How to remove wrinkles from your S&G sheets
Wrinkles happen. They happen to people, they happen to elephants, they happen to sheets.
If you own a set of our eucalyptus lyocell sheets, you may have noticed that they wrinkle slightly if they’re not properly washed and dried. Although our bedding resists wrinkles, it isn't totally wrinkle-proof. There’s a good reason we didn't go with the anti-wrinkle treatment.
We’ll get into that in a moment.
Why other fabrics don't wrinkle
First, let’s talk about why some fabrics are less prone to wrinkling. (Hint: it’s not because of good genes.)
Polyester
You probably own, owned, or slept on a set of polyester sheets (we feel your pain) and you probably noticed that they magically maintained their smooth, freshly-ironed look all the time. That’s because polyester is hydrophobic, which means it’s absolutely terrified of water – not really, it just means it doesn’t absorb moisture.
You see, water absorption causes fabrics to wrinkle more easily. Because polyester rejects water it is less susceptible to wrinkling. In fact, any percentage of polyester in your sheets will reduce wrinkles. Take a look at the tag on your most wrinkle-resistant sheets. There’s a good chance they have some polyester in them.
The downside to polyester’s hydrophobia is its tendency to trap heat. When you sweat, the moisture has nowhere to go so it’s like sleeping inside a plastic bag – a practice we at Sheets & Giggles don’t recommend.
Chemical-additives
Fabrics derived from cotton, rayon, or linen, on the other hand, often use chemical additives like urea or formaldehyde (mmm pungent!) to help prevent wrinkling. The goal is to get them to behave more like synthetic fabrics and reject water, you know, like our friend polyester.
The most commonly used anti-wrinkle chemical is *takes a deep breath* dihydroxy dimethylol ethylene urea (or DMDHEU). This adorably named chemical is applied to the fabric, which is then heated so the chemicals react with the cellulose molecules. This causes the molecules to bond closely together to prevent them from moving and therefore wrinkling.
It’s a chemically-intense process that produces free formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen, and can also cause severe skin problems.
You’re probably starting to see why we didn’t opt for the wrinkle-proof treatment.
S&G sheets are moist
If you’re a hot sleeper and you’ve woken up cool, dry, and refreshed the following morning, it’s because S&G’s Eucalyptus Lyocell sheets are excellent at temperature regulation.
Eucalyptus Lyocell is a remarkable fiber that holds about 10% of the moisture from the humidity in the atmosphere. Because water is a highly effective temperature regulator, the water in the lyocell fiber heats and cools your sheets to balance with your body temperature. The result is sheets that help you feel cool in the summer and cozy in the winter.
Now, on the flip side, that moisture can also contribute to the wrinkling you may see after you wash and dry your eucalyptus sheets. Don’t worry, there are some simple ways to help reduce the wrinkles if you’re into that sort of thing.
How to remove wrinkles
So the day has finally come. You have to take your beloved eucalyptus sheets off the bed and wash them. You'll get through this, we promise.
For best results, we strongly suggest you wash and dry your S&G sheets alone – think of Eucalyptus Lyocell as an extreme introvert.
After you wash your sheets in cold water with a gentle detergent (no bleach, no fabric softener), untangle them and throw them in the dryer on low/tumble dry. We recommend using dryer balls to help speed up the dry time and save energy – plus they eliminate the need for wasteful dryer sheets.
Ahh so soft and smooth
After 15 minutes, check your sheets to see if they are nearly dry. If so, remove them, smooth them out, and hang them over a door, on a drying rack, or on a clothesline to allow the weight of the sheeting to remove wrinkles and the remaining steam moisture to evaporate.
And if you want to get really crazy, you can use a steamer to go after those stubborn wrinkles.
Or you can embrace the wrinkles.
Wrinkles are beautiful
Our eucalyptus sheets are wrinkle-resistant, but not 100% wrinkle-proof. We think that’s a good thing. S&G products are naturally made from wood-based lyocell fibers. Our eucalyptus trees don't require pesticides or insecticides. Our lyocell process is a closed-loop process that uses no harsh chemicals.
We don’t add urea, formaldehyde, or dihydroxy dimethylol-whatever to our sheets because, in the end, we prefer a few natural wrinkles over lots of unnecessary chemicals. It’s a trade-off, but one we think is totally worth it. We hope you feel the same way.
So be proud of your wrinkles. They’re beautiful. They mean you’re sleeping in a chemical-free zone.
As Mark Twain once said, “Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.” And your bed should be a place where lots of smiles happen. 😉
Look at all those smiles