More so they would want blankets and not sheets? The sets I'm purging are still nice enough to be put on a bed, but good idea for future old blanket and throw purging. Thanks.

Anyone have any good ideas on how to dry fitted sheets in the dryer without them gathering other pieces inside them, thus those things don't get dry? I've even had fitted sheets turn and twist inside of themselves and turn into a big ball.

The only answer I have for wadded up fitted sheets is to stop the dryer every now and then and untangle. Not perfect, but works ok for me.

lol, that's what I usually do. In fact I was just about to get up and check the dryer.

Let me know if your interested in getting those vintage sheets screaming white again LOL..This is the only sheets I use as they are the highest quality but usually very nasty when I find them. I spent last summer restoring a stack of vintage petcale and muslins. Nothing better.

I wonder if those dryer balls would work in keeping your fitted sheets in shape?

Sue

I do the 'stop the dryer and untangle' about half way through the drying cycle too. If there is a better way to do it, I haven't found it ;0)

Our Community Clothes Bank (United Council of Churches) takes bedding. They have a waiting list for bedding, cookware even though their main focus family clothing.

DH washes our sheets most of the time. He dries them individually. Bottom sheet first and then the top sheet and pillowcases. No wadded up sheets and they actually dry faster.

mamapinky, aren't they wonderful to the touch? There used to be what was called "a sale barn" in town that handled estate sales and auctions. What they didn't sell or what they picked over before hand, they sold in a room off the auction theater. It was filled with fantastic finds for pennies. Well, that was years ago, not only did the supply of fine bed linens dwindle, the place closed.

Unfortunately I use my vintage things, furniture included, so they wear. But these sheets are still in good condition, albeit slightly grey. I don't use them anymore either, modern fitted sheets are so easy! : ) Anyway, I can't let them go yet. I've used lemon juice and salt on my vintage pillow cases with tatting but it is rather laborious. Bleach isn't such a good idea. I have a little book on how to clean vintage linens, lots of good ideas. The tatting has torn and disintegrated on some (because I used them), and like wise the cases themselves. On the really bad ones, I'll trim off the tatting and save it. Even the torn tatting is still pretty to look at.

Tide with Bleach powder. .or Persil Pearls. .of course it also requires hot water.

I found a ton of 1950's 100% long staple cotton percale sheets at a flea market and except for the fact they were almost brown and reeked to the high heavens from built up body oils they were in mint condition. I had to remove all that waxy build up and protect my home from bed bugs so I filled a huge soup pot with cool water added a few T of Tide with Bleach powder and some STPP put in one sheet at a time and brought it to a boil for 10 minutes using a long wooden spoon to push it down. I repeated this several times until the water was clear and the stink gone. Than I washed in the machine using 154F and Tide with Bleach powder. Talk about screaming white and fresh clean as sheets. Just lovely. Some people might think me nuts but you can't buy quality like this anymore.

I dont use chlorine bleach unless theres some exotic sickness in the house. Lol.

I agree nothing feels as good as vintage cotton sheets.

No browning, but mine are definitely not white anymore. Someone took good care of them at one time. Now some of the pillow cases have that discoloring you mention. I imagine, like you say, from oils. Your method sounds like a winner. I may try it sometime, maybe in the summer.

Vintage sheets and vintage/antique pillow cases with tatting used to be fairly common and at decent prices. I collected for years. Then all that seemed to disappear. I blamed it on vintage clothing shops that became popular in the 1990's. People bought the stuff up and re-sold them for big bucks. I don't go to flea markets or auctions anymore, so maybe they're out there. I do know that you can't find them in antique shops anymore, the nice things that is.

I bought a storage unit that an old lady I knew had been paying on for 15 years. She moved away and didn't want the stuff any more. Lots of nice old sheets, but she was a smoker and everything reeked. I soaked them overnight in Biz and then washed them....good as new.

I read somewhere about drying fitted sheets.....remove from washer...shake loose.....then fold in fourths with the corners fitted together like they were new or like you were folding to put away. I lay out on table to fold, wet sheets are heavy. Put in dryer folded in fourths. I do flat and fitted sheets the same. I also found if I Use fabric softener it helps. Normally I only put fabric softener in things we wear. The folding tricks has been working for me.

Folding fitted sheets can raise my blood pressure, and yes I've watched Martha Stewart's how-to video many times. I've even come into the computer room with a sheet and tried to follow along with the video. But when it comes time, I forget the whole procedure. So I fold, then roll up. That is after drying, not in the dryer.

I haven't used a dryer for sheets ever,but am currently having to.

I use 2 tennis balls in with all of the clothes,including sheets-nothing ever tangles.

Instead of putting my sheet sets and pillowcases in with Mom's estate sale, I opted to donate them to The Salvation Army today. They were happy to receive them.

I use a rubber ball with anything bulky... seems to help keep the sheets from balling up. I also saw online somewhere to fold your sheets and all but one pillow case and then put the whole set into that pillow case. Been doing that for a few years now. Works great! No more avalanches for me.

I used to volunteer at an animal shelter for years. We really appreciated donated blankets and sheets - often times with new puppies the bedding would get so bad it wasn't worth laundering and it would get thrown out.

I also purged some things in my walk-in closet (only true closet in the house) to make room for my new sweeper. Since I don't anticipate having any more dogs in my lifetime, I gathered all the leashes, harnesses, a nice doggie coat, and a belly band that is used to help sick or injured dogs walk, and donated them to the local Humane Society today. I used to take in gently used dog beds when I replaced mine with new. I'll have to remember to save older throws for them from now on.