Making The Bed: Sheets and Toilet Paper

I spend many days around stuff for the home, so it would make sense that I knew something about the merchandise. Believe it or not, most people have no clue when it comes to sheets. Back when women spent most of their time at home as housewives, it made sense that they knew a little something about the stuff in their homes. Nowadays, most people shop off of assumptions from hearsay or the suggestions of the home salesperson.

Most people come in and want the highest thread-count sheets, expecting a luxurious feel that will transport them to heaven. Well I tell people all the time, "Sheets are a lot like toilet paper." They look at me in horror because of two things. The first reason is my slightly "inappropriate" reference to the bathroom and the second is the total shock at my metaphor. All I can say is, it's the truth.


Toilet paper comes in two-ply and one ply. Either you buy toilet paper with two sheets per piece or one sheet per piece.

Fibers are measured in a similar fashion (see Units of textile measurement). If you're a crochet/knitting person then maybe you know, but if not it's an easy concept to understand. If you take a single thread and try to use it to lift a heavy weight then it will most likely break after a short while. If you take two threads and spin them together then you will obviously lift a heavy weight for a longer period of time than the one thread.


This is where it gets interesting. The National Textile Association allows a funny equation chart that is unknown to most shoppers and sheet salespeople. A 250-thread sheet with a two-ply measurement is equivalent to a 1000-thread sheet with a one-ply. Since the 250-thread sheet is actually measured vertically and horizontally times two, the true count is 1000.


However, the average uninformed consumer only looks at the number listed on the package as 250-thread count. Instead of paying $30 for a 250-thread sheet set of good quality, the consumer pays $100 for a package of inferior quality 1000-thread sheets. 

So the moral of the story is to be careful when buying sheets. You might invest a lot of money into a bad deal. Take the time to feel the material and think of the sheets like you would toilet paper. Does it feel like two-ply or one ply? Can you see the light through the sheets?


I see it all the time and I try and educate my customers when they ask for my suggestions. Thread count is only one of several factors that determines a good set of sheets. Next time, I will discuss the different types of material used to make sheets and which ones are the best.