As adults, we all have that one bed sheet that we like the most from others, but with time, your favorite bedsheet starts to seem a bit bobble.
Well, the truth is, it is pretty common in the world of textiles, especially bedding, to get piling with time. Pilling is nothing more than a small piece of fuzzy fabric that results in the creation of lint balls that appear due to repeated use, washing and drying.
But, a lot of research has been put forward to claim that sheets made from bamboo fabric are immune from pilling, is it true or not? Well, today, we are going to find out whether the immunity from pilling is just a hoax or it does have some reality to it? In addition to this, we will also discuss what causes pilling in bedding, and how you can prevent it from happening. So let’s begin!
What Causes Pilling in Bedding?
Pilling is caused by friction, and it happens when bed sheets are rubbed against another surface, such as your skin, your clothes or even the mattress. This causes wear and tear in the fiber of the bedding sheets. You can find pilling occurring in almost every single type of bedding fabric; it typically starts from the bottom side where you keep your feet because most of us have the habit of rubbing and moving our legs throughout the night, which creates lots of friction and heat due to rough movement. Over time, the fibers loosen up and twist up, which then results in the formation of little knots.
Are Bamboo Sheets Prone to Pilling?
The answer is no, but at the same time, they are not immune to pilling. Now, to understand why this happens, we first need to discuss the quality of bamboo textiles or fabric that is used in the manufacturing of bamboo sheets. Bamboo is a material that is found easily and in massive abundance in nature.
The bamboo fibers are long and reformed into yarn; the longer the fibers are, the better the quality of the material will be. With lower-quality bamboo fibers, manufacturers mix up shorter fibers that are more prone to pilling.
How to Prevent Pilling in Bamboo Sheets?
One of the most crucial aspects of keeping your bamboo sheets safe from pilling is by washing them correctly. One has to go through the instructions that come inside in which you can clearly find what type of detergent is needed along with the required machine setting for cleaning the bamboo sheets.
Apart from the basic instructions that were written in the label, here are a few additional steps for you to take care of that leads to prevention of pilling in bamboo sheets and increases bamboo bedding durability.
Washing and drying tips
Durability & Longevity Choosing the right detergent
When you are washing bamboo sheets, make sure that you do not use heavy or strong detergent. Also, use the most gentle cycle available in your machine and that too with cold water. Moreover, the use of bleach and fabric softeners, no matter how organic they may look, has to be kept away from bamboo sheet washing.
Frequency of washing
We know washing your bamboo sheets can be helpful in preventing pilling, but one needs to make sure that they don’t over do it. Otherwise, the beneficial properties of the bamboo sheets will slowly be gone and you are left with a bamboo sheet which is nothing but an expensive cotton bedding. That’s why we recommend bamboo sheets to be washed once within the gap of 7 to 10 days.
Other Maintenance Tips for Bamboo Bedding
Apart from cleaning and washing, one has to be proactive and knowledgeable when it comes to maintaining the shine of their bamboo bedding. Here are a few things you can do to keep your bamboo sheets look new for a much longer duration.
Ironing and steaming techniques
Again one of the first things that we want you to check is the care label that comes attached with the bamboo bedding. Bamboo as we told earlier is a pretty delicate fabric. As a result, one has to be sure in terms of reading specific guidelines that were given by the manufacturer.
Once you have read the instructions on the label, the next thing to do is prep your iron; for this, you need to put the iron to the lowest heat possible, or you can also dial it to the silk setting if available. In addition to this, if you are using a steamer, then filling it up with distilled water will be a much better and safer option for ironing your bamboo sheets.
Lastly, for the best ironing results, we request you to turn your bamboo bedding inside out. This will keep the visible side of your bedding protected from any shiny marks or iron imprints.
Storage recommendations
A lot of people don’t think of storage recommendations as falling under bamboo fabric care tips. But we are not going to miss that here. If you want to increase the longevity of bamboo bed linens, you should avoid storing abrasive fabrics like denim. Also, if you can, use protective bags when putting them in cool and dry places for storage, and finally, wash them before you store them.
Conclusion
So there you go, myth busted, bamboo sheets do get pilling but they are more durable and long lasting than cotton, and silk bedding. So when you are going out to purchase bed sheet for the next time do spend a bit more to get the best bedding fabric which is obviously
“bamboo” for your home
Frequently Asked Questions
Can bamboo sheets pill over time?
Generally speaking, it does get pilling over time, but it does take longer for the pilling to start appearing on bamboo sheets than on others.
Are there differences in pilling between bamboo blends and 100% bamboo sheets?
Yes, a bamboo sheet made from 100% authentic bamboo fiber is going to be less prone to pilling because authentic bamboo has long fiber as a result, they do not break that easily to form little knots. On the other hand, when manufactures are using bamboo blends they are using short length bamboo fiber or other material to form joints betweens different materials.
Do bamboo pillowcases wrinkle easily?
No, using fabric softener is not recommended because delicate bamboo fabric which is used for the manufacturing of bedding will lose all its beneficial properties.
How often should I replace bamboo sheets?
It is recommended that you change the bamboo sheets every once in 10 days. Likewise, if you are using bamboo sheets to cover the surface on which your baby sleeps, then you should replace it after 7 days or 1 week.