How to Care for Household Linens

Can you think back to the first time you got the chore to do a load of wash? I was about 10 and felt very grown up! I stood in front of a washing machine wondering which cycle to choose and whether hot water would shrink my clothes to fit my sister's new Barbie doll! Mom was a great help and I don't dread doing the laundry at all.

Though washers and dryers are being manufactured with more and more high-tech features, for most of us laundry still requires a basic knowledge of fabrics and washing methods.

One of my favorite tips is to save the care directions packaged with expensive or delicate items (like those 1200 thread count sheets you bought on sale for your last anniversary!) Write the item name on a card or list ("Egyptian cotton sheets" for example) and keep the information in your laundry room in a box or on a bulletin board. That way, the laundering instructions will be close at hand. No more wishy-washy wondering!

Read here for more care tips for sheets, duvets, and other linens.