Few things feel better against the skin than fresh, clean organically grown cotton sheets on a comfy bed after a long day. How you wash and dry your sheets will affect how well they last and retain their good looks over time. Not least of all, you can improve the appearance and minimize wrinkles with a few truly simple laundry habits.

Spring is always a new beginning and a good time to freshen up. So here are a few simple tips to give your bed linens some love.

Think Cool and Loose:  Don’t cram your sheets into the washer. Give them enough room to circulate and agitate freely. This will reduce wrinkling and prevent tearing. 

Wash your sheets in cold water with a liquid detergent. You’ll save energy and, according to Consumer Reports, today’s detergents clean well in cooler water temperatures. Use fabric softener according to package directions to reduce wrinkles as well.

Shake but Don’t Bake: Before you put your wet sheets in the dryer, shake them out to loosen them up. Don’t cram the dryer—the linens need ample room to tumble, toss and frolic in the warmth. Use low heat and dry for the shortest amount of time possible.

Ice Cubes and Damp Socks: If the sheets seem wrinkled once dried, try tumbling them a bit longer with ice cubes, damp socks or a moist cloth to steam out wrinkles.

Stay Awake Watching TV: If like me, you do laundry at night while watching TV, don’t fall asleep before the end of the dryer cycle. Get off that comfy couch to fold or hang the sheets as soon as they are dry. If you’d like, you can use a steamer to perfect the smoothness.

Head ‘em to Bed:Making the bed with sheets right out of the dryer will also tame the wrinkles. (And you can jump right in to savor the freshness.) You can also lightly mist the sheets using a spray bottle of water and run your hands over to smooth them.

American Blossom organic cotton sheets are chemical free and environmentally friendly. The wrinkles are a mark of their purity and they will wrinkle less and get softer with each and every wash. If you like to iron, as some of us do, it is fine to iron your sheets. Your bed will rival the look of a fine hotel.

Old Time Techniques

Our ancestors did laundry by hand using common household products. Here are some old-time and gentle tips you might like to try. 

Baking soda brightens and deodorizes linens. Soak them for 30 minutes in a tub of water mixed with a 1/2 cup of baking soda before you start the wash cycle.

White vinegar is a fabric softener. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup during the rinse cycle but do get the timing right or your sheets might smell like pickles.

Sunshine is a natural disinfectant and will help brighten whites. Hang your sheets on a clothesline to dry outdoors.

Freshen linens anytime using a spray bottle filled with 1-1/2 cups distilled water, 3 ounces of either vodka or witch hazel, and 30 drops of a colorless essential oil as an optional fragrance. Be sure it’s colorless to avoid any chance of staining.

Now that’s loving your sheets and the environment!