better its insulating capabilities. There is no way to get a comforter made from 100% down unless your grandmother is sitting at the kitchen table sorting the feathers. But a top quality, commercially made comforter will have only 5% of its weight from feathers other than down.

Construction is also important, because down needs to be able to trap air. A comforter using baffled-box construction is considered the most efficient and is the most expensive. In this style, thin mesh runs along all edges, allowing air to flow through the comforter. Less efficient and less costly is channel construction, which constricts air flow into channels instead of letting it circulate throughout the comforter.

The type of down used is also important. Down imported from China is cheaper and has less insulating power. “Hungarian or Polish goose down is the best because the weather is colder and the geese are bigger and need down feathers with a lot of loft,” Tobin Marx said.

Loft is the feathers’ ability to fluff up and trap air. It’s the same reason down comforters can be compressed and still bounce back to their original size.

“With a good comforter you don’t have the oppressive weight of blankets, and you can leave it on 52 weeks a year,” Tobin Marx said.

Caring for a down comforter is easy, according to Tromanhauser, as long as it is done properly.

Because down cannot be washed, a cover should always be used on the comforter to protect it. It is also a good idea to shake out the comforter every day, allowing it to bounce back from being crushed during the night. Don’t lie on the comforter.

Twice a year, hang it out in the sunlight to allow perspiration to evaporate. “Once every 10 years have it opened and sterilized. It costs only about 30% of buying a new one,” Tobin Marx said.

A top quality comforter can cost more than $1,000 but will last decades if cared for well.

TOWELS

In evaluating towels, the things to consider are size, thickness and density.

Towels are made of varying grades of cotton based on the length of the fiber and how it is cleaned when it is harvested. Longer fibers make for a stronger, more durable cloth. Cotton is either carded or combed, referring to how it was cleaned when it left the field. Carded cotton is the lowest grade and makes a rougher, less absorbent towel. Combed cotton means the cotton was thoroughly gleaned of any leaves or twigs before being spun into thread. It makes a softer, more absorbent towel.

Towels that are white or natural in color are more absorbent because dyes used to color cotton are heavy and block water take-up, according to Mathieson.

Top of the line towels are usually made from Pima or supima cotton and are at least 27 inches wide and 57 inches long. They will also have more loops per square inch, and the threads will be twisted, which increases absorbency.

“The loops are what defines terry cloth,” Fabbricatore said. “When the threads are twisted first, then looped, it gives more area for the water to be trapped.”

The more loops, the thicker the towel. Another type of towel is a velour, in which one side is terry and the other has been sheared to make it seem velvety. The velour side is not absorbent, Fabbricatore added.

A bath towel can be purchased for as little as $2, but that will be a small, less absorbent towel. Better towels will run about $9, with top quality going for $20 or more.

Consider how a towel will be used before deciding on the quality you want. If it is going to be hung for decoration rather than everyday use, a less absorbent, less expensive towel is probably sufficient.

Towel experts offer an additional word of advice: Never put fabric softener in the wash cycle with your towels. It will make them less absorbent.

TABLECLOTHS

A true linen tablecloth is made from flax, a tall slender plant. Damask refers to a linen cloth with a Jacquard pattern that is woven into the cloth and gives it a glossy sheen. Jacquard is a type of weave similar to the brocade that Marco Polo brought to the Western world from China in the 13th Century. The higher the texture of the Jacquard, the better the quality.

But pure linen, which is expensive, is not the only fabric for tablecloths. Table linens can be found in materials ranging from silk to polyester. Cotton is the most common and considered one of the best choices.

However, permanent press cotton is not necessarily the best choice for a tablecloth. “One of the biggest problems with permanent press is if there is a spill, it can become permanent. The chemicals used to make a cloth permanent press also make stains harder to remove,” Tobin Marx said.

It is easier to remove stains from cotton and linen, and they are said to wear better than synthetic materials. “People make the mistake of packing up their fine linens and only using them for special occasions. But cotton is nothing to be afraid of and should be used every day,” Tobin Marx said.

Never store linens in plastic as that can lead to deterioration and discoloration, she added.

Before buying a tablecloth, make sure you know the exact size of the table. If the cloth doesn’t fit right, it will look skimpy or be a nuisance.

“You want it to fall anywhere from eight to 12 inches over the side,” Tromanhauser said. “You don’t want it to drag on the chair seat.”