How to Wash Egyptian Cotton Sheets Safely? Full Guide

But how do you wash such exquisite, and often expensive, Egyptian cotton sheets without damaging them? Keep on reading to find out!

Egyptian Cotton is well known for its durability and silky softness. Glorious against the skin, Egyptian Cotton™ is the perfect material for your bedding. We are adamant that the purchase is worthwhile even though the cost may be higher than that of other kinds of cotton. Egyptian Cotton bedding can outlast them if properly cared for as well.

Without causing any harm, wash Egyptian cotton sheets by hand or in a machine at the recommended temperature. Then, hang them up to dry or tumble dry them as instructed. To avoid any damage, read the label carefully and follow all care instructions listed.

The rest of this article walks you through the details of washing your Egyptian cotton bed sheets step-by-step.

How to Wash Egyptian Cotton Sheets?

You do need to exercise a little extra caution when washing and drying your Egyptian cotton sheets and pillowcases, just like with silk bed sheets, satin bed sheets, and bamboo bed sheets. You won’t have to put in as much effort each wash day, though, once you’ve repeated the steps below a few times.

Here are the steps you need to take to properly care for your Egyptian cotton sheet set.

Read the Label First

The first step is to read the care label on your sheets to determine the right procedure and temperature for washing, drying, and ironing them. It’s crucial that you do this because the instructions will apply only to your sheets and take precedence over the suggestions made in this guide.

Wash Your Sheets

Although hand-washing is more forgiving, you’ll probably discover that the label for your sheets says that they can be machine washed – which will save you a bunch of time.

Furthermore, the care instructions on real Egyptian cotton sheets—as opposed to cotton or cotton/synthetic blends—will probably be similar to those suggested by the Cotton Egypt Association. These are as follows:

• Don’t wash at temperatures above 40.
• Don’t add any additional products.
• Activate the gentle wash cycle.
• Air-dry if possible.
• Iron on low heat.

You should always wash your Egyptian cotton sheets by themselves, I would also add. Due to the risk of abrasion from other items like buttons, zippers, and even just other materials when washing other clothing, it is best to avoid doing so.

Plus the extra space in the drum will allow for a more thorough wash and to limit creasing. Additionally, to avoid your sheets shrinking while being washed, use cold water or a lower temperature.

To reduce the possibility of harming the fibers, I would also choose a mild detergent without chlorine bleach. If your sheets aren’t very dirty, it might also be a good idea to use half the recommended amount of detergent because too much detergent can cause wrinkling and pilling.

Additionally, since Egyptian cotton sheets naturally get softer after each wash, there is no need to use fabric softeners, which could potentially harm the natural fibers and lessen the breathability of the sheets due to coating.

In order to minimize wrinkles, don’t leave your sheets in the washer after the cycle is finished. Instead, remove them right away.

Dry and Iron Your Sheets

It’s quite likely that the label for your sheets will say that you can tumble dry them on low heat. However, you can choose to hang-dry them, which will cause the creases to disappear, in accordance with the recommendation of the Cotton Egypt Association.

It works best to iron the sheets on low heat while they are still a little damp to remove the wrinkles. Additionally, you can use a spritzer bottle to lightly mist the fitted sheet and top sheet after you’ve applied them to your bed, and then tuck the sheets in to create surface tension. You’ll then find that the sheets will dry wrinkle-free.

Further Reading:

• What Makes Egyptian Cotton Special?
• Is Egyptian Cotton Good? Textile Fact Or Fiction?
• Egyptian Cotton Thread Count: a Buying Guide to Egyptian Cotton

How to Dry Egyptian Cotton Bedding?

With Egyptian Cotton bedding, we would always recommend that you air dry the fabric on a clothesline. Hung correctly, the creasing will be minimal and you won’t have to spend as long on the ironing. Additionally, air drying preserves the cotton’s lovely natural scent.

If you must tumble dry your Egyptian Cotton bedding, be sure to use a heat setting that is not too high. As quickly as possible after the cycle is complete, take the sheets out of the dryer and fold them. This will lessen the chance of any deep wrinkles forming.

Tips When Washing Egyptian Cotton Sheets

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when washing, drying, and caring for Egyptian cotton sheets:

• You don’t need to wash your Egyptian cotton sheets. You run the risk of snagging the material if you wash your sheets alongside other things, especially if you wash them with things that have zips and buttons.
• Read the care label on your Egyptian cotton sheets to find out how to wash them.

• Before beginning to clean, pre-treat stains. Or add some bicarbonate of soda to the washing machine when cleaning your sheets, and then add white vinegar to the rinse cycle to remove any stains.
• Clean your Egyptian cotton sheets in cool water (a temperature of 40°C or less).
• Always choose a delicate cycle with minimal spin when washing Egyptian cotton sheets in the washing machine.
• Keep an eye out for pesky stains, sweat, and blood, for example, so you can treat them and get rid of them before they set. You can remove stains by using an off-the-shelf stain remover if you like.
• Mild detergents should be used to clean Egyptian cotton sheets. Additionally, in some instances, the dosage needed to clean the sheets can be reduced by half. The less detergent you use, the less risk there is of you damaging the material’s fibers.
• The best way to dry your Egyptian cotton sheets is by air drying them!
• You can soften your cotton sheets by washing them repeatedly.
• The use of bleach should be avoided because it can harm and taint the fabric. Additionally, it may reduce the lifespan of Egyptian cotton.
• Make sure to select a low temperature for the tumble dryer if you intend to use it to prevent Egyptian cotton from shrinking.
• The use of fabric softener can harm the fibers of Egyptian cotton, so avoid it! Just wash the sheets, or you can soften the fibers even more by adding some white vinegar to your wash.
• It’s a good idea to have a backup plan in case your computer crashes. The chemicals on dryer sheets have the potential to rub off and harm cotton sheets. It may render the material weak and irreparably damaged.
• You can iron your Egyptian cotton sheets if necessary, but be sure to use a low-heat setting. Use caution when using the “cotton” setting because it will be too hot and cause damage to Egyptian cotton. You should also iron the sheets when they’re slightly damp.
• When drying your Egyptian cotton sheets, you might find it easier to dry one sheet at a time, especially if the sheets are large.
• Keep light and dark sheets separate when washing.

How Do You Remove Stains from Egyptian Cotton Sheets?

The stains on your Egyptian cotton sheets should not be removed by using harsh chemicals like bleach. As an alternative, place your sheets in the washing machine’s drum along with one tablespoon of baking soda and use the gentle cycle to wash them in cold water.

Following that, you can add 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. The majority of light stains on your sheets should disappear after doing this. If this doesn’t work, check out my guides to whitening yellow sheets and removing blood from bed sheets for more aggressive methods that you can use to remove discoloration and stains.

How Often Should You Wash Egyptian Cotton Sheets?

Sweat, bodily fluids, blood, and hair, among other types of dirt, will all be present on Egyptian cotton sheets. Therefore, it’s crucial that they be washed frequently, just like you would with other sheets.

Ideally, you should try to clean your Egyptian cotton sheets on a weekly basis. But this could be extended to a fortnightly basis during the colder months.

However, you should aim to wash your cotton sheets every five to seven days when the weather gets better, you start to perspire more, and the pollen count rises. This’ll keep the sheets fresh, hygienic, and allergy free for you.

Conclusion: Wash Egyptian Cotton Sheets Safely

Your Egyptian cotton sheets can be washed and dried quite easily, as you can see from the steps above. Bedding made of Egyptian Cotton is a high-end product that feels incredibly opulent. If properly cared for, that breathtaking quality will endure for years.

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