Uncovering Secrets To Buying Sheets

House & Garden magazine tells The Saturday Early Show everything needed about buying bed sheets for a good night's sleep.

Brooke Stoddard from House & Garden explains that there are four different types of sheets. She also says that there are different grades of cotton on sheets and has tips on how to care for each.

TYPES OF SHEETS

When buying sheets in general, buyers should consider fiber quality over thread count. If quality counts, a lower thread count of premium cotton is better than a higher thread count of inferior cotton, Stoddard says.

• Linen Sheets: These are luxurious, crisp and durable but tend to wrinkle. Linen sheets are also more absorbent in summer, making it seem cooler. These sheets are resistant to mildew and moths. Linen sheets must be handled with care, washed n a cold gentle cycle and line dried to avoid shrinkage. Iron them while they are damp. If you are going to get linen sheets, learn to like a few wrinkles.
• Jersey Cotton Sheets: These feel like a favorite T-shirt that gets softer and more comfortable with age. Jersey sheets are easy to care for. Wash and dry normally.
• Sateen Sheets: Satin are very lustrous and silky.

TYPES OF FIBERS IN SHEETS

• Egyptian Cotton: These are the best sheets money can buy. They are the smoothest and most lustrous. Buy from a reputable source because the quality of Egyptian cotton can vary greatly.
• Pima Cotton: Pima sheets are lustrous and strong. Pima is grown mainly in the U.S., Australia, and Peru.
• Supima Cotton or "Superior Pima": These are regulated and 100 percent American pima cotton.
• Combed Cotton: Bulk goods are combed to remove shorter fibers, leaving desirable longer once. Combed cotton offers great quality at a lower price.

WASHING TIPS FOR SHEETS

• Wash sheets in warm (or even cold) water and, if possible, line dry. If you can't line dry, use the permanent press setting on your dryers. Too much heat will break down and shrink the fibers. Cooler water and line drying will increase longevity.
• Don't overload the washer and dryer. A stuffed washer will not clean and rinse the sheets fully. A stuffed dryer will leave sheets damp and wrinkled.
• Don't wash sheets with other items. Who wants lint from towels stuck to pillow cases?
• Check labels, but normal detergents work for most sheets.
• Don't bleach. It burns fibers, making them weaker and prone to holes. Instead, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice to your wash to whiten and baking soda to freshen.
• Don't use softeners. They coat the fibers with silicones, which reduce absorbency.
• If you don't have the stamina to iron your sheets, you can cheat by ironing just pillow cases and tops of the flat sheets.

Items featured On The Saturday Early Show:

Jersey Bed

• Back pillow set of two Unikko standard pillowcases ($23.95) from Crate and Barrel, call 1-800-996-9960 or visit www.crateandbarrel.com.
• Orange Rugby Stripe jersey knit bedding-set of two standard pillowcases ($40), twin flat sheet ($40), twin fitted sheet ($40). All from Garnet Hill, call 1-800-622-6216.
• Around the block quilt in twin ($145.00) from Garnet Hill, call 1-800-622-6216.
• Solid orange jersey knit duvet cover, queen size ($88), from Garnet Hill, call 1-800-622-6216.
• Queen comforter, from Garnet Hill ($248) call 1-800-622-6216.

• Various pillowcases in different types of cotton, all from Garnet Hill, call 1-800-622-6216.

• Twin Pinetree Bed in painted antique white($1995) from Garnet Hill, call 1-800-622-6216.
• Two linen/cotton Euro Shams ($69.00 each), one linen/cotton queen duvet cover ($269), all in color Denim, from the Siena collection at Restoration Hardware, call 1-888-243-9720.
• Chesapeake quilt, at foot of bed, ($110) from Nautica, call 1-877-NAUTICA.
• Striped Oxford Yarn Dyed flat sheet ($18), fitted sheet (18$), and set of two standard pillowcases, ($38), all from the Huntington Collection, at Nautica, call 1-877-NAUTICA.
• Thomas open bedside table ($159) from Pottery Barn, call 1-888-779 x4044.
• Alabaster lamp ($199) from Restoration Hardware, call 1-888 243 9720.
• Moon Beam clock ($45) from Restoration Hardware, call 1-888 243 9720.
• Cotton pile blue rug, 2 'x3', $12.95, from Crate and Barrel, call 1-800-996-9960 or visit www.crateandbarrel.com.

• Washable silk quilts in jade, glacier and coral from the Ready to Bed Collection at Ann Gish. Visit info@anngishinc.com or call 1-805-498-4447 for a store near you. In New York, available at ABC Carpet & Home, call 212 473 3000.