Among Friends

[Fona]

Ladies:  I need your help on a very basic problem that is driving me crazy.  I have a few pairs of cotton bed sheets that I have used for many years and a few months ago I decided it was time to buy some new ones.  What I wanted were those firm cotton sheets that stay put on the bed and don't move around and don't wrinkle. At one time, this was the way sheets were, but apparently today they are lightweight, silky and satiny and it is hard to tell what they are like when they are already tightly boxed up in those plastic cases.  First I went to Macy's and I bought what appeared to be exactly what I needed.  However, when I used them I discovered they were very lightweight in texture and every morning the fitted sheet would be in a loose, bunched up and wrinkled mess in the middle of the mattress.  These were NOT cheap sheets.  So, I went to BB&B and spoke to a long-time, knowledgeable sales person in the linens department and was told I needed percale cotton sheets which would solve the problem (and, again, were not cheap).  Well, if anything they are worse.  I have never thought I moved around much in the night, yet this bottom sheet also pulls across the mattress and ends up an even bigger mess than previously.  In each case, the sides were long enough and tucked under the mattress.  Now, as you can guess, I have ditched them all and am back to using my original, nice and firm - but old - cotton sheets.  So, I am wondering if any of you have any suggestions.  I have looked at the QVC offerings and they sound nice, except I keep finding the words "lightweight" and "silky" which is NOT what I am looking for.  I hope I am making sense here - I just want nice firm cotton sheets that stay in place on the mattress.  I have never had this problem in the past but it seems that today is another matter.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you all.

[blackhole99]

I've been buying sheets from QVC for years and have never had a problem keeping them on the bed. I have their cotton sheets and they are a nice weight and stay put, but they do wrinkle.

[Kachina624]

One word of advice, don't buy the microfiber (polyester) sheets.  They're the ones that are light and silky.  Mine slide all over the bed too.  The best ones I've found lately is a TSV QVC had months ago that was somehow woven so it was two shades of the same hue.  It has stayed tucked better than any sheet I've found.  Of course now that I want more, they're no longer available.

[Kachina624]

I looked and think H204058 may be the one I like so well.  They're also wrinkle resistant.

[feline groovy]

Sheet fasterners - also called "sheet suspenders", "sheet grippers", and "sheet straps" - are one of the best inventions, and work with any sheet fabric.  

Amazon has tons with customer reviews.

And you can Google for other vendors, both online and B&M.

[GingerPeach]

You're probably on top of this already, but make sure the thread count is below 300, somewhere in the 200 range.  As you know, the higher thread counts are woven from finer, thinner thread and that is what therefore makes them silkier.  But you probably knew that already.

A lower count also is cooler to sleep on since it's more breathable.

[KathyPet]

The best sheets I have bought in a long time are the Target Threshold sheets in cotton percale.  Nice thick elastic all the way around.  They even have labels telling you which is the top or side.  Wash up beautifully and wrinkle free if you remove them from the dryer quickly.

[PINKdogWOOD]

I'm also chiming in and agree with Ms KathyPet - those ALL cotton Threshold brand at Target are some of THE BEST linens I've had in a long time.  I bought a couple of pr of linens at Target maybe 2 years ago and the Threshold brand and another brand were what I purchased.  I bought these in white and have a beautiful embroidered edging on the are wonderful.  The other set not so much.  I really need to get back to Target and get a couple of sets of the Threshold.

I agree, the old fashioned percales are the best - or were.  And I also disagree that a lower thread count do not make nice linens.  There stiff and not comfortable and not cotton either.  I try to stay at 400 to 500 thread count.

[meem120]

Boy, this is one of my pet peeves.  I hate oversized sheets that wrinkle and bunch up.  I want sheets that FIT my bed.  . I mostly have flannel sheets now from LL Bean.  They fit my bed, are of good quality and dont wrinkle or bunch up.  I use them all year long.

[Jasmine19]

Part of the problem for me is that manufacturers are making bottom sheets too deep. You would think we all have 20" deep mattresses. I started using corner "suspenders" that attached to the corners of the fitted sheets and go under the mattress to the other side of the corner. I wish I had tried them years ago. They are very good at keeping sheets in place.