Percale is a very popular choice for bed sheets because of its crisp, cool and high quality features. Percale sheets differ in quality because of the various materials from which they can be made and their varying thread counts. These sheets can be expected to last very long and can be laundered easily.
First, let us take a look at the origin of percale sheets where it was discovered during the 1800s in India where many of its people loved to experiment with fabric. India started exporting the product in the mid-17th century and it eventually reached Europe. France began producing percale during the 18th century and its popularity soon reached the United States of America. Today, centuries have passed but percale is still around and has actually become a well-liked choice for bedding which is used in many homes all over the world.
Percale is a woven fabric with medium weight which is most commonly used to make sheets and clothing. It may be a blend of carded and combed yarns and it can also be 100% combed yarn. Carded yarn is one that has been cleared of debris. The combed yarn is a carded yarn that went through the combing process to remove short fibers and is therefore stronger and softer.
The quality of percale is greatly influenced by the thread count which indicates the quantity of vertical and horizontal threads woven for every square inch of cloth. According to manufacturers and fabric experts, the cloth must have a minimum of 180 thread counts for it to be regarded as percale. A 200-thread count can be achieved with combed yarns and a 180 count can be achieved with carded yarns. As the thread count increases, the more expensive the fabric becomes.
The thread count is not the sole consideration in the measurement of quality and comfort of percale sheets. Other considerations are the type of cotton used and the percentage. You can get this information from the labels in sheet set packages. The most commonly used types of cotton are Egyptian, Supima and Pima cotton because they are durable, soft and breathable.
When purchasing percale sheets, it is advisable to identify what percentage of cotton is used. Some manufacturers may proudly advertise that the sheets contain Egyptian cotton which is technically true. However, this statement may be misleading since the sheets may contain only a minimal percentage of Egyptian cotton. Egyptian cotton is considered a prime material and higher percentages of this material can be associated with higher quality.
If you want inexpensive options, you can get percale sheets made from a combination of cotton and polyester. They are not as soft as Egyptian cotton sheets but are also less resistant to wrinkling.
Now that you already have an idea about percale sheets, you can include them in your list of options when you shop for bed sheets.