Down Comforter Bedding

Why do people use a duvet cover on their down comforters?  Is it all about decorating or do duvet covers have a larger purpose?  Duvet covers are both decorative and practical.  Let’s consider the reasons why a duvet cover is the ideal mate for your down comforter.

Duvet covers are versatile.  Change your bedroom decor in minutes by simply changing the duvet cover on your down comforter.  Duvet covers are available in an array of colors and designs to create any bedroom look you imagine.

Duvet covers protect your investment.  Top quality down comforters can be expensive.  Duvet covers are the perfect way to protect your investment to ensure years of good use.

Duvet covers keep you bed clean.  Typically you only wash down comforters once or twice a year.  Duvet covers can be laundered as frequently as you wish for a fresh bed every night.

Duvet covers eliminate the need for a top sheet.  In warm weather or on children’s beds, you can eliminate a top sheet when using a duvet cover.  Kids will love having one less step when making their beds.

Duvet covers are a bedding essential to extend the life of your down comforters and make your bed more beautiful.

Down bedding is the most popular because it is soft, insulated and welcoming.  A bed dressed in a down feather bed, down pillows and a down comforter invites us to a restful night.  Sleep is right around the corner as soon as you sink into the delightful depth of bed well-dressed in down.

While we know comforters are filled with down from ducks or geese, how much down is required to refer to it as “down bedding”?  According to the Federal Trade Commission, a product with a minimum of 75 percent down clusters qualifies to be labeled as “down”.  The remaining 25 percent might be feather fibers, down and small feathers that are between 3 cm and 6 cm in size.

The large down content is what makes the comforter insulated.  Much like down on a bird, a down comforter will keep you warm in the chill and cooler when it’s hot.  If you’re allergic to down or feathers, alternative down comforters give you the alluring comfort without the bother.

Either way, down bedding is the perfect way to get a good night’s sleep.

How do you keep your treasured down comforters clean?  Believe it or not, dry cleaning is not recommended.  It is better to wash your down comforters at home in a large washing machine or take them to a laudromat with big machines.  Here are a few tips to keep you down comforters clean and fresh all year round:

- Wash your down comforters in the summer.  You can dry them outdoors on a line so they are more puffy and have a fresh air scent.  You only need to wash your down comforters once or twice a year so do it when it’s warmest.

- Use a simple dish detergent such as Dawn liquid to get rid of oils and odors to keep the down feathers puffy.  You can also try special soaps made just for down bedding.

- Use a duvet cover to keep your down comforters clean and protected.  Duvet covers are also a decorative accent you can change with every season.  Use pastel duvet covers in the spring, seafaring scenes in the summer and bolder colors for fall and winter.

With simple maintenance, your down comforters will stay warm, cozy and beautiful for years to come. 

Do you sleep with a fan on?  Many people put on a fan automatically before going to bed.  Some want the movement of air.  Others like the steady sound of the fan to drown out other noises that prevent them from going to sleep.  Either way, a fan is reassuring for people during the summer and through other seasons of the year.

If you run a fan at night, make sure to read the manufacturers’ specifications first.  Some fans can only be run for a certain period of time.  Avoid unnecessary risks and invest in a quality fan that serves all  your needs safely.

Another way to ensure a good night’s sleep is comfortable down bedding.  Down pillows, feather beds and down comforters welcome you to your nest.   Sink into their cozy softness and feel like you’re on a cloud to the land of rest.  Down bedding is insular to keep you cool in the warm weather and toasty in the cold.   Through all the seasons, a good fan and attractive down bedding are the perfect way to get a restful sleep.

Now that warmer summer weather is here, everyone likes to spend most of their time outdoors.  While the daytime is traditionally hot and sunny, with nightfall often comes a chill.  To ward off the evening chilliness, many folks have an outdoor fire pit or contained fireplace.  Burning logs, toasting marshmallows and gathering around the fire help everyone to stay warm without go back indoors.

For those chilly nights when you can’t seem to warm up after swimming all day, keep a few down throw blankets in your outdoor storage area.  Store them in a sealed box so the blankets stay dry and smell fresh.  As the sun begins to slip beyond the horizon, line up those comfortable chaise lounges or Adirondack chairs.  Build a warm fire, gather your marshmallows and snuggle up under a toasty down throw blanket for total comfort outdoors.  You might feel so cozy you wind up falling asleep under the stars!

Down throw blankets are also excellent to lay or sit down on if you don’t have enough chairs.  In the winter, you can wash your down throw blankets and bring them indoors for all those cold nights.  Choose unique colors and designs to match every room and season.  Throw one or two in the trunk of your vehicle for those good times on the go.  Down throw blankets are functional and fashionable all year long.

One of the best features of a down comforter is its insular ability.  When the weather is cold, a down comforter keeps you toasty warm.  On the other hand, during hot weather a down comforter helps to keep you cooler.  For this reason, down comforters are a top choice so people are ensured of a comfortable night’s sleep.

Most people have a heavier down comforter for the fall and winter and a lighter down comforter for use during the spring and summer.  Even so, down comforters start to get flat and dingy.  To return them to their full and puffy splendor, simply hang a clothing line outdoors and let them hang outside.

Using a commercial dryer continually can eventually rip the soft cotton exterior of the down comforter.  During the summer months, take advantage of the warmth and sunshine to save electricity and effort when refreshing your down bedding.  Hang your down comforters outside all day then bring them in to appreciate that fresh air fragrance in bed all night.

Why not go green by refreshing your down comforters on an outdoor clothes line during this beautiful summer weather?

Everyone waits for the long, languid day and sultry nights of summer.  Warmer weather means more time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.  Summer also means hotter nights that make it more difficult to fall asleep.  How can you help yourself get to sleep on an excruciatingly hot evening?  Consider these easy ways to catch some zzz’s:

1. Wear light, cotton pajamas to bed.  Going naked or wearing polyester is not as cool as pajamas made from natural cotton.  They absorb perspiration and help to keep you cooler.

2. Keep the room at about 75-80 degrees.  Whether you use air conditioning, a fan or open windows. make sure your room is no more than 80 degrees at night.  Higher temperatures make it harder to get your essential rest.

3. Use a soft down pillow.  A soft natural down pillow will not hold in heat while keeping your head and neck completely comfortable.

4. Take a warm bath.  Take a warm bath a couple of hours before bedtime to help circulation and cool down.

5.  Put on a sleep mask.  If it’s still light out during your customary bedtime, a sleep mask is an affordable solution.

In just minutes, you’ll be slumbering on a sultry summer night!

A soft, comfy bed isn’t just for slumber.  Many people like to sink into their bed to relax and get away from it all.  When you close the door of your bedroom and slide between the cotton sheets and down comforter, the outside world feels a million miles away.

Consider a few common ways people unwind in bed:

 -Snuggling up to several puffy down pillows to feel like you landed in a cloud.  Before you know it, you’ll be taking a nap.

-Watching television propped up on a stack of thick down pillows.

-Reading a great book with no interruptions.  Make sure you have a good nighstand light.

-Cuddling up with your children and telling stories.  Plenty of giggling and snacking is encouraged!

-Lay in a prone position for 10 minutes of deep breathing and streching to feel energized and renewed.

A cozy bed with down bedding is an inviting place to escape reality and recharge your personal batteries.

Instead of coffee breaks, many businesses are considering the benefits of a “nap” break. While caffeine might perk employees up for an hour or so, they wind up tired and less productive afterwards. A nap rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit to face the remaining hours of work with greater energy and enthusiasm.

A book entitled, “Take A Nap! Change Your Life” is changing the face of break rooms everywhere. Sara Mednick authored the book and tested the napping concept out on employees of its publisher, Workman Publishing Co. The employees who napped worked better than those who did not. As a result, Workman now allows their employees to take a “nap break”.

These conclusions were confirmed by Dmitry Lvovski, Bridgeport Hospital director of the sleep center. He noted many folks feel tired between 1 PM and 5 PM. Quick naps are refreshing and Lvovski commented, “If you take a nap, you kind of unload that need for sleep, and you feel more awake.”

Whether you’re an employee or employer, it’s time to change the face of your break room. Instead of bright lights and coffee machines, dim the lighting and add a few down comforters and pillows. After a few minutes snuggled up in a down comforter, employees will return to work feeling motivated and relaxed rather than jittery and nervous. Even the most stubborn employee won’t be able to resist the relaxing lure of a down pillow!

While you may know the basic differences between a down pillow and a feather pillow, there is more to consider when you pick the perfect pillow.  Let’s consider what you may not know about down pillows for the best night’s sleep.

The outer casing holding the down is called ticking.  Ideally it should be 100 percent cotton with a high thread count to keep the feathers in.  Fill power is the space in inches an ounce of down takes at expansion.  Try to get a fill power around 600 to feel that puffy fluff you want under your head when you go to bed.

If you sleep on your back, get a medium down pillow.  Tummy sleepers will want a soft pillow while side sleepers should opt for a firm one.  The position you start sleeping in how you determine which firmness to choose.

 While some folks think you can only get a down pillow or a feather pillow, there are other options.  If you have allergies, down alternative pillows are a good option.  Those on a tight budget might consider a down and feather combo pillow.

Replace your down pillow everyone one to two years.  Heavy sleepers may need to update their pillows every six months.  Make good use of the tags on your pillows to write the date your bought them so you know how old they are.

 Now you’re ready to choose the perfect down pillow for a dreamy night’s sleep!