How to Care for Brushed Cotton and Matelassé Shams

By Riley Home | Published: 2026-10-14

Category: Tips & Care

Keep brushed cotton and matelassé shams soft, fluffy, and colorfast with a simple wash routine, the right dryer settings, and fixes for common mistakes.

Quick answer

Wash brushed cotton and matelassé shams in cold water on a gentle cycle with mild detergent, then tumble dry low and remove them slightly damp. Brushed cotton can be washed often because it gets softer with each wash, while matelassé needs a lower-heat, shorter dry to protect its raised pattern. Always check the care label first and wash shams separately from heavy items like jeans or towels.

What brushed cotton and matelassé shams need before they hit the water

Brushed cotton has a raised, fuzzy surface created by brushing the fabric after weaving. That surface is what makes it feel ultrasoft and warm, and it is also the part most likely to pill or mat if you wash it with rough items or use too much heat. Matelassé is a woven fabric with a quilted, raised pattern; the texture comes from the weave itself, so it can snag or flatten if it is twisted tightly in a crowded load.

Before washing, close zippers or buttons on the shams and turn them inside out. This keeps the brushed face from rubbing against other fabrics and protects the matelassé pattern from catching on hardware. If you are washing duvet shams as part of the same load, unbutton or unzip the duvet cover fully so it does not balloon with water and throw the machine off balance.

Choose the right detergent and load size

Use a mild, liquid detergent that dissolves easily in cold water. Powder detergents can leave residue on brushed cotton, which makes the surface feel stiff rather than soft. Skip fabric softener and dryer sheets on both brushed cotton and matelassé; softener coats the fibers and reduces the fluffy hand-feel you are trying to preserve, and it can also dull the yarn-dyed color over time.

Wash shams in a load with similar lightweight items, such as sheets or pillowcases, rather than towels or jeans. A crowded drum prevents proper rinsing and can crease the matelassé pattern. If you only have one or two shams to wash, add a couple of white towels to balance the load, but keep colored shams separate to avoid dye transfer.

Water temperature and cycle settings that protect the fabric

Cold water is the safest choice for both brushed cotton and matelassé. Hot water can shrink cotton, fade yarn-dyed colors, and rough up the brushed surface. Select a gentle or delicate cycle with a low spin speed. A high spin speed wrings the fabric hard, which can crush the matelassé texture and leave deep wrinkles in brushed cotton.

If your machine has a bulky or bedding cycle, use it only if you can still choose cold water and a low spin. Otherwise, the delicate cycle is the better default. For matelassé, a shorter wash cycle is preferable because less agitation means less wear on the raised pattern.

Drying brushed cotton and matelassé without losing softness

Tumble dry low and check the shams every 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them while they are still slightly damp, then smooth them flat or place them on the bed to finish drying. Overdrying is the fastest way to make brushed cotton feel scratchy and to shrink matelassé. If you must use a dryer sheet, skip it; a clean dryer ball or a pair of clean tennis balls can help fluff the shams without coating the fibers.

If you prefer line drying, shake the shams out firmly before hanging. Brushed cotton can air-dry completely, but it may feel a bit crisp until it has been on the bed for a few hours. Matelassé should be dried flat or hung over a wide bar so the weight of the wet fabric does not stretch the pattern out of shape.

Step-by-step sham washing routine

Prep the shams: Close any buttons or zippers, turn the shams inside out, and shake out loose debris. Check the care label for any temperature limits you need to follow. Common mistake: leaving shams right-side out, which exposes the brushed surface to friction and lets the matelassé pattern snag.
Sort and load: Wash shams with similar lightweight items such as sheets or pillowcases. Avoid towels, jeans, or anything with zippers, hooks, or rough seams. Checkpoint: the drum should be about two-thirds full, not packed, so the shams can move freely.
Add mild detergent: Use a small amount of liquid detergent formulated for cold water. Do not add fabric softener, dryer sheets, or bleach. Common mistake: using too much detergent, which leaves residue that makes brushed cotton feel stiff.
Wash cold on gentle: Select cold water and a gentle or delicate cycle with a low spin speed. For matelassé, choose the shortest gentle cycle your machine offers. Checkpoint: if your machine has a high-spin default, override it manually before starting.
Dry low and remove damp: Tumble dry on low, checking every 10 to 15 minutes. Pull the shams out while they are still slightly damp and smooth them flat to finish drying. Common mistake: overdrying, which makes brushed cotton scratchy and can shrink matelassé.
Finish and store: Let the shams air-dry completely before putting them back on the bed or folding them for storage. Store in a dry, well-ventilated space. Next step: if the brushed surface feels flat after drying, a quick shake and a few hours on the bed will restore the loft.

Products mentioned in this guide

Brushed Cotton Shams: Brushed Cotton Shams are made from 100% cotton with a brushed surface for an ultrasoft feel, are certified to be free of harmful chemicals, and are yarn-dyed for long-lasting color. Because the brushed surface is what gives these shams their warmth and softness, washing them inside out on a gentle cycle and avoiding fabric softener helps preserve that feel wash after wash.
Cotton Cashmere Duvet Cover & Shams Set: The Cotton Cashmere Duvet Cover & Shams Set is made from 95% premium cotton and 5% cashmere and is described as soft and warm for cooler sleepers. The cashmere blend makes this set more delicate than pure cotton, so it benefits from the same cold-water, low-heat routine and should never be washed with heavy items that can cause pilling.
Percale Duvet Cover & Shams Set: Percale Duvet Cover & Shams Set comes in Twin/Twin XL, Full/Queen, and King/California King sizes, and the brand advises washing before use and washing often because the sheets get softer with every wash. If you are washing duvet shams alongside percale, you can follow the same gentle, cold-water approach, but keep the load light so the percale does not crush the brushed or matelassé texture.