Do I need to iron the bedding set after washing?
Each housewife should find out for herself whether it is necessary to iron the sheets and what benefits this procedure brings. Someone does this for aesthetics, because the ironed sheets give the bedroom a neat look. Someone is sure that ironing kills microbes and reduces the risk of dermatological diseases. Some housewives do this “out of habit” because grandmother and mother did so.
Ironing Benefits
Home textiles, children's pajamas, and nightdresses are ironed after washing for many reasons.
- The ironed sheets become softer, which gives a pleasant tactile sensation during a night's rest. Terry sheets are an exception: they become stiff and visually thinner.
- After ironing, duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases become more compact, which helps to save space in the closet.
- A clean, ironed sheet looks more neat and aesthetically pleasing.
- After ironing, the cotton fabric becomes more durable: the fibers “melt” and do not begin to split shortly after purchase.
- High temperature kills larvae of ticks, bacteria and microbes. A low washing temperature does not cope with this task.
Having found out why the housewives are ironing pillowcases and sheets, you need to find out all about the shortcomings of this procedure.
Ironing disadvantages
Despite the described advantages, some housewives remain opponents of ironed bedding, as they are confident in the futility of the procedure. You need to know not only about the pros, but also about the minuses of ironing.
- The pleasant aroma that remains on the sheets and pillowcases after rinsing with the addition of conditioner becomes less noticeable after ironing.
- Ironing the entire set of bed linen takes a lot of time, physical effort and electricity.
- After ironing, the ability of the fabric to be wetted (hygroscopicity) is significantly reduced. This means that the ironed sheet absorbs worse moisture, which is released at night by the human body.
- Certain materials begin to become electrified after being ironed. This causes discomfort during day or night sleep.
Mandatory ironing
The issue of ironing home textiles is acute:
- when a person with skin diseases is in the house;
- when you have a newborn baby.
Pediatricians tirelessly discuss the need for ironing children's clothes and linen. People of the older generation who raised children without diapers and washing machines are sure that it is necessary to iron the diapers. However, in the modern world there are special powders for children's things, and the water in the machine is heated to 95 degrees. However, this may not be enough.
High temperature kills microbes that are dangerous for the newborn. On his body is an unhealed wound from the umbilical cord, through which infection can enter the body, so ironing the diapers in the first weeks of life is necessary. In addition, jammed folds on fabrics that are not felt by adults can cause irritation on delicate baby skin.
Tip
Ask the attending pediatrician about the need to iron the clothes of the newborn.
Ironing sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers and towels is necessary during the treatment of skin diseases such as fungus, lichen, dermatitis. The standard temperature for washing cotton fabric is 60 degrees. This is enough to kill the bacteria of colds and ticks.In case of serious dermatological diseases, a person should have a separate set of bed linen and individual towels that need to be ironed and steamed.
Rules for ironing sheets
If you are convinced of the need to iron clothes, follow the basic rules that can facilitate this process and save time and effort.
- The fabric should be slightly damp, so the folds and seams will smooth out faster and better.
- Be careful with delicate fabrics. Silk products should only be ironed in a special temperature mode.
- Silk sheets are best ironed while they are wet. Sprayed drops of water on dried fabric can leave marks. It is advisable to iron silk products from the wrong side.
- Cotton is not afraid of high temperature, so feel free to set the maximum temperature on the iron. To make wrinkles easier to smooth, use the steaming function or a spray with water. Cotton is ironed on the front side.
- For compactness, the sheets need to be ironed after each folding of the fabric by half.
- Do not put hot laundry in the closet. Let it air for about 20 minutes to cool the fabric to room temperature.
- Terry textiles need special treatment. Such sheets cannot be ironed. It is enough to even the damp cloth and wait for it to dry. During washing, do not forget to set the “Easy Ironing” mode, this reduces the number of wrinkled wrinkles.
Now you know why some housewives iron home textiles, and why others refuse this procedure. After weighing all the pros and cons, you will make the right choice.
We advise you to read an article about how to iron tulle after washing