Caring for Bed and Bath Linens

When you are investing in heirloom quality bedding and towels, it's important to launder them properly. This will ensure their longevity so that you may enjoy them for many years to come. Always keep in mind that, like your favourite pair of jeans, new sheets will often require a bit of wear before they reach peak softness and wrinkle resistance. This generally takes 8-10 launderings.

Natural fibres, which all of our bedding and towels are made from, are not high maintenance, but they do require proper care. We recommend the following:

• Wash with cold or warm water and avoid hot. Similarly, use your dryer's medium setting to dry sheets and especially towels. It may take longer, but will extend the overall life and softness of your towels.
• Do not use bleach, detergents with bleach or whiteners, or fabric softener or dryer sheets. Any of the detergents we sell at olive & elle are safe to use.
• Do not over dry. This is especially important for towels. Once a towel has been over-dried, there is no coming back from the resulting crispy texture. Remove towels from the dryer when they are just about dry and allow to hang or line dry.
• Ensure there is ample room in the wash; overloading the wash increases friction on bedding and towels, which may lead to premature wear.
• Do not mix bedding with towels, other fuzzy items, or items with zippers. This all increases friction, which may lead to premature wear.
• Use less detergent than you think you need, especially for towels, which wash very easily. This will prevent detergent from building up and ensure your towels maintain their absorbency.
• Give your bedding and towels a shake when you transfer them from the wash to the dryer. This will open them up and allow them to dry more quickly and evenly.