Learn About Bedding
Say Yes Bedding's owner has been in home textile industry for over 15 years. You are welcome to ask any question you have in regards of bedding's fabric, types, thread count, care method etc. Leave a question in the box and we will be glad to help : )
***Unveil the most common secret for bedlinens.***
Do you know why your bedding items always got pilling so easily before being used for not so long? Because their material are either 100% polyester (it is also called microfiber or faux cotton) or polyester and cotton mixed we called it cotton blend. Most of the existing bedding items being marketed and sold in the USA are made of either 100% polyester or cotton blend. Look for pure and soft 100% Cotton Bedding Sets for your home is very important if you don’t want to keep changing your bedlinens. Be sure to look at the composition on the label when you shop! Natural 100% cotton bedlinens are soft, breathable, very easy to take care of and price wise -affordable. Highly recommend.
Most common confusion area that we found :
Wrinkles and Care. The sheets, duvet cover or comforter's fabric often wrinkled after washed , customer immediately defined that the fabric was cheap or not in good quality.. The truth is that real 100% cotton does wrinkle a lot, cotton blend won’t wrinkle much and 100% polyester won’t even wrinkle at all. How to fix that? you can do low temperature iron (not for comforter) or do nothing leave it a couple days, it will be flat out itself. There is an easy way to avoid hard wrinkles from washing. Be sure machine wash with cold water only. During air fluff dry process, please pause the machine and shake the sheet/duvet cover /comforter a couple times then restart. Our Queen/Full and King comforters need to be washed by overload size wash machine due to thick filling . If your comforter's filling got wrinkle or puffed up in the edge after drying, don't be panic, it will be soft and flat out after being used for 5 to 7 days. ( it will look a little messy and ugly for a week, but we 100% ensure that it will look and feel as nice as it is new after it flats out)
The 2
nd common confusion area: Thread Counts. The thread count is higher the quality is better? No. it is not true , There are 2 factors to determine fabric 's quality-- Density and yarn size. Density is the thread count and yarn size means the size of each thread. Most common cotton fabric yarn is 40s 40s( longitude and latitude )which is considered very good quality and price affordable. the higher quality yarn is 60s 60s and 80s 80s or sometimes it could be 60s and 40s which is considered a little luxurious and pricy, it usually comes in satin which feels very smooth and silky and most of the long staple cotton comes with 60s yarn too. Printing pattern bedding often to be found in below 400 thread count. Usually density 200 to 400 TC and yarn 40s or 60s. Higher density fabrics with yarn 80s usually comes in solid color or in embroidery craft—for its printing practical reason.
Learning About Bedlinen Types
We often find customers sometimes get confused about distinguishing different type of bedding items and fabrics. There are dozens of different types of pillows, sheets, and bed coverings. Not only are there different types of items, but they come in all different colors, prints, fabric and sizes. It can be a bit confusing learning all of these different terms, but knowing the definitions will help you when you are shopping and need to find the right item for your bed. Whether it's linens, bed coverings, pillows or the insert you use with a duvet cover, knowing these terms will help you create the perfect bed.
- Flat sheet: Commonly used in North America, but uncommon in Europe, a flat sheet, is the sheet that separates your comforter, blanket or quilt. In Europe (and very slowly catching on in the United States), the duvet cover takes the place of the top sheet.
- Fitted sheet: A fitted sheet, is the sheet with the elastic edge that fits over your mattress—hence the name "bottom" or "fitted" sheet. As today's mattresses have grown much thicker, it's important to check the pocket measurements before buying a fitted sheet to make sure it will stretch all the way over your mattress.
- Bedspread: A bedspread is a thin, decorative covering that normally covers the entire bed and touches the floor. Cotton, chenille, wool, or polyester are common bedspread materials.
- Coverlet: A coverlet is a decorative fabric covering that does not touch the floor and normally does not cover the pillows. Woven coverlets and quilts fall into this category. These are normally bed accents and they can sit on top of bedspreads. If you think of hotel room bedding, these can also be found at the foot of the bed used like foot runners.
- Blanket: Blanket are used to add warmth. While some people use a blanket on its own, others may prefer to top the blanket with a more attractive quilt, comforter, or duvet. Blankets are most commonly made of wool, cotton, polyester, microfiber plush, or a blend of fibers.
- Comforter: A comforter is a bed cover stuffed with fibers or down for warmth and then sewn together on all four sides. Probably the most common bed topper in North America, comforters are available in a nearly endless range of colors, patterns, and styles and are a major decorative accent in the bedroom. Most are made of either cotton or polyester.
- Duvet: A duvet is similar to a comforter except it requires the use of a duvet cover, where a comforter does not. Typically, a duvet is solid white and filled with down or a down alternative.
- Duvet cover: A duvet cover encases and protects a duvet. Like an envelope, it has an opening where the comforter or duvet is inserted. Once placed inside, the opening is closed with buttons or occasionally a zipper. Duvet covers are generally very decorative and are available in a wide selection of colors and styles. The duvet cover takes the place of a top sheet in Europe, and some people in the U.S. also use it this way.
Pillow Types
- Euro or continental pillow: A Euro or continental pillow—a large square pillow—is a decorative pillow that sits back against the headboard. The cover is removable for washing.
- Sleeping pillow: A sleeping pillow is a rectangular pillow that you lay your head on when sleeping. Sleeping pillows have three sizes—standard, queen, or king—to fit your bed or sleeping habits.
- Decorative or throw pillow: A decorative pillow, also referred to as an accent or throw pillow, is a small pillow that comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors to add decoration to a bed.
- Bolster pillow: A bolster pillow is a tubular pillow used for lumbar support while sitting up to read in bed, but more often, it’s used as a decorative pillow or accent pillow. These pillows range from very small to long version that span the entire width of the bed.
- Pillowcase: A pillowcase is used to cover a sleeping pillow and sometimes a decorative or bolster pillow. It’s normally a rectangular shape with an opening on one end where you insert the pillow. It is recommended that you change your pillowcase at least twice per week to protect your facial skin from breakouts or skin irritation.
- Pillow sham: Pillow shams are decorative coverings for pillows, often designed with trims, ruffles, flanges, or cording. Add a couple of pillow shams to your bed for extra style.
Other Bed Accessories
- Bed skirt, dust ruffle, or valence: Most commonly called a bed skirt or bed ruffle, this is a decorative piece of fabric placed between the mattress and box springs. It extends to the floor at the mattress's sides and bottom. Its main function is to hide the box spring, but bed skirts also add a touch of softness, color, and decor to the room.
- Throw blanket: Smaller than a regular blanket, a throw or toss blanket is used to add extra warmth at the foot of the bed or when wrapped around your shoulders. They are another good way to add a touch of color to your bed.
- Mattress Pad: Also called a mattress topper, this layer of padding is used above the mattress and beneath a bottom sheet to add comfort.
- Featherbed: A featherbed is made of feathers contained within a fabric shell that lies on top of a mattress as a mattress topper. The featherbed will normally have elastic straps or even have a fitted sheet on it so that it fits over a mattress and stays in place.
Learning about Fabric types
Shopping for a new bedding is a treat, and one of the fastest and easiest ways to give your bedroom a whole new look, but it can be a bit confusing. There are so many different types of fabric, but how do you know which is the best? And what exactly are those fabrics, anyway?
Cotton
Cotton is the most popular fabric used to make sheets and other bedding, and for good reason. It’s durable, breathable, soft, easy to care for, and generally quite affordable. You’ll find several different types of cotton, however. Some terms refer to the origin of the cotton fibers themselves, while other terms refer to the style of weaving or methods of treating cotton fabric. Here are some of the most common:
- Egyptian cotton is the most luxurious variety. This is the choice if you want super-soft, high-quality bed sheets. Grown in the warm, dry climates of North Africa, Egyptian cotton has extra-long fibers that create the softest, smoothest fabric.
- Pima cotton is also known for its softness and natural sheen. It has medium- to extra-long fibers that are ideal for bed sheets. This cotton is primarily grown in the southwest of the United States, along with a few other locations.
- Cotton jersey refers to sheets made from cotton fabric that is knit rather than woven. Cotton jersey is essentially the same fabric used in cotton T-shirts, so you will like them if you enjoy the feel of soft cotton T-shirts.
- Percale refers to a closely woven cotton fabric with a plain weave. It has a very cool texture with a thread count of 180 or higher.
- Combed cotton refers to cotton fabric that has been treated to remove all the short fibers during the manufacturing process, leaving a very smooth fabric.
- Flannel, is cotton fabric that’s been combed to fluff up the fibers. The result is very soft fabric with a nap that traps body heat, thus giving flannel its snuggly-warm qualities. Unlike other types of bedding materials, flannel’s quality is measured in ounces per square yard, rather than by thread count.
- Acetate is a fabric made from the cellulose in wood fibers. It has a very soft and satiny feel, but because the fibers are weak, these sheets must be dry-cleaned or hand-washed. This material is not well suited to most people.
Silk
Silk is a luxurious, soft fiber produced by silkworms. For sheer indulgence, it’s hard to beat real silk sheets—they’re cool, silky and sensuous, making them a must for the romantic or sexy bedroom. The downside to silk, of course, is its cost, which is high; and its care, which is delicate. Still, if you want the utmost in luxury, consider a set of silk sheets.
Polyester
Polyester is a manmade fiber produced from the same polymers used to make plastic drink bottles. While polyester is inexpensive, it’s quite stiff and scratchy when used on its own. Generally, you’ll find polyester mixed with another thread, often cotton, in inexpensive sheet sets.
- Microfiber - very finely woven polyester is sometimes sold as microfiber. While these sheets can be very soft and wrinkle resist, they are still not as breathable as cotton, and so are not the best choice if you tend to "sleep hot." Do not recommend in children's bed for their sensitive skins.
- Nylon is a strong and durable synthetic fabric that can make for soft and satiny bedsheets that do not wrinkle. But nylon starts to pill up after only a few washings. And nylon does not hold up well under the high heat of dryers or under a clothes iron. Even too much sunlight can cause problems for nylon.
- Acrylic is another synthetic material. It is not as comfortable against the skin as natural fibers, but it is very wrinkle resistant and can be used to make very colorful bedding. It is used more often in blankets and comforters than for actual sheets. Careful washing is required to avoid pilling.
Bamboo
While bamboo fibers can be made into fabric, it’s typically rather stiff and rough. Most often, what you find labeled as “bamboo” sheets are actually rayon. This means the bamboo pulp went through a chemical process to dissolve the pulp, re-solidify it, and then spin it into thread. This process involves harmful chemicals and is potentially hard on the environment, making bamboo sheets less environmentally friendly than its manufacturers claim. It does, however, produce a very soft, durable and silky fabric.
Bamboo fabric is as breathable as cotton and feels good against your skin.
Blends
There are lots of blended fabrics available, most including some form of cotton. Cotton/polyester is the most common, but you’ll also find cotton/bamboo, cotton/rayon, and nylon/polyester. Blended fabrics are usually inexpensive, durable, and wrinkle-resistant.
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