Percale - Secret of a Good Nights Sleep

What is Percale?

Percale is a tightly woven bedding fabric which is typically, but not necessarily, made of 100% cotton (or like in Hunant’s case- 100% organic cotton).  The name percale means ‘regular’, referring to the plain weave, where the threads cross over and under each other one at a time.

The quality of sheets is often measured by thread count. In other words, the more threads you can count in a square inch - the softer the fabric feels. Percale sheets must have at least an 180 thread count to qualify as percale.

However, thread count can be misleading. Fabrics with higher thread count than 400-500 tend to be so tightly woven that they become stiff, heavy and does not breathe well. A thread count of 200-400 is therefore preferred and is what we use in all of our bedding fabrics.

Cotton quality is also a factor. A rule of thumb - the longer the fibres are - the higher the quality.

Another important part of the equation is how the fibres are spun into a yarn. In our percale sheets, the cotton is combed so that only the fine longer fibres are left, resulting in a fine texture and finish, ensuring a long lasting soft fabric.

The Why

Having a good night’s sleep is essential to be happy & healthy. So how can nice sheets help, you may wonder? Apart from creating a cozy sleeping environment for your percale has quite a few benefits:

For starters, percale sheets collect much less dust than other types of bedding fabrics. Studies also show that tightly woven fabrics prevent dust mites from penetrating into your sheets. And while none of us would like to share a bed with dust mites, this is especially good news for those who suffer from dust or mite allergies.

But there are more to percale sheets than just that. Percale cotton sheets can breathe! Well, to be precise, they provide a breathable surface that helps to wick away moisture keeping us cool, dry & sound asleep.

In general, when it's warm, keeping cool is a good idea. So while percale sheets are good for any time of the year, they are awesome in the hot season. Percale sheets keep cool, always, which makes them perfect for use in the hot summer nights, as well as in those winter nights when the heating is on. Add the fact that these bed sheets are odor resistant, and it's the perfect bedding for a sweaty night.

Lastly, good quality means durability. Not only our percale sheets are long-lasting while maintaining their shape and fit- they actually get better over time. Each wash makes percale sheets softer. The longer you have them, the softer they become. To put numbers into this, percale sheets last three times longer than other sheets.

Break the Percale

When you first receive your brand new percale Hunant bed sheets, you might be surprised to find they are crisp but not as soft as you imagined them to be. That's the magic of percale - they will get softer and softer, the longer you have them and the more you wash them.  

Care for your Percale

Treat them well, and they will treat you well in return.

We recommend washing on regular cycle 40℃ with similar colours. Tumble dry on low heat. Iron on medium if wrinkles bother your dreams.

At Hunant we have followed the science in opting for 200 pecale organic cotton for all our sheets.