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| 5:
Sheets – Are There differences |
December 2000
|
| Quite often I hear discussions about sheets
and the quality that a particular customer might be purchasing.
Sheets differ in thread count, yarn size and sewing quality, and
for the purposes of this column I willdiscuss blends, not exotics
like silk or nylon. |
| Sheets may be purchased in a mixture of blended yarns
and thread counts per square inch. Blends are manufactured where
the yarn in both directions are mixtures of polyester and cotton.
Blends include 65/35 (65percent polyester, 35 percent cotton), 50/50
(50 percent polyester, 50 percent cotton), 80/20 (80 percent cotton,
20 percent polyester) and finally, 100 percent cotton sheets. |
| Today’s cotton and polyester blends
dominate the market in sales because they provide the soft feel
of cotton and the durability of polyester. The 50/50 blend is the
most popular because it gives the buyer a sheet that lasts longer
due to the overall durability of the polyester fiber, even as the
cotton percentage is reduced by the laundering process. |
| Most often sheets are referred to as muslin
or percale. Muslin sheets generally provide thread counts between
120 and 140 threads per square inch. Percale offers a higher thread
count ranging from 180 to 220 threads per square inch. The density
of the thread count determines how the sheet is “Typed.”
A T/130 is the count per square inch of the filling and warp. The
same is true for T/180 sheets that would be considered a higher
grade of sheet – the yarn is woven tighter, producing more
threads per square inch. |
| The durability of different blends can
vary with the quality of the product. Typically, there will be more
shrinkage with higher percentages of cotton, but the polyester portion
helps reduce shrinkage. The answer to the question of which sheet
to buy depends on the desired life expectancy, cost difference and
preferred feel ofthe fabric. |
| The decision as to which quality sheet
should be purchased is determined by initial cost differential,
pilferage within your facility and the quality and comfort of the
fabric. |
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Rich Fitzmorris is Vice President
for the Laundry Division of Sunburst Chemicals. He has been with Sunburst
for more than 25 years and can be contacted directly via email at
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