In order to keep your bamboo sheets incredibly soft, it’s important to wash them correctly. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you read the washing instructions that come with your sheets. But what if those instructions don’t answer all your questions?
We understand you may have lots of questions about the do’s and don’ts of caring for your bamboo bedding, so we wrote this article to help! Below, we’re going to explain how best to wash and dry your bamboo sheets and answer some commonly asked questions.
At a glance:
How to Wash Bamboo Sheets
While bamboo sheets are highly durable, they need to be treated with care when it comes to washing and drying. Using the wrong product or wash cycle could cause damage to the bamboo fibers. In this section, we’ll cover bamboo sheets washing instructions in detail.
Use a Mild Detergent
To begin, you’ll want to select a mild laundry detergent free of harsh chemicals, as something with harsh chemicals could damage the bamboo sheets. For instance, any detergent that claims it’s eco-friendly or safe for sensitive skin is a good bet, since these detergents won’t contain any irritating chemicals. Fragrance-free detergents are also a good option.
Additionally, avoid using any detergent or additional whitening products that have chlorine bleach. (We’ll share some tips for whitening bamboo sheets later on.)
Select the Gentle Cycle
When choosing the cycle on your washing machine, go with anything that says “gentle” or “delicate.” Although bamboo fabric is not delicate when dry, it can be damaged in a more heavy duty wash cycle. Selecting the “gentle” or “delicate” setting on your washing machine will help keep your bamboo sheets strong and durable for a longer period of time.
Avoid Using Hot Water
The temperature of your wash cycle should be either cold or warm, but not hot. Hot water can shrink or damage bamboo fabric and should only be saved for fabrics designed to withstand the temperature.
Of course, you’ll want to check the care instructions on your bamboo bed sheets to see what temperature water is recommended. Depending on the brand and manufacturing process, some companies may only recommend cold water, not warm. So, the best way to wash bamboo sheets will vary somewhat from brand to brand.
How to Dry Bamboo Sheets
To keep your bamboo sheets luxurious, it’s also important to dry them correctly. When it comes to drying bamboo bedding, you basically have two options. Which of these options is best for you will depend in part on where you live and the time of year.
Option 1: Hang Dry Outside in Warm Weather
The best way to dry bamboo sheets is to hang them outside in good weather. Many companies will specifically recommend this method for drying bamboo bedding, because doing so is safer and less likely to cause damage than using a dryer. (It is possible to use a dryer if you have to though — we’ll explain how shortly.)
So if it’s currently warm and dry where you live, and you have space in your backyard to hang clothes, go ahead and hang your damp bamboo sheets outside to dry. While it doesn’t necessarily have to be sunny, the important thing is that it isn’t raining (which defeats the purpose). It’s also best if it’s warm outside, certainly above freezing (which, again, defeats the purpose).
Option 2: Use the Gentle Setting of Your Dryer With Low Heat
Of course, we don’t all live in climates that stay warm and dry year-round. And even if we do, we might not have the outdoor space to hang bamboo bedding. Thankfully, bamboo sheets can be dried in the dryer when necessary.
When putting your bamboo sheets in the dryer, select the “delicate” or “gentle” setting, and make sure the heat is low. You may need to extend the drying cycle, but that’s better than choosing a higher heat setting.
Once your sheets are dry, remove them from the dryer as quickly as possible. It’s best to do this while they’re still warm. (Though bamboo sheets are durable, they are also very soft and lightweight, so they can get a bit wrinkled when left in a crumpled heap in the dryer.)
Other Important Care Instructions for Bamboo Sheets
There are many benefits of bamboo sheets, but as we’ve seen, they do need to be treated with care. In this section, we’ll answer other commonly asked questions about how to keep your bamboo sheets clean and other considerations for bamboo sheets care.
How Frequently to Wash Bamboo Sheets
One important consideration is how frequently to wash your sheets. One of the major benefits of bamboo sheets is that they’re antimicrobial, which means they stay cleaner longer than other fabrics. So, when it comes to washing bamboo sheets, less is more: Don’t wash them as frequently as you might wash other bedding, such as cotton sheets.
The type of bamboo fabric will also influence how often you wash them. There are two main types of bamboo fabric: rayon bamboo and bamboo viscose. Additionally, some bamboo sheets are blended with other fabrics.
If your bamboo sheets are blended with other materials, or if they use rayon bamboo, you may need to wash them more frequently. However, if you have pure viscose bamboo sheets like the ones we make at Hush, you can wash them half as frequently as you normally would. Our sheets stay cleaner for longer, thanks to our proprietary manufacturing process.
How to Soften Bamboo Sheets
As we’ve already seen, you’ll want to avoid using any products that contain harsh chemicals when washing your bamboo sheets, and this includes most fabric softeners. Ironically, fabric softeners may leave behind a residue on your sheets that makes them stiffer, meaning they could have the opposite effect.
Instead of using a fabric softener, simply wash your bamboo sheets according to the above instructions. There’s no need to do anything special to soften them — they’ll stay incredibly soft as long as you care for them correctly. In fact, Hush sheets get softer with every wash without softeners thanks to the higher-quality manufacturing process we use.
How to Whiten Bamboo Sheets
As mentioned above, you shouldn’t use chlorine bleach on bamboo bedding, since this could damage the fabric. Instead, simply wash the sheets with mild detergent.
But what if you have stains you want to remove? Thankfully, there are ways to remove stains that don’t require the use of chlorine bleach. And many of these methods make use of common household products you probably already have on-hand.
One method is to add a little lemon juice or white vinegar to your wash cycle. Be careful not to add too much, though — a quarter cup or less should be fine. (Too much white vinegar could damage the sheets.)
For more whitening power, you can also try soaking your sheets before or after washing them. Mix about a cup of baking soda with about a gallon of water, and soak your sheets in the solution for at least half an hour or so, or until they start looking better.
Finally, you can try non-chlorine bleach for the most persistent stains. Oxygenated bleach or enzyme-based bleach is your best bet. These types of bleach are free of chlorine and other harsh chemicals, and they’re also safe on colors.
How to Remove Wrinkles from Bamboo Sheets
The best way to keep your bamboo sheets free of wrinkles is to avoid letting wrinkles set in the first place. This means either hanging them to dry or removing them from your dryer as soon as possible, while they’re still warm, and then folding them nicely.
But what if you already have wrinkles in your bamboo sheets? The issue with wrinkles is mostly cosmetic, but if you want them to look as nice as possible, you can iron bamboo sheets to get rid of any tough wrinkles. Just make sure to use the lowest heat setting possible on your iron, as a higher heat setting could damage the fabric.
Bamboo Sheets Care Recap: Use Gentle Cycle & Low Heat
To recap, washing bamboo sheets requires mild detergent free of harsh chemicals, cold water (or warm water — but not hot), and the gentle cycle on your washing machine. Don’t use chlorine bleach or fabric softener. Hang them outside to dry, or stick them in the dryer on the gentle cycle with low heat setting. Remove quickly to avoid letting them get wrinkly.
But if you’re looking for the best bamboo sheets on the market — sheets that don’t require frequent washing and are also able to withstand more washings than average, giving them a longer lifespan than most other bamboo sheets — look no further than the Iced bamboo sheets from Hush.
Our viscose bamboo fabric is so soft and luxurious that it feels like a thread count of 1,500, even though the thread count is actually only 300! What this means is that these are highly luxurious sheets without that luxury price tag. We make luxury bedding that’s actually affordable.
And our sheets are designed to stay clean for a longer period of time, so you won’t have to wash them as often as you’re used to washing sheets. They’re also more durable than the average set of bamboo sheets, meaning they’ll have a longer lifespan.
Go ahead and give our luxurious bamboo sheets a try today. If you’re not 100% satisfied after 100 nights, you can return them for a full refund — no questions asked.
