You've invested in quality cotton bed sheets, now comes the task of washing them to keep them at their best. Firstly the best advice we can give you, is to firstly turn your wasing machine temperatures right down. A cool wash with a maximum of 40 degrees will keep your bedlinen at its very best.

Cotton is an unsociable fabric, and doesn't like to mix with polyester, acrylic or polycotton. Sometimes the harsher fabrics can aggravate the delicate fibres whilst spinning in your washing machine, so always wash your cotton alone or with other pure cottons. You only need to use half the detergent you would usually use for a load. Half is more than sufficient to clean your sheets whilst reducing the damage to the fibres. Also, set your machine to a gentle, hand wash or even a delicate cycle.

Once your bed linen is washed, do not let it sit in the washing machine as that's how creases appear! Hang immediately on a breezy washing line, or load it straight in the dryer at no higher than medium.

Now, here's the most important part; once your sheets are almost dry but ever so slightly damp to the touch, remove from the dryer then hand press them on a flat surface, or pop them straight on the bed. Don't be tempted to dry them too much, as exposing cotton to too much heat can make those pesky wrinkes appear even after you've ironed them.

Take note – Pure cotton creases easily! If you love the relaxed wrinkled look then you can skip this step completely. This step is for Hotel-style crisp linen, the kind you find in a beautifully made up room. Firstly, a steamer is always best (and faster) to acheive this look but if you prefer, you can use an iron on a medium heat setting - but always do this when the sheets are still slightly damp.

The best thing about cotton is it matures and becomes softer with age, so the more you wash it (in the proper way) then like a fine wine, they will only improve with age.