Overthinking linen sheets

April 22, 2023 6:25 PM

Please tell me all about the time you got holes in your bedsheets.

This is an unusual question I'm sure, in that I'm curious about all the ways people manage to rip their sheets, whether due to rough feet, bleach, kitty murder mitten deployment, etc.

Recently, I bought a lightweight linen sheet set. While they weren't the cheapest possible, they certainly aren't the highest GSM/tightest weave etc. Lots of complaints about rips and holes in the reviews. I am wondering if there is a way to avoid this, or, if with lightweight linen, rips are inevitable.

The purpose of this question is to figure out how it is people inadvertently rip their sheets, whether they are made of linen, cotton, or some other material, so that I can decide whether avoiding doing those things makes this linen set worth keeping. I can avoid using the dryer, since the inconvenience isn't an issue, and since dryers do seem to reduce the life cycle of fabrics in general. I keep my feet smooth. And so on, as far as ways-I-can-find-online-that-might-ruin-sheets. Online information, though, tends to come from manufacturers, or from people writing either glowing or scathing reviews. That's fine but I feel like there's always that extra bit of everyday, non-emotional, non-sales-oriented information that gets left out of such sources.

So if you've ever managed to rip up a set of sheets, or if your pets did - whether your sheets were linen, cotton, a blend, or microfiber - please tell me about it.

Thanks.

posted by Crystal Fox to Home & Garden (21 answers total)

I’ve ripped a few, usually when putting them back on the bed. The latest was a bamboo set that just like - completely came apart from a not very hard tug. That set wasn’t very old. The rest really were years of service old.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:31 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

My cats definitely make holes / snags and I think we've occasionally stabbed holes in the sheets too. If the bottom sheet is tightly woven but not super tight when you put it on the bed then the smaller holes don't turn into giant splits. A couple have tears where it looks like they wore through because of friction.
posted by oneear at 6:49 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

So, I tend to have rough heels, and I have a couple of weird toenails including one that frequently splits lengthwise leaving me with at least one sharp nub. Pretty much any sheets I like enough to use a lot - even pretty faithfully rotating them - eventually succumb in the night to one of my feet pushing through the worn-thin fitted sheet, and the top sheets sometimes literally get slashed open. Our sheets also stretch dramatically over the week or two, depending on season, we use them between washes, and that stretching starts to wear them thin in spots - the softer the mattress the worse the stretching is. My pillowcases last literal decades, but the sheets last a year or two for the most part.

Like warriorqueen, I did have one set of bamboo sheets that pretty much disassembled. I could see them getting thinner in spots each time I put them on the bed - they were a darker sage color and the white of the mattress cover was more obvious each use. This was with an old very standard top-loading washer, which maybe caused extra stress.

The point where my foot goes through the sheet also alerts me to the fact that I am a tosser-and-turner and I use my feet for leverage when I flip around.

Aside from the bamboo, most of my sheets are Target-grade microfibery medium weight. They discontinued a slightly heavier damask stripe sheet from one of their primary brands, which are the only ones that never gave in though they did pill a bit where they got stressed.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:06 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

My ex put holes in ALL our fitted sheets with a combination of restless leg syndrome and out-of-control toenails. We had some heavy cotton sheets (high thread count/good quality that we got for a wedding gift), flannel sheets, t-shirt sheets--he shredded them all. Before/since my marriage, I never had a problem with rips in my sheets. I do have a set of jersey ("t-shirt") sheets that got a small hole shortly after I bought them, but I treat them gently and don't overdry, and after a year, the hole hasn't grown at all.
posted by epj at 7:07 PM on April 22, 2023

I don't buy fitted linen sheets anymore, because the good quality one I bought new started tearing in the middle after about 8 months of normal use - no cats, only ever line dried, never ironed. I still have the flat linen sheet I bought at the same time - it's fine, no holes, about 4 years later. These care instructions for different types of sheets might help.
posted by happyfrog at 7:09 PM on April 22, 2023

We've gotten rips in the center of a couple fitted sheets that were otherwise fine/not particularly worn thin. I suspect that it's because our 60lb dog sleeps occasionally rolls in there with her harness on, and either that or her nails catch and rip the sheets. I think if we were more diligent about making the bed and covering the fitted sheet this wouldn't be a problem.
posted by Summers at 7:18 PM on April 22, 2023

Lady Kemma is THE linen sheet expert. If you google her you will find her reddit and other forum posts too. Here are her thoughts on the subject. Her argument is that it is unavoidable and all linen eventually should be turned (cut down the middle , flipped, and sewn back) or repurposed, as done back in the day. Personally, I've ripped both heavyweight and lightweight linen flat sheets (used as bottom sheets). I think it comes down to body chemistry (oil/sweat), movement, and nails/claws.
posted by acidic at 7:22 PM on April 22, 2023 [7 favorites]

Rips in my linen sheets are rare but not unheard of. I suspect, but cannot prove, that cats are the culprits.
posted by Stacey at 7:31 PM on April 22, 2023

Mr. Terrier has worn flannel sheets through (Eddie Bauer’s) from kicking and thrashing when he dreams. Not due to washing or cheapness of cotton.
posted by BostonTerrier at 7:52 PM on April 22, 2023

We only ever had 1 set rip, and it ripped within the first 2 weeks of use. It ripped right under our torso areas on both sides of the bed, so not from toenails or anything. We got a refund. All other sets have lasted 5+ years without rips, even with cats regularly burrowing under the blankets. So if the reviews say they ripped quickly, they probably did because in my 30+ Yeats using sheets I've never ever had another set rip. Stretch out, fade, yellow, stretch the fitted sheet elastic, sure... but never tear.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 8:19 PM on April 22, 2023

Oxyclean during the laundry cycle. In time it weakens the fibers.
posted by mochapickle at 8:19 PM on April 22, 2023

We used to get rips all the time in our Cultivar linen fitted sheets -- husband's rough toe nails, sharp kitty claws. We truly blew through an embarassing number of linen sheets, and we thought that was just the price to pay for the loveliness that is sleeping on linen.

At some point, we switched to Magic Linen (also an Etsy shop) and we have NOT had any problems over the last ~2-3? years since we've had these fitted sheets. This is obviously unhelpful to you at this point, but if you find sleeping on linen a dream, now you have an alternative shop to consider.
posted by ellerhodes at 8:31 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]

We've been through two sets of linen sheets and the bottom fitted sheet has torn after about 1 years' use. This has happened with cotton sheets in the past, albeit the wear and tear took a couple years' longer. I put it down to rough heels and restless leg syndrome.

I had read that linen is stronger than cotton, which is one of the reasons I first wanted to try the linen sheets. The first set was organic Belgian from a boutique supplier, but it shed a lot of fibres early on and thinned out rapidly. I could see the fraying areas developing. The second set was a common department store brand (and non-organic), a little stiffer and seemed to wear a little longer, but also eventually succumbed. Note that the top sheets in both cases remain fine. My guess is that (like the cashmere sweater craze a few years ago) now that linen sheets have gained more popularity, the average quality is not what it was. I know with cashmere they started producing more with shorter, lower quality fibres. I'm guessing it's the same with the linen supply.

Unless I can find a much heavier weight linen bottom sheet, I probably won't be buying more linen in the near future. I love the way it feels, and it's very cool and light in the summer, but, at least for the bottom sheet, it doesn't seem to wear as well regular cotton percale.
posted by amusebuche at 8:41 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

I had a cheap set of linen sheets from a no-name brand on Amazon that I loved till they just disintegrated one day for no apparent reason. I upgraded to some from The Company Store that are a bit heavier and still going strong a few years later. So the quality of linen will have something to do with it. I haven’t treated either set of sheets differently at all and do not air-dry them.
posted by music for skeletons at 8:59 PM on April 22, 2023

I had a Pottery Barn linen fitted sheet that ripped. I wasn’t terribly impressed with the quality although it was FINE especially for the price, but I had a full-size sheet stretched to fit a queen mattress (I bought the sheets like 2 months before I ended up with a larger mattress, oops).

I’ve since upgraded sheets, not even super high end, but a clearance Parachute that’s correctly sized, even a little big maybe for a deeper mattress, and it’s holding up strong after a year and frequent washing.

I use oxyclean/the equivalent on my linen, it will weaken silk and wool and other animal/protein fibers. I ruined a lot of silk clothes I loved before learning this, so I’m careful about it. I also wash linen in hot water and use the dryer, this should only soften good linen and not cause problems.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:07 PM on April 22, 2023

I have three sets of cotton sheets, two of them ripped within the same month after years of use, one just disintegrated at about the same time. Just the bottom sheets. I just matched some more bottom sheets as best I could, choosing higher thread count. I use very mild detergent, (All, Clear and Free,) line dry, always make the bed. Summer feet are rough, but I dislike sleeping in socks. It would be nice to go sumptuous, but I sleep when I am in bed. I was shocked when my 1000 thread count bottom sheet ripped. You also have to look at depth of your bottom sheets vs mattress toppers, on top of mattresses. If sheets are too tight then they wlll wear out more easily. Lastly if the mattress cover has a more slippery fabric on top, then some of the energy and force is lessened which leads to linen degradation.
posted by Oyéah at 9:08 PM on April 22, 2023

I just recently ripped a bottom linen sheet. It appears to have gotten thin in the area where I tend to have my feet - and I supposed it also gets some wear from my tossing and turning. might have gotten more wear out of it if I’d paid attention and made sure I was turning the sheet.

I believe they were from Garnet Hill.
posted by bunderful at 9:41 PM on April 22, 2023

This is such a surprising thread to me. I have sheets that are way older than me, and I am 60 (some are inherited, and some bought at flea markets). I always sleep in linen or cotton.
Anyway. Linen should not be washed at above 60 Celcius. Never, ever put it in the dryer.
For reasons, I am currently using the same linen sheets all the time. I wash them at 60 C once a week early in the morning, and line dry them during the day so they are ready to make my bed at night. In spite of the intense use/laundering, they are as good as they were on arrival. I use a perfume-free, environmentally safe detergent. I'm guessing that the choice of soap/detergent is the important factor here.
posted by mumimor at 12:13 AM on April 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

I’ve ripped a few, usually when putting them back on the bed. The latest was a bamboo set that just like - completely came apart from a not very hard tug. That set wasn’t very old. The rest really were years of service old.

Similarly, the times I've had fitted sheets rip was when putting them back on the bed. I don't own any linen sheets, but cotton sheets seem to last, until at some point they get washed one time too many and their structure just completely fails.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:52 AM on April 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have heard that high-quality pre-washed (and pre-shrunk) linen can be washed on hot and dried on high, and that this is actually good for the fabric because linen gets softer as it gets beaten up.

I've exclusively used linen fitted sheets for years, rotating between 2 sets, and have tried two different higher-end brands (Cultiver and Parachute -- Cultiver sizing doesn't fit US standard bed sizes super well, FYI). They get washed on cold to warm and dried in the tumble dryer on low to medium, depending on what else is in the load that week and my mood. I use standard store-bought liquid laundry detergent, All Free & Clear only because I have allergies, otherwise I'm sure Tide would be fine.

I have never ripped or worn through any of my sheets, though I *have* replaced multiple sets for long-term color fading issues and now only buy white sheets. That said, I haven't worn through any cheap cotton Target sheets in the past either. So my main advice would be to consider your own past history of being hard on sheets, first and foremost.
posted by serelliya at 1:01 PM on April 24, 2023

This is such a surprising thread to me. I have sheets that are way older than me, and I am 60 (some are inherited, and some bought at flea markets).
posted by mumimor at 12:13 AM on April 23

This is completely unsurprising to me. The weight and quality of modern linen sheets vs. vintage is night and day. The last several decades of textile manufacturing has been a race to the bottom in favor of lower prices/increased profits at every stage. I suspect it would be hard to find even the same kind of flax plants that were available 60 years ago. As usual, *the problem is capitalism* (citation: I work in the apparel industry though not in fabric development. I'm also a linen sheet addict.)

I've tried several of the modern linen sheet brands, and all of the fitted sheets have become threadbare after less than 2 years. I need to wash them at fairly high temperatures to kill the dust mites, which might contribute. Ultimately my solution has been to buy less-expensive cotton fitted sheets separately and vintage linen flat sheets on Etsy or Ebay or the like. My vintage sheets are so dreamy and durable no matter how I wash them. They are weird sizes and expensive but worth every penny and sometimes have cool monograms.
posted by doift at 6:29 PM on April 24, 2023 [1 favorite]