A certain fabric softener bear may smother me in my sleep for the following advice. Lose the fabric softener. It leaves a film on clothing and linens that can fade colors and change the texture of your fine linens and fabrics over time. Who wants clumpy Dennis Basso faux fur throws or less than vivid violet sheets?
The silicone residue, even from dryer sheets, will also prevent your bath towels from absorbing water. Wetter is not better after a shower. Be warned it's also death to micro fiber cloths. It coats the fibers and ruins the static qualities that make them work their magic.
I'm not suggesting your forgo a fresh scent and super softness. That would be less than luxe. Linen sprays are a great alternative for adding a fresh scent to linens. Investing in quality cotton linens such as Egyptian, Supima and Turkish and the higher thread counts found in QVC's quality brands will give you the plush softness without the continued cost of another chemical product. Our cottons bloom with every washing - getting softer and softer will every use.
To find the treasures that fill my linen closets, search Amadeus, Northern Nights and Solitude on QVC.com. My favorites follow:
· Solitude Adjustable Fit Micro fiber Shower Wrap. This is a customer favorite.
· Solitude 4-pc. Oversized Egyptian Cotton 600 GSM Plush Towel Set. The typical store brand towel is only in the 400 GSM range. GSM refers to gram weight and is similar to how thread count is used to judge the quality of a towel.
· Northern Nights Wrinkle Defense Lila 500 TC Sheet Set. This is a customer favorite.
· The Amadeus Celine 450 TC Egyptian Cotton Embroidered 6-pc. Sheet Set.
Launder your linens with the sweet scents of Caldrea Sweet Pea Laundry Soap and Stain Remover with Room Freshener. Snuggle that, tricky bear.
While I'm not a huge fan of ironing, I will say the Rowenta DX1700 Effective Iron has made it a far more pleasant task. And, unless we are talking about linen, wrinkles aren't luxe. To minimize your effort, be sure to wash linens in warm rather than hot water and dry on medium rather than high heat. Excessively hot temps will set wrinkles and break down your cotton fibers over time. Remove your linens from the dryer as quickly as possible and fold or get them on the bed. See the smooth.
Bleach is another enemy - even the color safe variety. It, too, breaks down those cotton fibers. Use bleach alternatives. They are just as effective and far less damaging.
Different types of fabrics rubbing against each other cause pilling, so it's best to launder your sheets separately. Do towels in another load. You might even consider this with your finer fabric clothes.
Storing your linens can be stylish, too. If closet space is at a premium, store extra linens inside a storage bench at the foot of your bed. Don't forget to add scented sachets. The bench will also offer a great place to sit when you put on or take off your shoes. The Amadeus Home Jacquard Skirted storage bench handles this double duty beautifully.
The best part of all this is wrapping a fluffy, soft towel around yourself to dry off after a shower and then slipping into those silky smooth sheets at the end of a long, hard day.
Yours for a luxe life,
Susan Matthews
Blogs & Forums
