Do you need to iron bed linen after washing and why do it?

Just 50 years ago, our mothers and grandmothers didn’t even think about whether they needed to iron their bed linen. They not only carefully ironed it, but before that they selflessly boiled and starched it. Without a super-convenient automatic machine, for a minute, manually! The washing process, in the end, took the whole day, and all household members were involved in it - mom did the washing, dad did the spinning, the children hung it up. Then the female half began to stroke. The question of the appropriateness of this event, we repeat, was not even raised. Of course, if the hostess was correct, diligent and hardworking.

Today we have washing machines that can iron. Also, modern women have become business-minded and... a little lazy. To be more precise, they learned to spend time more rationally, significantly reducing their waste on the household.

Many people wonder whether they need to iron bed linen after washing and carefully weigh the pros and cons. If we analyze, the bed is ironed for the following reasons:

For comfort;
For the purpose of additional disinfection;
Because of belief in folk omens.

Let us emphasize right away that in this article you will not find a clear answer to the question of whether you need to iron your bed linen after washing. It simply doesn't exist. However, we will carefully analyze all the pros and cons and, hopefully, you will be able to make your decision.

Arguments FOR ironing

So, why do you need to iron your bed linen? Let’s list the advantages of this event:

Smooth sheets look much nicer and neater;
Ironed bed linen emphasizes the diligence of the housewife;
Long and monotonous ironing calms the nerves. Some women call this activity personal anti-stress therapy;
In winter, the room becomes warmer when the iron is used for a long time;
Bed linen smells pleasant after ironing;
Ironing disinfects the sheets;
Ironed linen evokes a pleasant tactile sensation;
There is a popular belief that demons hide in folds. If a person constantly sleeps on an unironed bed, he will have no luck either in business or on the heart front, so the sheets need to be ironed;
After ironing, bed linen folds straighter and more compact in the closet, which is important if you need to save space;
There is another sign from the “grandmother said” category. It turns out that folds and creases in the sheets create problems in the relationship between a man and a woman. That's where the dog is buried! This is why so many women in Russia will never get married!
Also, you need to iron your bed linen, because it will be easier to make it later.

Why shouldn't you iron your bed linen?

To the delight of those who do not like ironing, we will tell you about the disadvantages that ironing brings with it:

Silk and satin are a godsend for antistatic agents. These materials have “magnetic” properties, and ironing only exacerbates this tendency. Static electricity not only causes visible discomfort, it can disrupt the quality of a person’s sleep and rest.
Each person in a state of sleep and rest produces a certain amount of sweat, which, when placed comfortably, should be absorbed by bedding. However, some materials that are ironed lose their ability to absorb moisture.
You are simply wasting your personal time and money, wasting it on electricity. Modern laundry detergents condition laundry in such a way that it does not wrinkle when drying if it is hung properly.

Arguments AGAINST ironing

Now consider the opposite opinion and find out why most women do not iron their bed linen:

They don't want to get married. Joke. They just don’t believe in folk omens;
They simply save energy, because the iron is one of the household appliances with high energy consumption;
They also save time, because ironing bed linen for one family requires spending at least an hour. But during this time you can do homework with your child, cook lunch and also walk the dog;
We are convinced that this is a waste of energy, because within 5 minutes after laying down, the bed will become wrinkled again;
If you dry and fold it correctly, and use fabric softener, it doesn’t need to be ironed at all afterwards;
Regular heat treatment destroys color saturation and bed linen becomes dull;
Ironing reduces the lifespan of sheets because heat gradually destroys the fibers;
The hygroscopicity of the fabric decreases, because the iron, as it were, seals its “pores”.

Of course, the last two arguments are very conditional. Even if you iron it constantly, the bed will still serve you for many years. Well, you won’t wake up sweating. However, there is still logic in these arguments, so they must be taken into account.

Flaws

Even though the procedure has a lot of advantages, it is impossible to confidently answer the question of whether to iron after washing, since it is worth considering other disadvantages of this process:

The aromas that fill sleeping sets after washing almost completely disappear when ironing. As a rule, many housewives use special conditioners to clean and add aroma.
Ironing the entire set, as a rule, takes too much time, and also consumes a lot of electricity, since modern irons consume electricity on a significant scale.
After ironing, the surface of the bed linen becomes less susceptible to absorbing moisture, which appears every night due to natural human sweat.

Some bedding materials can accumulate electricity after ironing. This adds significant discomfort to a person, making his sleep less comfortable.

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When is ironing necessary?

We have discussed the pros and cons of ironing, now let’s list the situations in which it is necessary to iron bed linen:

If you have a baby at home. Newborns have very delicate and sensitive skin, as well as immature immunity. Therefore, their bed linen and personal belongings need to be ironed after each wash, on both sides.
If one of the household members suffers from a contagious skin disease, you need to carefully iron all household textiles;
In case of ARVI or infections, you need to disinfect clean bedding to prevent the spread of the disease to other family members;
If parasites are found at home - ticks, bedbugs, lice, etc.;
If you bought new bedding.

Read more about the last point. No matter how clean and tidy a brand new set may seem, it definitely needs to be washed and ironed.

Who knows how long it's been gathering dust on the counter?
Some manufacturers, in order to improve the presentation and prevent paint fading, treat the material with chemical compounds that can cause allergies;
The coloring pigments themselves may not be washed off well during the production process of the kit, so they need to be rinsed thoroughly;
Before the bed came to you, it may have been touched and felt by dozens of hands. Brrr;
The new matter itself is hard and even prickly. Wash it with conditioner and iron it - you will immediately feel the difference.

When is this absolutely necessary?

to iron bed linen only in two cases:

if a person with skin diseases lives in the house;
if a newborn child appears in the family.

The skin of a newborn baby cannot always withstand an aggressive external environment. This is especially true for the period when the umbilical wound has not completely healed.

At this moment, ironing the baby’s bedding, from a pediatric point of view, is a mandatory procedure. Moreover, it is advisable to iron the fabric both from the outside and from the wrong side .

Heat treatment protects against infection by fungi and bacteria that were found in a sick roommate.

If one of the family members has been diagnosed with scabies, it is necessary to iron not only bedding, but also bath towels.

How to iron bed linen without an iron

Do you want to know how to quickly iron your bed linen, minimizing most of the disadvantages from the corresponding section above?

Catch our lifehacks so that you don’t need to iron your clothes after washing!

Do not place bedding in the drum in a crumpled form. Carefully roll it several times, fasten all the zippers and buttons and place it in the compartment;
There is no need to turn on the highest spin speed;
If the machine has a “drying” option, be sure to turn it on. She will gently and non-aggressively wring out the items and lightly steam them;
Always use a conditioner-rinse, it perfectly smoothes out wrinkles;
When hanging on the dryer, straighten the sheets so that they dry straight immediately;
Buy bed linen that does not need to be ironed - from wrinkle-resistant material: calico, silk, satin, etc.;
If you have a steamer, use it; it will significantly save ironing time.

If not an iron, then what?

There are many alternative ways to iron laundry. For these purposes, it is not necessary to use a classic iron with a heating surface .

How to make your bedding look neat:

If, due to the delicate composition of the fabric, it is not possible to iron it, you should use a non-contact method of smoothing the surface using hot steam. This method does not dry out the laundry, as a result of which the made bed will not irritate the skin or become electrified.
You can also iron things in a washing machine. This is made possible thanks to the easy ironing function. The principle of operation is that the laundry is spun at low drum speeds, as a result of which the fabric does not wrinkle and there are no creases left on it. Items washed in this way do not need to be ironed - just hang them on the clothesline immediately after removing them from the machine.
Adding fabric softener will soften the fabric fibers and make them more elastic. By hanging it to dry while wet, you can save yourself the ironing process.

Where to store bed linen for ironing

If you are from the category of women who are convinced that you need to iron your bed, then you are probably familiar with the problem of storing textiles. Sheets and duvet covers take up a lot of space, and you can’t put them in the closet unironed. It’s rare that anyone starts ironing immediately after unloading the dryer. This activity is most often combined with watching an evening TV series, checking oral homework, having a neighbor come over for a “chat,” etc.

Sometimes a bunch of things lie around for 2-3 days after washing, destroying the impeccable order of the apartment. So, where to store laundry for ironing?

Washed items should not be kept in the bathroom, as there is high humidity there. Therefore, we advise you to buy a nice wicker basket that will fit well into the bedroom interior. The textiles inside must breathe, so plastic containers with a lid are not suitable.

It's great if you have a separate room for ironing - a pantry or dressing room. In this case, you need to equip shelves for storing ironing items right there.

Advantages

Sleeping accessories, as well as other things that are used for human sleep, should be ironed after each wash, this has the following advantages:

After ironing, the item becomes softer, which makes it easier to fall asleep, giving a pleasant feeling from contact with it, however, this does not apply to terry accessories, because due to the characteristics of the material, they only become rougher;

All elements become more compact in size, which allows you to take up less space in the closet;
The sheet looks much neater and more aesthetically pleasing afterwards;
By ironing the cotton surface, the sheet becomes more durable due to the fusion of the fibers;
When processing elements at high temperatures, bacteria and harmful microorganisms are removed, as well as bed mite larvae, since low temperatures during washing are not able to completely eliminate these insects.

Having learned about the advantages of the procedure for smoothing bedding, it is worth understanding some of the disadvantages of this process, which are quite insignificant compared to the advantages.

How to iron quickly? Tips and secrets

In conclusion, we’ll tell you what life hacks are used by housewives who regularly iron all home textiles.

They don’t ask if it’s possible to iron bed linen with a steamer, they just take it and do it. First study the label with recommendations for fabric care, of course. Do the same when ironing. In general, examining the label with the washing and ironing rules is the first thing you should do after purchasing a set.
The colored bed should be ironed from the inside out; apply gauze to the appliqué and embroidery;
There is no need to iron it on the bias, as this will deform the material. Direct the iron along straight or cross threads (horizontal and vertical);
Start ironing textiles while they are slightly damp. This will make the folds straighten out more easily. Or spray the canvas with a spray bottle.
Next, we’ll tell you how to properly iron bed linen on an ironing board to speed up the process.

Fold sheets and duvet covers 2-3 times. The iron will perfectly iron 3 layers of fabric, and you will save time;
Try ironing not on an ironing board, but, for example, on a sofa, on a sheet. This way you will iron two things at the same time, and iron a larger area at a time;

So should I iron or not?

The thing is that only you yourself can answer this question: whatever you decide, it will be correct.

Scan your feelings and desires: how important it is for you to sleep on well-ironed bed linen.
Assess your own strengths and capabilities: will you be able to carry out ironing work regularly.
Optimize the process. In a simplified version, you can iron the laundry without fanaticism, barely touching the surface with the iron and move on to the next wrinkled areas. Or use a household steam generator (steamer) instead of an iron. It smooths out wrinkles perfectly, and the work goes faster and easier.
The steam generator can handle bed linen faster than an iron, and if you only need disinfection, you can layer the linen in several layers—hot steam can handle it
Create comfortable conditions. For example, if your legs get tired, you can iron while sitting. And if the work is not at all enjoyable, place the ironing board in front of the TV. While watching your favorite TV series, you won’t even notice how you iron out all the unruly folds on your bed linen.

Is it possible to put away wet laundry after ironing?

When you finish ironing, you need to leave the even piles for half an hour in a ventilated room. The bed linen should cool and dry. If moisture remains inside and you put it in a closet, after storage it will smell stale, or, worse, mold or mildew will form.

Whether you need to iron bedding sets is up to you to decide; we have listed all the pros and cons. We are for rational use of time and modern ironing methods: proper drying, conditioner and steamer. However, if you really enjoy the process of ironing - it calms you down, brings you closer to your family (or TV), does not take much time, or you have objective reasons - why not? It definitely won't get any worse!

Reactions to ironing different types of fabrics

If you choose a temperature setting for ironing, consider the material.

Cotton and linen fabrics should be ironed at +200°C. Wool products should be ironed at +150°C.

Synthetic and silk materials do not require ironing. Exposure to high temperatures can damage their structure.

Now you know why you need to iron your clothes after washing. However, the choice is up to you. If you do not like to use an iron for a long time, try to buy linen from wrinkle-resistant materials, or use other ironing methods: hanging, drying in a washing machine or treating with a steam generator.

You can also hang your laundry in the bathroom after running hot water into the bath. The steam will act on the fabric and smooth it out.

Results

Due to the circumstances of modern life, saturation and constant lack of time, we very often forget that our health is one and it cannot be bought for any money.

As you know, sleep is the best medicine, which is why comfort during the morphea period should be treated with due attention.

All sheets and any other bedding should be ironed; this method will not only protect your health, but will also protect you from failures and difficulties, according to folk superstitions.

Of course, you don’t always have free time to iron the sheets, but every housewife still needs to find it, otherwise you may face troubles and various diseases, which today watch over each of us at every step.

Ironing is a useful, necessary activity. It gives accessories a neat appearance, and also disinfects and eliminates dust mites.

However, ironing can be avoided by using special types of fabrics and a method of correctly folding the sleeping set, after which there is no need to iron the fabric again. This will increase the service life and the degree of hygroscopicity of the fabric product.