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There is nothing more inviting than a freshly-made, comfortable bed. It can help you relax and have a good nights rest. To have these luxury, you have to rely on your touch in order to determine what you like best when it comes to choosing the right bed linens for you. You have to choose the fabric and its thread count in order to achieve the degree of satisfaction that you want. The fabric can be cotton, flannel, muslin, oxford, percale or sateen. Thread count is the number of threads woven per square inch. The higher the thread count, the softer the fabric feels but it does not always guarantee that the sheets will last longer.

Know what you need. Most bedding sets contain one fitted sheet, one flat sheet and two pillow cases. More elaborate sets contain comforter, pillow shams, pillow cases, fitted and flat sheets and a bed skirt. Make sure to check the product label to know that you are getting the right size for your bed. Most bed linens come in standard sizes. Know the size of your bed. The standard bed sizes are twin, full, queen and king sizes. If you are in doubt, measure your bed.

Wherever you choose to store your bed linens, make sure that they are clean, lined and in a dry place in order to keep them smelling fresh. Sort them into sets and store inside a pillow case. You can also stack all sheets, pillow cases and blankets. Do not forget to label them with their size or bedroom designation so that it will be easy to get the matching linens. Store the comforters and other bulky linens at the topmost shelf because they are not often used. To avoid the stacks of linens from toppling over, use brackets or book ends drilled to the shelf to separate them. You can also store you linens in armoires, chest or plastic boxes.

Another important item to select are the pillows. Make sure that it supports your head and neck properly. There are many ergonomic designs available to suit your needs. Pillow fillings are also important. Cotton filing is hypoallergenic and good fro sensitive skin but it tends to become compact over time. Down or down feather blends is considered the best due to its longevity and adjustability. Polyester feels similar to down and holds its shape well but it becomes compacted quickly. Foam rubber provides good support but crumbles over time.

The proper care and maintenance of bed linens are:

• Cotton sheets become softer with repeated washing. Wash them on warn setting and if you must, use only non-chlorine bleach.
• Linen sheets are ideal for hotter climates and lasts for years. They should be hand-washed and ironed on the reverse side especially if they have embroidery.
• Wash your sheets and pillow cases weekly and your bed covers monthly.
• Comforters should not be washed as they tend to loose their soft, fluffy shape. Instead air them in bright sunlight three to four times a year. Put a duvet cover on your comforter to preserve them and wash the duvet monthly.
• Fluff yopur pillows daily. During washing, incase them in machine-washable pillow protectors anbd wash once a month. Most pillows can be washed in the machine and it can be done twice a year. For down and silk pillows, spot clean them in dishwashing liquid and air them out two or three times a year.

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