Nopie, I put them on the bed! Have no problem! Even though it says TO DO SO!

I think it has to do with getting excess dyes/chemicals out before using them. I always wash sheets before putting them on the bed. (I'm very sensitive to dye, so it's a must for me.)

Some factories are cleaner than others.

But they can't put our product that appears dirty/contaminated.

ole joyful

Glenda, I like your "nopie." I just emailed my daughter that I was going to "beddy." LOL

Dye and chemicals . . . hmmmm. I don't think I want to lie on dye and chemicals. The sheets aren't white. They're a lovely (dyed) shade of creamy brown.

Some are allergic to the sizings and stuff that they put in new sheets etc to make them so crisp.I'm not,so i just put them on the bed,straight from the pkg.HTH
Kathi

I put them straight into the washer. The SMELL is too much for me! Formaldehyde is used to treat sheets and clothes.

"That Ânew smell is a potent mixture of chemicals such as formaldehyde and urea resins," says green living expert Annie Berthold-Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home. "The chemicals are used to Âfinish fabric for a range of purposes including stain resistance, mercerizing, keeping them from wrinkling, and even sometimes for disinfecting. Most contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which, like formaldehyde, are often sensitizers and suspected carcinogens."

To get rid of those "new fabric smell" chemicals, Berthold-Bond recommends this treatment: Place new clothes in the washer with enough water to cover. Sprinkle one cup of baking soda into the washer. Soak the clothes overnight. When convenient, agitate the machine for a few minutes. Launder as usual. Repeat until the clothes donÂt smell.

That can be very toxic to your skin and cause serious breathing problems especially to children. At 20 parts per million, Formaldehyde can induce rashes, headaches, dizziness, joint pain, fatigue, asthma and in the extreme case - cancer.

Considering that most clothing are produced in "sweat shops", No pun intended, with most production coming from countries with tropical climates, do you really want some one elseÂs sweat, parasites and germs to come in contact with your skin?

When I go into fabric shops or even very small clothing stores my eyes start to water and my throat closes up and I sneeze and my eyes water more and I have to leave. I often say to the clerk that the formaldehyde is getting to me and they nod and they agree.

Here is a link that might be useful: Formaldehyde

Above all, don't put anything lighter in color in the machine with them. Some new sheets dye runs.

And I do wash mine before using. I just don't like new sheets smell.

Moni

I wash everything before I wear it, and I'd certainly wash sheets. You want to remove the sizing and any chemicals that might bbe on them.

I remember when I took our oldest child to college for her first semester. Before we left to take her and her new roommate to dinner, we helped her make her bed. The room absolutely stunk, and I informed the girls that they needed to wash their new sheets to get rid of the smell. So before they headed to freshman orientation that evening, they did laundry. It really smelled awful in their room.

I'm so glad I asked! Dorothy, that was good to know. Not pleasant, but important. Re sweat shops, the sheets were made in China. I bought them at Marshalls and was surprised to find every set I looked at was made in China. I don't know why that surprised me; everything else seems to be made in China these days. I try to avoid it, but it's often unavoidable. At least I tossed all my Chinese fish out of the freezer.

I've gotten lazy about laundry as I'm still without a dryer. But it's a relatively nice day today (sun shining, snow flurrying), so I'll wash the sheets and hang them out. And look forward to getting between them tonight.

Thanks, all!

BTW, I chose these sheets partly on the basis of weight. Even though their thread count was lower than some of the others (300), and the price lower ($24.99 for queen size) the set seemed a lot heavier than most.

I just took them out of the packaging, and I'm so pleased. They are heavy (I was half afraid the package was weighted somehow). They're thick and soft and silky. Now, let's just hope they survive laundering! :-)

PS: If anyone's interested, they're Luxury Cotton Classics. The label doesn't say much more other than 100% cotton, etc.

I always wash new sheets. I also, loath the smell. New Towels too!

Gayle

I have also read, it was about bras though, of parasites getting into clothing items and such that come from China.
The article I read showed some poor woman with the most horrible parasitic attack on her breast all because she didn't wash a brand new bra before wearing. It was an eye opener!
Everything gets washed first now!

I also had an incident where I picked up some kind of "bug" from a pair of pants at a local store and I had only tried them on!

I always wash any new fabric items I get becuase they do have lots of chemicals in them for sizing and I am sensitive to that.

Parasites? Bugs? Ye gods, is this a new form of germ warfare? I guess these days it's called bio-terrorism. Or bra terrorism. I'd add a smiley face except it's not funny.

Hmmm, who knew...well, you gals, apparently. I never wash anything new, perhaps I'd better start doing that.
Suzan J

I've heard too many horror stories to NOT wash every textile that comes into this house before using. There were news reports about DNA found on 'new' underwear, the sizing used on cottons is really harsh on skin, and there was a report recently that you can pick up one of those hard-to-treat staph infections merely by trying on clothes. I don't try anything on in stores any more. I'd rather end up with a few outfits I have to donate to Goodwill, than with a staph infection that resists treatment.