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larsi_gw

Vintage Washed Percale Sheets

10 years ago

Roc, Mama and Alex are Percale pushers!! Percale sheets are in my NEVER category, but I had a total moment of weakness at Target (this does not take much), LOL!

The colour looks blue in the pic, but they are a beautiful light, mint/seafoam green. I never do solids or whites, but this colour is very soothing and calming.

I washed them already with 120F and Tide with Bleach Alt. liquid and a tiny smidgen of Up & Up Spring Bloom softener. I am line/air drying the pillow cases and tumble drying the flat and fitted sheet. I can see already though....the flat sheet will need ironing, MAJOR ironing around all edges, especially the creased and folded top edge :-O

Comments (75)

  • 10 years ago

    @sspeer9 - Re Le B dosing. I think it depends on the washer. I have a Miele frontloader and a whole house water softener. So about 1 to 1-1/2 TB does it for me for a set of king sheets with 4 pillowcases. I generally wash those in Very Warm and I get just about the right amount of suds. For a top loader, with much more water, I would think 2-3 Tb is a place to start.

    I've seen Caldrea in Target. Those are specially made/priced. No linen spray but I can get that locally and some fragrances are carried by drugstore.com.

  • 10 years ago

    Alex, would you please share where the brooklinen sheets are made?

  • 10 years ago

    The sheets are made in Israel and the comforters in Canada, IIRC.

  • 10 years ago

    We ordered a set of Brooklinen Percale sheets and received them yesterday. Washed, dried, very few wrinkles because they were removed and put on bed immediately.

    Slept on them. Wonderful! Crisp, cool, light. Perfect percale for us.

    As good as the RL we have? No, but for the price of $94 after discount, they are far better than any Target brand approaching $65 that's made in China.

  • 10 years ago

    Excellent, thank you Larsi!

  • 10 years ago

    Brushworks...Targets Threshold sheets are NOT made. In. China.

  • 10 years ago

    I do believe the Threshold percale sheets are made in China. I recall seeing that on the label and if you look on the Q&A for this product on the Target website it says China. Other sheets by this brand may be made elsewhere, though.

  • 10 years ago

    Holy muggers... why torture yourself like that Larsi?... I'd take those suckers back

  • 10 years ago

    I will NOT cook nor sleep on ANYTHING made in China. My vintage Percale sheets from Target say Made in India!!

  • 10 years ago

    Threshold Classic Percale. Made in China. Why do some get upset to find out even Target, like WalMart, imports most products from China?

  • 10 years ago

    Not at all upset that Target sells * made in China*

    Just correcting you, all of my Target sheets are made in India.

  • 10 years ago

    Not all Threshold sheets are made in India. Most Threshold sheets are made in China. The label says so. :)

  • 10 years ago

    I didn't know that but mine are all made in India....now on with my review lol

    I bought a set of the vintage washed percales. ..felt rather nice in the package, after a nice hot wash I set about ironing them, they ironed very well and they feel smooth and crisp but talk about thin, they are very thin, I don't expect them to hold up long, so I've save the packaging and sales slip.

    Larsi mine were not as wrinkled out of the dryer as your appeared to be, but I took them out slightly damp, good percale will wrinkle though. I did notice as I made my lovely little bed lol..that they felt very smooth and cool to the touch and they did crackle a little but not like they should. I sleep on them tonight and update them tomorrow.

    By the way I have an old twin size top sheet that's percale, it has printed in large letters across it Latrobe Area Hospital...it was my moms packed nice and neet with a little cardboard note saying it was from when Cheryl Denise was borns...... 60 years old and feels wonderful. Lol.

  • 10 years ago

    Latrobe Area Hospital? That's probably where Arnold Palmer was born also. And I still have the quilt that was hand-made by my Mother's aunt and put on my bassinet after I was born. I have it on my headboard right now and it is 75 years old. I'm old as dirt and you're not! But Happy Birthday again!

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Just a heads up: These are not vintage, not washed. Italian made and about as good as it gets on a basic set price wise for this brand outside a warehouse sale if someone needs King percale sheets and is up for a splurge. But these would, absolutely, require ironing. Sferra King Sheet set.

  • 10 years ago

    Pat, yes Latrobe is Arnold Palmers hometown, I live 20 minutes away..its also the home of Rolling Rock beer. Lol.

    These Threshold percales are worth the dirt cheap pricetag, I had a lovely nights sleep on them, very smooth and cool and had that snapping sound as I rolled over..lol. under 30 $ for a twin set is not going to yeild high quality percale sheets but they are nice, I just don't expect them to last a year let alone a lifetime or into other generations like a high quality set would. As for ironing them, I iron my sheets regardless if they are percales or not, it just gives them a smoother feel, but I know not everyone enjoys or has the time to iron, in that case don't buy percale or you will become a slave to your steam iron lol..

  • 10 years ago

    I checked out Brooklinen. Am I missing it? I only see sateen finish?

  • 10 years ago

    With the US dollar being much stronger, you might find these a decent deal (?) Just fyi. The fabric is Italian made Egyptian cotton and they are made here in Canada. I own several sets and they are quite nice (of the 220 percale).

    http://www.aulitfinelinens.com/collections/sheets

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Remember though..something I didn't know until recently. ..any cotton made textiles can say Egyptian cotton no matter the quality as long as its grown in Egypt.←←←this comment has nothing to do with Brooklinen.

    Livebetter...there's a few here that enjoy Brooklinen..I haven't experienced though.

  • 10 years ago

    Egyptian is usually the best due to the length and strength of the fibers. Italian mills are the best weavers in the world. The Au Lit sheets are some of the nicest I own. I'm not a fan of sateen though. I like nice crisp percale.

  • 10 years ago

    I have some Frette sheets as well. Also nice. I'm partial to the Italians lol.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    That's why I posted what I did..lots of people consider Egyptian grown cotton sheets the best..manufactures know this..and they now play on the consumers by stating Egyptian sheets....and it is...they just arnt telling the whole story...there's high quality and poor quality in Egyptian cotton..but most consumers read Egyptian and look no closer. All Egypyian cotton is not created Equal.

  • 10 years ago

    I'm sure where they are woven is a big factor. The Italian percales feel like silk.

  • 10 years ago

    DO they feel smooth and crisp?

  • 10 years ago

    The Au Lit do. I found the Frette ones a little scratchy at first but they got much softer with use. The lower thread count like 220 are crisper than higher thread counts (why I prefer them).

  • 10 years ago

    Hello all......I usually hang out in Home Dec but this thread caught my eye so pardon the intrusion.

    i recently purchased Target Threshold Percale sheets and while the wrinkling wasn't bad, I could not sleep on them. They were maybe a little too crisp for me....and noisy.....crunch, crunch, crunch every time I moved.

    I quickly washed my old (at least ten years) Penneys Home Collection 100% cotton sheets which don't wrinkle. Now, I realize they are probably soft from all the washings but I never remember them being stiff and hard like the Threshold sheets and the more expensive Thomas Lee sheets I bought last year.

    I'm hesitant to buy Penney's sheets again as I'm almost sure they won't be the same as my old ones after all these years.

    Can anyone recomme soft , cool sheets? Any way to get my Thomas Lee and Threshold sheets soft asap or do I just need to wash them 50 times? Thanks!

  • 10 years ago

    Welcome Elbeeca..I lurk on HD and remember reading about your noisy sheets and had to chuckle.

    I would not recommend percale for you as it sounds like you want something smooth and soft rather than smooth and crisp..yet something that breaths well.

    I don't personally have any recommendations as I mostly only deal with vintage sheets.

    Were your Thomas Lee sheets 100% cotton or 100% cotton percale?

    Target also has a non percale..Threshold performance 100% cotton sheet its not the percale ones.. Its very breathable soft and smooth and the set on hubs bed has been being used daily since I think last summer..its washed twice a week in very hot water and has held up well. 3 other sets of the same also have held up with the exception of one fitted that shredded. Course these are budget friendly sheets. So I suppose 3 out of 4 **ain't** bad.

    Your noisy sheet could also have been the result of chemicals, so many sheets are treated with now days...but another member here recently bought a set of Targets percales and said they were strange, she may also have used the word noisy. percales will providing they are of good quality have a crisp feel to them...but I think your describing more of a regular cotton sheet and not percale. Wish I could be more help, but like I said I buy vintage. Others will come along to help you though. Welcome to the laundry room.

  • 10 years ago

    Linen seems to check all the boxes. Soft, cool, and quiet. It's finally the sheet that both my bed partner and I can both be happy with. We have two sets and sleep on them exclusively now. It isn't cheap but should last almost forever.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I purchased a set of Target Threshhold percale for my guest room bed. These are the Chinese made sheets. Some are made in India.

    I have a at least 8 sets of percale sheets and none of them are noisy.

    The Target sheets are like sleeping on crackers. The texture is odd. The noise is odd.

    After the first washing I thought they weren't really cotton. They reminded me of a synthetic. After several washings they softened a bit but I am convinced the fibers are highly manipulared and not in a good way.

    They are a bad imitation of good percale. The sewing is awful. They cost $30 so it's difficult to complain but whoever originally recommended them didnt understand sheets.

    Good percale sheets, the 180-220 thread count are crisp but not crackly. The Italian made sheets are thinner, strong and sfeel like silk. They are also cool but slightly less crisp.

    If someone wants smooth and cool but not crisp I would look at Perfect Linens Second Skin sheets. These are Portuguese made sateen and lovely. They can be hand smoothed.

    Percale sheets wrinkle. If they dont wrinkle and they are percale then they are a blend. Nothing wrong with that.

    Linen sheets are great but they are a completely different experience IMO. They have a completely different feel and texture. I like them a lot. But I find them warm and they feel pebbly vs the silky smoothness of percale. livebetter described it well, especially with Sferra.

  • 10 years ago

    @ Roc...Thank you for saying that linen sheets are warm! I love my new pure linen and linen/cotton sheets, but they are the WARMEST sheets I have ever owned or slept in!! Many times I feel they cook me during the night, and we keep the A/C set to 65F whilst sleeping, and yet the linen sheets are still so darn warm!!!

    They do have a "pebbly" texture, but it is soft and they feel luxurious in what my "dear" spouse calls an upscale 19th Century Monastery feel, LOL, LOL!!

    While the sewing quality is not great, Target's Vintage Percale (Made in India) sheets are excellent in terms of feel, no crunchy sounds, they are quite thin and feel cool and smooth all night!

  • 10 years ago

    Target has 2 different percales..vintage washed from India and the others that just say percale made in China..I only have the vintage washed percale, not bad, but..... I also have dozens of vintage percales from the past...if I lay the Target vintage washed percale next to a old 1950's Percale the difference is vast...the old one is hefty'er. Smoother, with a more crisp feel...Targets is thin enough to read a newspaper thru, its smooth, but not smooth like the old one...Targets makes a slight sound when you manipulate it...its not a crisp FEEL like the old but more of a crisp sound. Side by side the difference is like night and day. BUT for a low cost sheet the Target Vintage Washed Percales are much better than what I see usually in a walk in store. I can also see them being acceptable Percale for people that don't know and have never slept on really good high quality percale sheets, like the high quality that Roc has or the vintage I seek out. Theres a reason I search thrift stores and flea markets and drag home old used sheets that God only knows how many people slept on, how many XXX'ed on...are yellowed and stink to the high heavens..there's a reason I spend countless hours boiling these sheets stove top...I like, no I love real true high quality Percale sheets and in these modern times that's only going to be found in a speciality store for big $$$ or in a thrift store covered in waxy body oils....I can't afford $$$ but I do have the time to restore the old ones...in a nut shell I do it because I love good percale...

    Have to say I'm with Roc about linen sheets....I only have one flat..very old and probably washed hundreds of times ..its very nice, but I could not see anyone that percale being their personal favorate and choice of the lot...adjusting to the linen..the two can not be compared. Thing is I understand some like different Feels...and have expermented using different types of fabrics...I think its probably different if your used to sleeping with a certain type for years. if I was looking for a sheet that I described as being soft, smooth and cool...I would not recommend percale or linen. Neither one 100% fits that bill...at least IMO.

    larsi_gw thanked mamapinky0
  • 10 years ago

    Larsi...you are describing the Linen sheets well...I have tried sleeping with this one linen flat I have and can't do it..but I've been on percale too long..Amiee though takes this one lone linen and enjoys it tremendously...she wraps up in it and its like it gives her comfort. Says she feels good in it...of course I'm saving up for a set of linen for her for xmas...LOL.

    But yes pebbly, but soft...and its warm...it doesnt make me feel cool...but i understand linen is very absorbant so it will absorb the sweat fast..lol.

    larsi_gw thanked mamapinky0
  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I like the linen but agree with Larsi. I don't find them cool. The PR says they are cool. Will be interesting to see how they are in Winter. They are much heavier than my cotton. No idea how they will be with down. May turn out to be excellent Spring/Fall sheets.

    larsi_gw thanked rococogurl
  • 10 years ago

    You linen lovers will need a linen duvet cover..lol.

    Hi Roc!! XOXO

  • 10 years ago

    It definitely has more heft than cotton -- no doubt about it. When I say "cool" I mean in terms of the whole night's sleep. They do not have that shocking cool feel when you first climb in, such as percale. After sleeping through the summer months on linen, I can say the beauty is in temperature control, and the resistance to becoming clammy. Certainly not for everyone, though.

  • 10 years ago

    Mama - I have my eye on the Linoto linen coverlet. Oh is it nice. Maybe come winter we'll bite the bullet...

  • 10 years ago

    Alex.its a coverlet...come winter the price will go higher. Lol

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Just started second week on the Linoto linen sheets. They were steam ironed. They don't feel cooler than cotton but they do feel dryer. They don't have cool spots -- I definitely find them warmer. The texture is improving -- not as pebbly after second washing. I do like them but they are polar opposite of percale for me. Will need to sleep on them for some time to determine how I feel about the difference but that' likely because I'm so accustomed to percale.

    The quality is excellent (as someone else observed on a different thread) and they are beautifully sewn.

    Since Larsi bought his cotton/linen sheets I've seen others at attractive prices. These were never marketed in the US but suddenly they are.

    My question is how the are made. Traditional French metis sheets have a cotton warp and linen weft. That means the two fibers are separate but woven together with cotton vertical and linen across.

    Blends I've seen marketed don't specify anything about the weave. So no way of knowing whether the fibers are somehow mixed -- like poly-cotton -- woven together, or what. Also, one set I saw said they were "treated" again unspecified.

    Call me picky but I want specific information. If sheets are imported I want to know where they are imported "from." It's unfortunate that the consumer is not more respected in this way, especially by cut rate retailers. Gilt is the worst. And brands guarantee nothing any more.

    One French metis sheet I bought last year for slipcovers was vintage but unused. I was as stiff as a painter's drop cloth at first. Very rough. It has now been washed more than 10 times and it is starting to have a great hand -- far softer and smoother and it's gone from ecru to white.

    It's hard to believe that bed sheets would or should change with repeated washing. But I find they have their own life and, in the best cases, they improve. Fascinating.

    larsi_gw thanked rococogurl
  • 10 years ago

    Target had a one day bedding sale on Monday and I bought a set of their Threshold 300 TC ultra soft sheets (sold in separates). They are made in India and have a percale weave. Bonus is they didn't wrinkle too much out of the dryer. So far they are very nice. Anyone else try them?

  • 10 years ago

    Greeny...if they are percale I'd be wondering why they didn't wrinkle LOL. Percale will wrinkle that's part of the weave. I have 60 year old percale sheets that even still wrinkle because they are percale. if I bought a percale sheet and it didn't wrinkle, I'm returning it because that's my tip that its not 100% cotton percale. If you like them that's a different story I just wouldn't be surprised though if something wasn't snuck into them along with the cotton which makes it not really a bonus LOL

  • 10 years ago

    Mama, they did wrinkle, just not like Larsi's set...LOL. They look and feel like percale plus they are 100% cotton.

  • 10 years ago

    Greeny..good..I like when percale wrinkles LOL...well you know what I mean my dear. Do you iron? I'm trying to get a pile and I do mean a pile of sheets ironed tonight, won't happen, I think there's about 40 pillowcases. Haha....by the way my percale always wrinkles like Larsi's posted pic...I always start with the edges as those curling drive me nuts. I can't even tell you how much spray starch I go thru.

  • 10 years ago

    Mama, I rarely iron but will if needed, usually for my husband, I've never ironed sheets. My new percales had a few spots around the edges that curled. Maybe I'll try ironing them next time.

  • 10 years ago

    Curled edges?! OMG. OCD in action. M U S T iron them then. LOL

  • 10 years ago

    LOL@Larsi....I know those curled edges are the most irritating. I iron the sheets, but the edges are the absolute most time consuming of the entire sheet. maybe I should cut them off and be done with it....but I'd still have edges. Well maybe Roc has a secret remedy.

  • 9 years ago

    I won't sleep on anything but percale, and if it is a little wrinkled, well those wrinkles flatten out quickly on the bed. But here are a few tips for minimizing wrinkles:

    1) Wash and rinse on warm, not hot.

    2) Dry on low or gentle heat

    3) Use dryer balls, preferably wool dryer balls. These definitely minimize wrinkles and speed drying time. I use them for everything now, but they are great for cotton sheets

    4) DO NOT OVERDRY. The photos of the highly wrinkled sheets look like they were dried for toooooooo looooooong, probably on high heat. Let me repeat that : DO NOT OVERDRY!!!! Set the timer to 20 minutes on low heat, and if they are not dry add 10 more minutes. Check frequently because....

    5) REMOVE FROM THE DRYER PROMPTLY. Again, the wrinkled sheets in the photo looked like they had been over-dried on high heat, then sat in the dryer....guess what, the heat will set those wrinkles in. When you are drying percale sheets, check them frequently, remove promptly. Shake out and either fold or put them back on the bed. Don't let them sit in a heap in the laundry basket either.

    Sorry for the long diatribe, and hope this helps. It works for older percale sheets, so hope the new ones are just as good. You will have some wrinkles but that is the trade-off for pure, crisp cotton.


  • 9 years ago

    Allegra, your tips to minimize wrinkles in percale are accurate. I also mostly use vintage percale, I iron and I do so because ironing percale gives a smooth finish, it flattens every single fiber giving a all over smooth feel. I don't care how much time one puts into making sure their percale is wrinkle free it still won't have that all over smooth, finished feel that only high heat and steam can give them. That being said not everyone has time to iron in which case Allegras tips will be helpful.

  • 9 years ago

    Mamapinky, I'd love to be a guest at your house! Ironed percale sheets are the ultimate luxury! But even unironed percale sheets are better than anything else, and they get even better with age. If you have vintage cotton sheets, they are to be cherished.

  • 9 years ago

    Thank You Allegra and your welcome any time.

    One day I decided I had had enough of what's called percale in todays market so I started going to thrift stores, flea markets ect and I found myself dragging home percale sheets and pillowcases from the 50's and 60's all flat sheets of course and all white. Oh for sure they needed restored to their glory and that's where the huge soup pot of boiling water came to play. After a number of true boil washes and sanitize washes with Tide with Bleach powder or Percale pearls I have a closet full of quality bedding. After the harsh and extensive treatment I put them thru they remained in new condition. I couldn't imagine ever sleeping on anything else. I have my two grands age 8&9 and plan to make them each duvet covers out of a few..I'm no sew'er but another member here Poppy once told me what to do sooo I'm going to bite the bullet and do it lol. Anyway thank you Allegra..for sure my beds all look White...LOL..lots of white.

  • 9 years ago

    By the way....a few old-time tips on ironing cotton, including sheets.

    It is much harder to get good results if the sheet (or other item) has been dried and you rewet it with a mister or use steam. It is best for the item to be uniformly and slightly damp, and then you don't need or want a mister or steam. If your washer spins fast enough to remove most of the water (as most front-loaders now do) you can iron directly from the washer. In the old days washers had a mangle (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_(machine)

    which would press the excess water out before ironing...eventually some mangles were even heated.

    If you mist you just won't get the fabric evenly wet enough to iron it easily or well, and a steam setting takes much longer and results are not as good. The old timey way, if not ironed directly from washing, was to wet the fabric before ironing by "sprinkling" with water, which added a lot more water than a mister. Search for "vintage cork sprinkler" on ebay and you'll see what was used!

    I remember that when my mother didn't have time to iron immediately after washing she would roll up the items while damp and place in the freezer in a plastic bag. When she had time to iron, the items would thaw pretty quickly, and they were uniformly wet.

    When cotton is uniformly wet, you do want to use the highest setting on the iron, which is usually for cotton and linen. But keep the iron moving of course!

    And of course a bit of MamaPinky's starch will give an ultra smooth finish!