High-Quality Linens and Bedding

• ACCENT RUGS

• American Pacific Home

• BATH ACCESSORIES

• BEDDING SETS

• BED SKIRTS

• CANDLES

• COMFORTERS

• DECORATIVE PILLOWS

• DESIGNER KIDS

• DOOR MATS

• DOWN COMFORTERS

• DUVET COVERS

• FAUX FUR THROWS

• MEMORY FOAM

• QUILTS & COVERLETS

• SHAMS

• SHEETS

• SHEET SETS

• SHOWER CURTAINS

• SLIPCOVERS

• THROWS

• TOWELS

• WINDOW COVERINGS

• WINDOW HARDWARE

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Linen Tips

Laundering

It is recommended for all linens be washed before use, except where dry cleaning is indicated (e.g., wool and mohair blankets). Wash linens separately from anything else, especially items that contain polyester. Polyester "pills," and will shed its pilling on natural fibers, diminishing the smoothness and softness of the fabric. In addition, garments with buttons or zippers can damage delicate linens in the wash.

Use a gentle laundry detergent. Products with bluing agents, or whiteners are not recommended or colored linens, as they may progressively fade the colors.

Ensure the longevity of bedding: rotate your sheets, with a set in the closet, a set on the bed, and a set in the wash. This ensures that no one set receives more wear than another.

Shrinkage

Shrinkage will happen with all linens made of natural fibers, the amount of shrinkage ranging from 4 to 10 percent, depending on the fibers used. The sizing of our products allows for expected shrinkage. Linens washed in hot water or dried at hot temperatures will shrink excessively. Preshrunk items, such as Jacquard-woven table linens or honeycomb towels, normally shrink 3 percent or less. Generally, very large pieces of fabric or very high thread count linens are not preshrunk.

Washing bedding

Linens should be separated into light or dark colors. Avoid overloading the machine to prevent breaking long fibers like those in Egyptian cotton. Whether cotton, pure linen, or a cotton/linen blend, bedding should be washed in warm water using a gentle laundering agent, with a final cold rinse. If presoaking is necessary, it should be in cold water.

Allow your washing machine to fill up and begin agitating before you add detergent or bleach. Unless your linens are are extremely soiled, use half the commercial detergent recommended; this will reduce damage to fibers and clean your linens just as well.

Remove washed bedding promptly from the machine; this helps reduce wrinkling. Shaking damp linens out before drying (at low heat) will also reduce wrinkles and quicken the drying time.

Washing bath linens

Terry Towels: Washing terry towels before use begins the "breaking in" process, making them softer and more absorbent. Several washings are required for 100% cotton terry towels to achieve their maximum absorbency, softness and fluff.

Honeycomb Towels: These lightweight, waffle weave towels are loosely woven for absorbency, dry very quickly, and have been preshrunk. White honeycomb items with colored borders may be bleached safely to keep their brightness.

Launder towels in warm water and a gentle detergent. It is particularly important with towels that you not use fabric softener, because it decreases the absorbency of the towel.

Washing table linens

Some (not all) table linens are carefree: they're preshrunk, with an easy-care finish, and can be bleached with out affecting the brightness of the color. Dry cleaning is not recommended; laundering "relaxes" the fibers, which actually enhances the intricate, patterns.

Table linens should be washed in warm water and gentle detergent, with a final cold rinse. Bleach may be used, which brightens the linens. Fabric softeners are not recommended, because they decrease absorbency and impart a fragrance that can be disconcerting.

Remove table linens promptly from the wash, and shake out to help minimize wrinkles before drying.

Please note: Lovely as they are, tea towels are meant to be used hard -- in the kitchen, great for drying dishes and crystal, but also ideal for wiping up spills. Bleach can be used to maintain their elegant appearance.

Drying

Line drying linens is ideal, leaving linens nearly wrinkle-free and smelling fresh, but using your dryer with the proper settings will bring about satisfactory results, leaving linens relatively wrinkle-free and soft.

Do not over-dry your linens by using a dryer setting that's too hot. Set your dryer on permanent press, which has a cool-down cycle at the end that helps reduce wrinkles. Most dryers have an air cycle that simply tumbles its contents without any heat. This is also a good method for drying linens.

Remove your linens promptly to reduce wrinkling. Smooth them out, finger pressing details like flanges on pillow shams, borders on flat sheets, edges or tablecloths or napkins. Then fold carefully.

Ironing

Washing and drying your linens properly will eliminate many wrinkles. But fine linens made of natural fibers do wrinkle, particularly when new. As they become older and softer, you will find that they wrinkle less.

For both bedding and table linens, using a good steam iron will make ironing easier. Avoid using spray starch, which has a tendency to adhere to the surface of the iron, and may also attract silverfish to the stored linens. If you wish to iron your linens, the following guidelines are recommended.

Bedding: Iron you bed linens while they are still damp. If the piece is embroidered, ironing on the reverse side will prevent damage to the embroidery. Refer to the sewn-in label with the universal symbols for the appropriate setting for your iron. (The symbol chart is included at the end of this section.)

Table Linens: Table linens should be ironed while damp. Interestingly, ironing Jacquard-woven table linens will enhance the pattern by increasing the three-dimensional appearance inherent in the Jacquard-woven technique.

Storing Linens

If you plan on storing your linens, iron them before you store them.

Store linens flat. If the shelves are wooden, line them with tissue paper; some woods, such as cedar, contain oils that can damage linens.

Make certain that linens are not exposed to direct sunlight or moonlight to avoid color fading.

Do not leave table linens on your table where they may be exposed to direct sunlight over an extended period of time.

Care of Down Products

Always use a duvet cover to protect your duvet and keep it clean. Use pillow protectors on down pillows, and wash the protectors regularly. A mattress protector over a feather bed is strongly recommended.

Duvets, pillows and feather beds should be fluffed daily to maintain the loft and fullness of the down.

If soiled or stained, duvets and pillows can be spot cleaned with a damp cloth and mild soap.

For cleaning down duvets and pillows, we recommend laundering rather that dry cleaning. Laundering rejuvenates the lofting quality of down, making duvets and pillows full, fluffier, and fresh smelling.

You may wash down items in a front-loading, extra-capacity washer (the kind used by professional laundries) using a mild detergent in warm water. Do not use top-loading washing machines because the agitation may damage the delicate cotton cover. Some modest shrinkage or wrinkling may result from washing, but will not be visible one the duvet is in the duvet cover.

Down duvets and pillows love drying in the sun. Spread them out on a sheet on the grass or deck, and shake them vigorously from time to time while drying. Or you may tumble dry in a dryer set on medium heat. Remove every hour and fluff. Placing a few tennis balls in the dryer will facilitate the drying. Be certain your down duvets and pillows are thoroughly dry before returning them to the bed or storage. Always store in cotton bags, never in plastic.