The Sleep Book Tielle Love Luxury

Myth 3
Fabric softener
fluffs up towels
We say: It’s always better to go aunaturel
when it comes to towelling.
Fabric conditioner coats the loose
cotton fibres with a waxy finish, which
actually prevents the towel from doing
its job. Our advice is don’t use it. Dry
outside ideally or, if not practical, on an
indoor airer overnight. Avoid radiators
and if using a tumble dryer, make sure
there is a cool down time as part of the
drying cycle to allow the yarns time
to recover and prolong the life of your
towels.
Myth 4
Percale and sateen are
much of a muchness
We say: Nothing beats the look and
feel of pure cotton bedlinen whatever
your weave.
While percale and sateen both rank
high in the popularity stakes, that’s
where their similarities end. Percale is
a plain weave (180 thread count +) in
which one horizontal thread goes over
and then under one vertical thread.
This simple construction gives linen a
crisp, fresh spring-like feel. In contrast,
sateen is a different form of weaving
that produces a cloth that generally
flows and drapes a little better than
its percale counterpart, with a higher
lustre and more silk-like appearance.
To replicate the hotel-at-home look,
consider a 300tc sateen made using
long staple yarn. Breathable, easily to
launder and with a beautiful drape, it’s
pretty much the go-to favourite for our
luxury B&Bs and 5* hotels.
Myth 5
Down pillows win
hands down!
We say: It’s totally personal! As a rule
of thumb more feather equals more
support.
The type of pillow you need can
depend on the way you sleep. But
unless you love cloud-like softness
you’ll probably want a mix of feather
(support) and down (softness and
warmth). How much feather you need
depends on how firm you want your
pillow to be, but a good hotel-quality
average will be around 70% down
and 30% feather. Bear in mind that
inexpensive shop-bought pillows are
cheap for a reason, and more likely to
quickly lose their shape and support.
The Sleep Book 29