Wash Them Before Use: The first step is to wash your new percale sheets before considering using them. This helps remove any finishing chemicals used during manufacturing. Fabric Softener: Use a mild fabric softener. This can be a commercial product or something as simple as adding a cup of vinegar to the wash.
Baking Soda or Vinegar
Put your sheets in the washing machine with one cup of baking soda and run a full cycle using warm water. During the rinse cycle, switch to cold water and add half a cup of white vinegar to the machine. Don't use laundry detergent during this wash.
Here's a natural hack for learning how to make new bed sheets softer. Throw them into your washing machine, add one cup of baking soda, and run a full cycle using warm or hot water. During the rinse, add ½ cup of vinegar and switch to cold water. When your wash is complete, dry your sheets fully in your dryer.
Percale sheets tend to get softer the more they are washed, although sheets made from low-quality materials may eventually pill. Most sateen sheets have a smooth, silky hand feel and an elegant drape. Crisp, cool, and reliable, percale sheets are generally not as soft as sateen. However, they're usually very durable.
Each wash makes percale sheets softer. The longer you have them, the softer they become. To put numbers into this, percale sheets last three times longer than other sheets. You can pass them down to your children, knowing that these hand-me-downs are even better than new.
You're used to a softer, synthetic-material sheet, then 100% cotton sheets may feel rough in comparison (especially percale) You're using more detergent and/or fabric softener than the manufacturer's instructions recommend. You're overstuffing the washer, and the detergent isn't able to fully rinse out.
The First Wash of your Luxury Percale and Sateen Bedding
Be sure to fully unfold items, set the machine to include a cold pre-soak, and use minimal liquid detergent. Either line dry or tumble dry on low heat. Remember that natural cotton fibers will wrinkle, and ironing may be required, depending upon your preferences.
Brand new sheets, and in particular percale cotton sheets often initially feel scratchy or stiff. And that's sure to come between you and a good night's sleep.
Hotels opt for a percale weave over sateen as percale epitomizes the cool, crisp feeling typical of a luxury hotel suite. A percale weave is also naturally longer lasting as by definition, it's a tighter weave (one under, one over - in comparison, sateen is typically three over, one under).
But while percale can often feel rough compared to sateen, L.L.Bean's Pima Percale Sheet Set still earned high softness ratings with consumer testers, thanks to the premium Pima cotton, and excelled in durability testing in our Lab. Testers also loved the breathability and raved about the cool-to-the-touch feel.
Percale sheets use a one-over-one-under weave that gives them their classic crisp, smooth feel. Most percale sheets have a thread count of at least 200, so the weave is fairly tight. However, percale is still highly breathable. In fact, it is often considered the best type of sheet for people who tend to sleep hot.
The first time you wash your bedding, it might shrink ever so slightly, but that shouldn't affect the size or fit. After that, the material is unlikely to shrink. And even though it has a tight weave, cotton percale can stretch back out to its original size — just like cotton clothing.
The wrong detergent choice can also wear down percale cotton. Fabric softener might make your bedding feel cozy up front, but over time, it can put extra strain on the fibers. The same goes for bleach, which makes whites brighter, but weakens the cotton fibers in the long run.
Percale is a cotton fabric with a basic weave that feels light and airy. It's best for hot sleepers who want more breathability or those who prefer a crisp feel. Sateen is a cotton fabric with a satin-like weave that feels smooth and silky.
Just like your favorite crisp white shirt, percale sheets are a bedroom must-have, especially during the hot summer months. Our high-end cotton percale linens are light and invigorating yet incredibly soft. Percale fabric is lighter in weight and more breathable making it perfect for summertime or warmer climates.
The daily laundry schedule at a hotel prevents that textured and crusty surface. Detergents and fabric softeners are a factor as well. Hotels use commercial detergents and fabric softeners. These are “commercial use only” products.
The differences between percale and Egyptian cotton sheets lie in the material itself. Similar to percale sheets, Egyptian cotton bed sheets feature a very high thread count. However, Egyptian cotton is only made with the cotton that grows only in the Nile region of Egypt.
The minimum thread count for percale is 180, but the optimal range for this material is 200 to 300. The ideal thread count for sateen sheets is 300 to 600. The looser weave requires more threads to hold the fabric together. The average percale sheet set costs between $70 and $150.
The difference between the two terms is that one refers to the actual material, that is, cotton. Percale is the style or design of weaving that makes the material strong. Percale is not only used as a term for Egyptian cotton. There are other types of cotton that are woven in the same way.
Percale sheets made from long-staple Egyptian-cotton are famously lightweight sheets. This naturally cool and breathable cotton is the best bed sheet material for night sweats. Also worth noting, the soft-to-the-touch material will have you sleeping better in general as well.
Because of the tight weave, percale sheets feel impossibly smooth to the touch. Percale fabric sheets have a minimum thread count of 180 and are usually made with extra-long-staple or long-staple cotton, which feels softer than short-staple cotton.
Sateen, on the other hand, offers a singular softness on both sides. Sateen is made with a looser weave than percale, created by spinning threads in an airy, four-over-one-under pattern. The result is a buttery soft fabric that feels incredible in all seasons and climates.
Just make sure the final rinse is with cold water. If you can opt for an extra rinse cycle, do it! This will make sure all excess soap is removed, which can make even the best sheets feel scratchy. Tumble dry on low or permanent press settings, or hang dry.
Brand new bed sheets may appear crisp, clean and ready to be slept on. However, the truth of the matter is they were produced in a factory and it would be a good idea to wash them before first use. Many people report an itchy, irritating sensation when sleeping on sheets that have not yet been washed.
You absolutely should wash your bedding before using it," says Laundry Evangelist Patric Richardson. "Many times fabrics are coated with something like very strong starch to make them stay crisp and neat in the store, they could be irritating to your skin.