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.

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?

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!

Do you love to watch the old movies from the 1930’s and 1940’s?  Fabulous movie stars such as Joan Crawford and Rita Hayworth always looked so glamorous.  Hollywood bedrooms were posh and alluring with plenty of puffy pillows.  You always wishes your own bedroom could look that way - and it really can.

The color scheme, soft bedding and wealth of pillows always looked incredibly inviting in those old Hollywood movies.  You can recreate this exciting look in your own budoir with a plush down comforter, decorative duvet cover and many soft down pillows.

The rich, luxurious fluffiness of down bedding and pillows turns your everyday bedroom into a Hollywood oasis.  Have a bed you long to sink into with decorative down bedding and several down pillows that make you want to stay in your bedroom all day.

After a long day, relax in your own welcoming bed and watch an old Hollywood movies.  When the bedroom scene comes on, feel totally at ease knowing your bed in down is the best dressed around.

Feng shui is a popular Chinese philosophy regarding spacial arrangements and the flow of energy in a house or room.  When you clear out your rooms and arrange them according to the principals of feng shui, you live a calmer and more organized lifestyle.

With soft down bedding, the right colors and proper furniture arrangement, you can improve the feng shui in your bedroom.  Here are a few ways to bring this ancient sense of calm into your budoir:

1.  Get rid of nagging reminders of work including computers and exercise equipment so your bedroom is a peaceful escape.

2.  Have several levels of lighting ranging from bright to dim.  Include candles, preferably the non-toxic, soy-based variety.

3.  Clean air is essential in the room you sleep in.  Open windows and have an air purifier in your bedroom.  Avoid keeping plants in the room unless they are situated far from your bed.

4.  Keep uplifting images in your bedroom of places you want to be. Don’t hang sad, dark pictures in your bedroom.

5.  Use soothing, calming colors in your bedroom.  Many feng shui experts recommend skin colors ranging from white to beige to brown.

6.  Situate your bed in the center of the room with the headboard by the door.  Have a night table on each side of the bed.  Do not place your bed in direct line with the door.  Make sure you can see your door from your bed for a safe feeling.

7.  Close all doors before you go to sleep including your closet door, bathroom door and bedroom door.

8.  Sink into your soft bed with a down comforter and fall into a deep, rejuventating slumber!

Spring was always the season of love to me.  Why wait for summer love when the spring brings warmer weather, fragrant flowers and the possibility of new, beautiful things?  Even if you’re in love already, spring is a perfect time to rediscover your passion.

I never leave home without a down comforter in the trunk of my car.  From chilly passengers to impromptu days at the beach, you never know when a down comforter will come in handy.  I’ll never forget the day my husband and I decided to take a ride to pick up a simple boat part. 

We had to drive to a scenic area to pick up the part at a local marina.  After we got the part, we decided to stop at the deli for sandwiches because we felt so hungry.  My husband said it was a shame to miss such a lovely day and we should find a bench to eat outside.  Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea and there were no benches left.

I reminded hubby I had the trusty down comforter in my trunk for these type of occasions.  We rode down the block and found a deserted little patch of beach.  We set up a spur-of-the-moment picnic and had the best time!  After an hour of laughing, eating and kissing, we fell in love all over again under the warm spring sun.  Thanks to my trusty down comforter, I didn’t miss a golden opportunity for romance by the beach.