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.

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!

With the spring and summer upon us, it’s time redecorate to reflect the warmer seasons.  Brighter colors, flowers and rainbow prints replace the darker colors and designs of fall and winter.  One of the quickest, easiest ways to update your bedroom decor is to dress up your down comforter in a new duvet cover.

Duvet covers are available for single, full, queen and king size down comforters.  They add a fresh new touch to the room without the expense of getting another down comforter.  The biggeset problem people have with duvet covers is trying to put them on their down comforters.  Here is the easy way to dress your down up in style:

1. Put the duvet cover on your bed with the top by your pillows and the bottom toward the bed’s foot.

2. Stand at the foot of the bed and move to the left side to grab the to left corner of the cover with your left hand.

3. Grab the top left corner of the duvet cover with your right hand, push the comforter into the top left corner of the cover, holding onto both the comforter and cover with your left hand.  Pull the cover over the comforter as far as it will go with your right arm.

4. Go to the right side of the bed and grab the right corner of the duvet cover with your right hand.  Grab it with your left hand to push the comforter into the right corner of the cover.  Hold onto the comforter and cover with your right hand and pull the cover over the down comfroter as far as it will go.

5. Pull the duvet cover all the way to the bottom and pop in the right bottom corner of the comforter.  Repeat on the left side.

6.  Stand at the center of the foot of the bed to fasten the button or poppers.  Some buttons can be done inside out so they are not seen. 

7.  Shake out the duvet and position it on your bed then add puffy down pillows for total comfort.

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.

With spring comes warmer weather, colorful flowers and longer days.  While everyone looks forward to sun and fun in the spring, it all means spring cleaning and allergies.  Don’t wind up too congested to have a good time or get decent sleep this year.  Here are a few suggestions that will have you falling asleep under your down comforter sooner than you might think.

1.  Use gloves and a mask when you spring clean.  You’re raising a lot of dust which can aggravate your allergies.  A glove keeps dirt from building under your fingernails and a mask protects your mouth and nose while breathing.

2.  Read the instructions on prescription and non-prescription allergy medications carefully.  Some medications might make you drowsy while others may energize you.  Be in the know so you can plan your medication, work and sleep schedule accordingly.

3.  Use a neti pot.  This simple device is found in pharmacies everywhere and offers natural relief for allergy congestion.  A neti pot looks like a small teapot.  You fill it with a saline solution to rinse out your sinuses.  This also removes allergens and debris.

4.  Have light, comfortable down bedding.  Take off your heavy blankets and down comforter from the winter.  When you’re too warm, it’s more difficult to breathe and sleep.  Use Egyptian cotton sheets and a light down comforter for comfortable spring sleeping.

My kids look forward to warm weather weekends so they can go camping in our backyard.  If you have a private backyard, you know the opportunities for adventure are limitless.  Every tree, rock and nook becomes a mystery waiting to be solved.  Children naturally want to set up camp to sleep in their favorite place.

Even though spring days are filled with sunshine, the evenings often get chilly.  Even summer nights sometimes have a chill.  I keep my old down comforters to use for backyard camping excursions.  I make sure to throw a couple of insulated, comfortable down comforteres in the tent for the children to curl up and get warm.

The down comforters serve a variety of purposes.  The children use them to make hideaways, snuggle up to read a book, make a fort and then fall asleep happily under the stars.  If you don’t know what to do with your older down comforters, save them for backyard camping and beyond.  Cozy down comforters are also great to have in pop-up campers, RVs, boats and the trunk of your vehicle for picnics and all night adventures.