Because of the variety of fabrics available today, it is a good idea to acquire a little knowledge and make the right choice when it comes to selecting your bedding. After all we do spend one third of our lives in them!

We should learn to look beyond the attractive packages promoting luxury and pay more attention to qualities such as natural versus synthetic fibers, shrinkage, ease of laundering, conductivity to warmth or coolness, just to name a few. You will find a lot of information on the package itself. Look for the type of material, the nature of the fibers used, the thread count and where the product was manufactured.

Keep in mind that better fibers require more refining to become fabric and that higher the thread count, the higher the price will be! So, the most economical sheets will always be your cotton/polyester blends. Then come most of your cottons, satin, linen, superior quality cottons and finally silk.

You will need to read the care labels carefully. Sometimes a pretty set of sheets that is labeled

"no bleach, cold water, gentle detergent, tumble dry" is not worth the investment. Remember that your sheets will be changed often, and will undergo many washing cycles, drying sessions, and stain removal experiences!

What will you need? You should purchase:

One or two allergen-proof covers per mattress.

One or two allergen-proof covers per pillow

Two pillow protectors

Extra pillow cases (you will change them more often than your sheets)

Three completes sets of sheets and pillows per bed

Two mattress pads. Every home should have allergen-proof covers for pillows, mattresses and, box springs. The new materials used will keep the allergens and dust mites from peeping through and stopping for a visit while we sleep! There is one things dust mites hate, that is very hot water. If you are sensitive to them you should always choose sheets that can take high temperatures during the wash cycle. Owning three complete sets of sheets will allow you to use one, wash another and still have an extra set for guests. Some people like to have special sets for guests. You should purchase your sheets according to your needs and life style.

Sizes

To ensure a proper fit, you will need to know not only your bed's dimensions, but also your mattress' s depth. Otherwise you could be forever pulling down on the corner pockets of your bottom sheets! Unless they are from Europe, most sheets measurements are now standard.

If you like a lot of overhang, you can always purchase your top sheet one size up, as this will give you a generous fold over the blanket. As far as the fitted sheets go, just make sure that you purchase a