How to Choose the Right Duvet Cover

If you live in a cold climate, you probably have several sheets of blankets on your bed especially in winter season when the cold is too much to bear. Or even if you live in a warm place, you have probably heard of duvet. Duvet is synonymous and is used interchangeably with comforter. The word “duvet” is a French term which refers to down of birds. Down are the soft, spineless under-feathers of certain birds like duck or goose.

Duvets are usually stuffed with natural materials like wool, feathers, or down which are perfect to protect your body against the cold. And when you buy a duvet, it is equally important to buy the right duvet cover. It is important to buy the right duvet cover because it protects your duvet against dirt, dust, and stain. Keep in mind that it is easier to wash the cover than the comforter itself. It is also cheaper to buy a new cover than a new duvet.

Aside from these benefits, a duvet cover also updates your bedroom’s look in an instant. You can buy several duvet covers that match your bedroom décor. You can change your cover every two weeks or so if you get bored with your existing design and pattern.

These are just some of the benefits of using a duvet cover. When you buy these covers for your comforter, it is important that you know the things to look for in a duvet cover. Here are some tips on how to choose the right cover for your comforter.

- Consider the thread count of the fabric. Thread count is the number of thread in a square inch. The higher the number, the softer and warmer the cover. This also applies when choosing the duvet. The ideal thread count is 300. But you can choose from 100 to 1000 threads in a certain area.

- You also have to consider the size of your duvet. The size of your duvet also depends on the size of your bed. The standard sizes are twin or single, double, queen, king, and California king. It is important that you choose the right size for your comforter.

- It is also important to look into the closure. Duvet covers use different closures or fasteners such as buttons, zippers, snaps, hook-n-loop strips, and ties. You can choose a cover with a closure which you think will work best for you. Look at the closure carefully. Make sure that they are made of good quality materials and they are fastened securely to the fabric. For zippers, make sure that they can be zipped without getting stuck.

- The type of fabric is also an important consideration when choosing a cover for your comforter. You can choose cotton, silk, faux suede, velvet, satin, or linen. These fabrics have their own advantages and disadvantages. The most common is cotton because it is easy to wash and the texture is very soft. Many people describe it as a material that “breathes” because it is natural.

Smart Choice – Organic Baby Bedding

It is tough being a baby in today’s world. Unlike the young ones of animals, human babies are not completely developed when they are born. The first few years are the most crucial years in the life of the baby.

The baby is at highest risk during the initial years. Hence, it is imperative that you protect your baby from health risks during the initial years.

Your baby must be protected not just from external risks but also from pollutants inside your house.

No object in our house today is free of chemicals and artificial substances. Even our bedding set contains remnants of toxic colors and chemicals.

While adults are resistant to such toxic substances, babies are at risk from such pollutants. Hence, it is preferable to opt for organic baby bedding set for your tiny tot.

Such a decision has many obvious advantages.

1. You can be rest assured that your baby is safe from pollutants, toxins and other allergic substances when it is sleeping.

2. The delicate skin of your baby shall be safe from rashes, spots, multiple chemical sensitivities and other problems that occur due to contact with chemicals.

3. Organic substances are very environment friendly. By preferring an organic baby bedding set, you will be protecting not just your baby but also the world which you baby shall inherit after you.

4. Organic baby bedding set will provide extra comfort to the baby.

5. Since only organic fabric, organic colors and organic substances are used in making the bedding set, your baby can be assured of a good night’s sleep every time it is laid on the bedding.

6. Organic bedding sets are not very expensive as compared to other bedding sets. While no price may seem too high for the health of your baby, you do not have to shell out a small fortune to buy an organic baby bedding set for your child.

7. While many products are sold at high prices because of the fact that they are made of organic substances, this is not true for organic baby bedding sets.

8. Organic baby bedding sets are available on the internet as well. You need not even step outside the cool confines of your home. Simply log on to the web, visit the online stores of reputed organic baby bedding sets, search for the product you want and have it delivered to your home.

There was a time when opting for organic products meant that one had to sacrifice on all other aspects of the product. However, that is not the case with organic baby bedding sets.

There is a lot of choice available in terms of design, colors, styles and varieties of bedding sets. Children prefer bright colors over sober colors. Hence, you can get bright colored bedding sets for your tiny tot.

Of course, all the colors used shall be organic colors. Taking the effort to buy an organic baby bedding set makes a lot of sense.

In the long run, this decision of yours may have a huge impact on the overall health of your children.

From Co-Sleeping Back to the Crib

When Penny Rosenzweig transitioned her son from co-sleeping to his own bed, it was a difficult process. They put a mattress on the floor of his room, but she ended up sleeping next to him until he was used to being in his own room. It often took her 45 minutes to an hour to get him to sleep before she could leave.

Eventually, Rosenzweig’s husband, Joel, started reading to him in his bed, gave him milk in a bottle and then rubbed his back to get him to sleep. After a few rough nights like this, Noah became used to the new routine and was able to fall asleep without his mom. But then he wanted to come downstairs to be with his parents.

Once you’ve decided that this is the right time to move your baby, go forward with confidence.

Getting him to stay in his room required lots of time, patience and creativity. The Marlborough, Mass., resident intentionally did things differently with her second child to avoid the problems she had with her son. When her sleep stretches were longer, Rosenzweig put her to sleep in her crib in her own room, and then brought her into bed with her when she woke up. She also put her in her crib when she was still awake so she’d learn to fall asleep without nursing.

What else can parents do to transition their child from a co-sleeping environment to a crib or bed? Read on for tips and guidance to navigate this milestone.

Hangin’ Out With Sheets

How To Size
Ever wonder why some fitted sheets don’t fit properly? Even though you purchase “queen-size” sheets for your queen-sized bed, the sheets may still be too big causing wrinkles and creases in the bedding. Or, they might fit too tightly and constantly come apart from the mattress they’re meant to snugly cover.

The problem lies with the sheet pocket. When purchasing sheets, first measure the height of your mattress, then look for sheets with a pocket depth that matches. This way you’ll be assured of a proper fit.

The Pharoah of Cottons
Of all the different kinds of cotton, Egyptian cotton is the strongest while still maintaining its softness. Though pure Egyptian cotton is grown only in the Nile River basin, Egyptian cotton with an American twist is produced in the Southwest, where it is called Pima cotton.

About Thread Count
All sheets are not created equal. Those with a higher thread count are softer and more luxurious, therefore more desirable than those with a low thread count. Thread count is the number of threads or yarns woven lengthwise and crosswise into one square inch of fabric. Tighter weaves produce more durable fabrics. High end sheets can have thread counts of 300 and above. Percale sheets have 180 threads per square inch, whereas muslin sheets have 120.

Eco-Friendly Care for Bed Linens

Care of your sheets is just as important as the composition of the sheets themselves. In fact, if you’re not quite ready to make the leap to organic sheets, switching to a healthy laundry detergent is the next best green improvement you can make. Why? Because perfumes, chemicals, and other synthetics found in conventional detergents can act as neurotoxins, initiating chemical sensitivities, compromising immune systems, and exacerbating allergies. All that, and we haven’t even mentioned the polluting effect detergents have on our waterways!

Oddly, perfumes are not regulated by any governmental agency. Pesticides, however, are regulated, and many chemical components in perfumes have been outlawed for use as pesticides. For safety’s sake, avoid perfumed products altogether. If you’d like to enjoy a little scent, put a lavender sachet in the dryer with your sheets.
Read the label
Choose a biodegradable or biocompatible laundry soap. The difference? Biodegradable indicates that the ingredients will break down into inert substances in our environment, either immediately or over a long period of time.

Biocompatible, on the other hand, means that the ingredients will break down into nutrients that are actually beneficial for the environment. Biocompatible laundry detergents are ideal for septic and greywater systems.

Avoid any detergents formulated from petrochemicals that may contain bleaches and synthetic whiteners. None of these packages will say biodegradable. Toxicology reports have identified that chlorine is toxic as a skin irritant and by inhalation.
We recommend
Using non-toxic, biodegradable laundry soap without perfumes, additives, bleach or phosphates. Browse our selection of laundry detergents and non-chlorine bleaches.
Make your own
Detergents were designed to clean synthetic fibers. Natural fibers can be cleaned quite well with natural substances. It’s so simple to make your own!
Laundry Recipe
Use 1 cup of plain baking soda, borax, or natural soap flakes. Or, grate pure bar soap , add water, and liquefy in a blender. Store in a tight glass container. Add a drop or two of vinegar in the laundry water to prevent colors from fading.

To brighten your whites, add 8 oz of food grade hydrogen peroxide (diluted 10:1) or add an additional cup of borax to your wash cycle. For other household cleaning recipes visit our information center.
Did you know?
Drying in a conventional dryer uses more energy than washing in hot water. For energy efficient drying, hang newly-washed sheets on a clothesline in your backyard. After all, nothing compares to the scent of clean, sun-baked sheets on your bed!

Best Way to Wash Your Comforter

Comforters are usually the largest linen item in the home that require washing. This poses a challenge when it’s time to wash a comforter, because home washers are typically too small to care for something so big, and all the fluff will be disturbed if made to squeeze inside an inadequately sized vessel. However, there are several other options when one desires to wash a comforter.

Of course, before deciding where to wash, the tag must be consulted to determine how. Fabrics and fillings on comforters vary, and some require special handling. If the tag says to dry clean, it is best left to professionals, but it’s not difficult to wash a comforter if instructions are listed on the tag — they just require a larger receptacle than most have at home.

Laundromats can be found just about anywhere, and they have super-size capacity washers that are the perfect size to wash a comforter. Once a proper washer is located, turn the setting to cold. Hot water will cause the fabric to shrink, and it may be harmful to the fluff as well. Gentle detergents are the best option. Down comforters are a special case and must be washed with a product specifically made for down or the feathers will be ruined. Only a small amount of detergent should be used to wash a comforter, because the numerous fabric layers and fluff act as a sponge and absorb all the soap. Even with a small bit of detergent, comforters should be run through the rinse cycle at least twice to remove all the soap.

The frequency of washing determines the life span and condition of a comforter, so they should only be washed when absolutely necessary. Each wash shrinks a comforter a bit more and the fluff gradually disintegrates. Ultra-fragile comforters can be washed in a bathtub to avoid the wear and tear of washing machines. This is done by hand washing with a mild detergent in warm water. It should then bypass the dryer and be hung up.

Drying regular comforters can be done at the laundromat as well, or they can be hung up to dry. If using a dryer, use a low heat setting and toss in a few tennis balls. As the comforter spins, the balls will bounce around inside, keeping the comforter from bunching up in a ball and helping to maintain the fluffiness.

Things to Consider when Choosing Kids Bedding

Kids even as young as toddler age have a notion of what they like and don’t like and that includes what they would like to see on their bedding. They may have favourite colours or characters and these can be a great starting point for choosing bedding that your kids are going to love seeing on their bed.

When choosing your children’s bedding it is useful to include them in some part of the decision making process. A child’s room is an expression of their personality even at toddler age and they will undoubtedly want to have some say about how they want their room to look, particularly their bedding. The following are some things to consider when choosing kids bedding.

The safety of bedding fabrics and fillings is an important consideration. Some children can be allergic to particular fabrics and/or fillings for duvets and pillows. With regard to duvet fillings it is wise to avoid duck feathers or down fillings. Opt for 100% fibre-filled duvets e.g. polyester or other suitable artificial fibres. Always check the labels. With regard to pillows the same rules apply. Opt for foam or other synthetic fillings for pillows. Some manufacturers advertise their products as having ‘anti-allergic’ materials inside.

Choosing these products means the allergy issue is dealt with. Pillows can accumulate a lot of dust even with regular washing. Pillow dust covers are useful underneath the pillow slip. It is recommended that pillows be replaced every few years or sooner for kids with known allergies.
With regards to the choice of fabric, choose natural or organic fabrics. You cannot go wrong with 100% cotton bedding or at least a cotton/polyester mix.

The grown up consideration of safety dealt with, it’s now time to turn your attention to the style and design of the bedding. Time to consult your kids! It’s here where your kid’s imagination and preferences should be used to good effect. It is also with regard to bedding design where your child will be spoilt for choice. Choosing characters from your child’s hobbies helps to narrow down the choice. Choosing characters or themes that appear in bedding sets of sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases, can give an overall co-ordinated feel to the room. Of course you can also find these themes in other kid’s room accessories like kids door knobs, bookends and kids curtains and rugs. Be careful when choosing age and gender specific designs as kids outgrow particular characters. Before you invest in expensive character bedding try to check out if your child’s love for these characters is a lasting feeling or just a passing phase. If you go for age-related character favourites, be prepared to replace them frequently. On the other hand, choosing themes like fairies, bears, and the ocean for example you may be able to change things less frequently as children’s fascination with themes may last longer than a faddy interest in the latest TV character. Kids duvet covers with well chosen themes can last through into teens.

Finally, kids bedding can get dirty very quickly and require regular maintenance, therefore remember to choose fabrics and fillings that are durable and machine washable. Again you cannot go wrong with durable cotton and organic fabrics.

The Hidden Dangers of Electric Blankets

When you think of a blanket, you hardly think Danger! But those cozy electric blankets that keep you warm during the winter months account for thousands of household fires every year! Here are some electric blanket safety tips to keep you from adding to those frightening statistics.

There are some signs of danger that should stop you from even plugging in your electric blanket in the first place. Frayed fabric, creases, dampness, loose connections, or exposed wires, mean it’s time to throw your electric blanket away. You’ll want to keep a special eye on the cord, as any wear and tear on it is particularly dangerous.

As well, any electric blanket that has been around for more than 10 years is a serious hazard. This is why you should never buy a used electric blanket.

The rule of thumb is: when in doubt, throw it out! An electric blanket is easy to replace.

When storing your blanket, roll it up (or keep it flat), instead of folding it. Why? Folding your electric blanket can damage the wires, even if you’re folding it over your lap! Other tips: don’t keep your electric blanket on all night and never get it wet (not even to wash it). If your electric blanket does get wet, do not use it or turn it on.

It’s best to get your electric blanket tested regularly (every three years is ideal), to make sure it is good shape and doesn’t pose a threat to you and your loved ones.

Lastly, always follow directions. The manufacturer’s instructions must be taken seriously!

Wool Pillows – Better for You, Your Sleep, and The Planet

With Natural Wool You Get a Great Night’s Sleep…

* Are you tired of tossing and turning, waking up to adjust the covers?
* Are you sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold?
* Do you have to drag yourself out of bed in the morning because your sleep wasn’t good enough?
* Does your neck sometimes ache because you slept on it wrong?
* Is your pillow damp in the morning?
* Do you suffer from allergic reactions, find it hard to breathe, cough and sneeze at night?
* Do you suffer from fibromyalgia, arthritis, or rheumatism?

Wool has many health benefits…

Stop tossing and turning at night, throwing the covers off, putting them back on, sticking your leg out so you can reach a comfortable temperature! Bedding made with wool has millions of air pockets to insulate you. It wicks moisture away from your body so your pajamas don’t get all clammy and you don’t get chilled.

Do you start sneezing whenever you get into bed? Down, feathers, and the synthetic fabrics, (especially the petroleum-based foams), provide a wonderful environment for millions of dust mites, tiny microscopic insects that feed off your dead skin cells. Millions of dust mites leave lots of fecal matter behind. This is what causes many allergies and asthma attacks as you breathe this fecal matter in. Because wool wicks moisture away where it evaporates quickly, it is too arid for dust mites to live. This is the same for mold and mildew. It can’t survive in wool. You will breathe easier.

Wool helps you get the sleep you need to strengthen your immunity system, defending you from lurking bacteria. Not enough sleep can cause depression and is one of the leading causes of accidents. Studies have proven that sleeping on wool lowers the heart rate and blood pressure and contributes to a deeper, more restful night’s sleep. Wool
helps those who suffer from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and rheumatism sleep better. Wool has been proven to help babies sleep better, longer, and be more rested .

WoolieBees are finally Available in the United States!

Find out why Europe is raving about sleeping with WoolieBees!

Wool is the natural way to get a deep, restful sleep. It keeps you cool in the summer, warm in the winter. It keeps you dry and comfortable. Wool is the number one bedding material in Europe, has been for centuries. Europeans have known about the benefits of sleeping with wool products since they started raising sheep. They thought nothing could improve natural, healthy, comfortable wool.

Then They Discovered WoolieBees!

What’s the “twist” that makes WoolieBees different from other wool products?

WoolieBees has solved the only downside to pure woolen products. After long use, traditional wool products tend to mat when wet and compressed. This makes washing difficult. WoolieBees are made by a secret process discovered in New Zealand that makes small honeybee-sized balls of pure softness. These “Bees” still have all of the qualities of wool but they never mat. WoolieBees always stay fluffy and spring right back into shape. Only WoolieBees are made with this secret process. WoolieBees are machine washable!

WoolieBees are made from 100% pure New Zealand wool. These healthy free-range sheep aren’t fed unnatural hormones or chemicals. They eat what nature intended them to eat, pesticide free grasses in pristine pastures. WoolieBees sheep are raised only for their wool, not for their meat.

There are absolutely no added chemicals in WoolieBees. WoolieBees by law don’t need the added fire retardant chemicals other bedding does. Wool won’t burn, that is why firefighter’s clothes are made from wool. WoolieBees makes the safest bedding you can buy.

Finally, the Perfect Pillow!

Pillows stuffed with WoolieBees are completely adjustable as to firmness. Need a softer pillow? Unzip the 100% cotton casing and remove some WoolieBees. Now it’s too soft? Put some WoolieBees back. You control exactly how firm or soft your pillow will be.

WoolieBees Pillows cradle your head with luxurious support. You won’t wake up with a stiff neck when WoolieBees are supporting you.

WoolieBees do not break down and lose their shape like foam does.

Your WoolieBees pillows hold their shape all night and never shift. They won’t be flat under your head, and bunching around the sides of your head like down or feather pillows. You won’t get poked with a quill. Your head will sink into a WoolieBees pillow like you’re resting on a cloud.

You won’t wake up at night with a soggy pillow. WoolieBees wick moisture away where it evaporates, keeping you dry and comfortable all night long.

WoolieBees pillow is truly the perfect pillow.
WoolieBees, 100% pure New Zealand wool!

14 Most Important Pillow Facts and Figures

1. The average departmental pillow lasts about 18 months. If you fold over your pillow in half and the poor thing just lies there, you have a dead pillow. Time to bury it. I went back and stayed with in my childhood home recently and I swear the pillows were over 20 years old. Could be 30 years. Moldy, smelly and stained. Guess what my dear old Dad is getting on my next trip to the UK? And don’t pretend that a good number of you don’t have pillows like that out there. I know, I have been asking about your pillows. The answers amaze me.

2. Most pillows are the harbinger of dust mites – millions of them – and we bury our noses in those little critters every night! You can kill the little beasties by putting your pillow in a plastic bag and freezing the pillow in the freezer for a while. Using dust mite covers which also act as protective encasings are a good idea. Use a dry steam cleaner to kill the mites. Most people drool at night, so you must use some kind of encasing.

3. Do you scrunch up your pillow, fold it in half like a neck roll, or otherwise paw all over it like a your cat or dog trying to get it to fit comfortably underneath your head? Sure sign your pillow and you are not compatible. Time to go on the pillow search.

4. Some pillow fillings are hypoallergenic – meaning if you have allergies you are likely to not to have a reaction to these ones. Best examples here are hypo-allergenic (super cleaned), PURE down, wool, cotton or natural latex.

5. Best dust-mite resistant pillows are wool and natural latex. Worst pillows for attracting mold and dust mites are any kind of foam, memory foam excepted.

6. Biggest disappointment was a memory foam contoured pillow. To be begin with I thought I was in pillow heaven, until I woke boiling hot every night for a week. We also noticed a very unpleasant odor from the pillow and found out that memory foam outgases the VOC toluene.

7. Wool and its softer cousin Alpaca is the longest lasting and healthy kind of pillow you could hope for. Wool pillows hold their shape for years and are naturally inhospitable to dust mites. They also wick away moisture and will keep you cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Side sleepers are most likely to like wool pillows as a firmer pillow suits them best. But be warned, these pillows can feel like a rock if you prefer a squishy down pillow. Great for support, but totally lacking in the “sinking pillow sumptuous luxury feel .” A wool pillow is healthy, not sumptuous.

8. I tried the Royal Pedic latex contoured pillow and got my husband to try it too. This is another firm choice. It maybe a rubber material but make no mistake about it – this is a healthy “almost but not quite” rock. It comes in one size – standard. Being used to huge fluffy looking pillows, this looked darn small to me when I took it out of the package. I almost felt ripped off but I dutifully gave it a whirl for a week. So here was the big surprise- while I couldn’t scrunch it up like I was used to, I did not need to because the contour fitted perfectly underneath my neck. What’s more, I slept beautifully and had no back pain. I just have to get used to its appearance, as this pillow looks so pathetically small and scarcely a decorating asset.

9. Soft, Medium or Firm pillows which one is best for you? Well, here it gets interesting. Side sleepers do best with firmer pillows because they need to fill the space between the neck and shoulders to get proper alignment. Stomach sleepers like the softest pillows. Soft to medium is best for them because they do not need their head to be raised too high and cut off circulation. Back sleeper like the happy medium.

10. Now onto this mysterious thing called “fill power”. The easiest way to figure it out is to say as the numerical fill power increases so does the quality and so does the life of the pillow. Our best hypoallergenic down Hypodown 800 fill pillows will last 10 years. So like anything else you get what you pay for. Forget pillows with fill power less than 550. We tested a range of “fills” from 600 to 800. To be honest, most people had a hard time distinguishing between the 600 and the 800 although the purity of the down increases with the fill number.

11. What makes one down pillow hypoallergenic and another just a regular pillow? Here the answer surprised me. The stuff that people are allergic to in down is due to the cleaning process or lack thereof, in cleaning the down before it is put in pillows. So those companies that offer hypoallergenic down pillows put the down through a special rigorous cleaning process.

12. Goose down is much more expensive (softer) than duck down and if you really get into it for comforters where in the world the down comes from makes a difference. All geese do not produce the exactly the comparable level of soft down. This is a topic for another article for comforters, but in pillows, I discovered a labeling problem. An “all down” pillow may contain quite a significant percentage of feathers, or other fill. With our Hypodown pillows, they do contain a small percentage of milkweed fiber which has some properties to enhance the hypoallergenic nature of these pillows. However, I was astonished to find “pure down” is an incredibly loose term and one widely abused in my opinion.

13. And now onto synthetic down, the most popular brand being “Primaloft”. I confess that when I first tried out Primaloft I was very enthusiastic. At last, a big squishy soft pillow that felt as nice as down. They really are comfortable and soft. The price was right too. I have to say that after about 18 months of use, these pillows are not dead, but the fill has moved and the pillows are not nearly as plump as they were. The answer is they are much cheaper than allergy free goose down pillows (about 1/4 of the price) and they do not last as long. A nice choice for the guest bedroom, or the college dorm.

14. Cotton pillows. Another choice for the firm pillow lovers. These are simply the best choice of those with multiple chemical sensitivities. There is nothing in these pillows, which could trigger a reaction even in the most sensitive.

And the answer as to my favorite pillow? It turned out to be the natural latex contoured pillow. It has taken away a number of my aches and pains and I have been sleeping better. My only problem is one of aesthetics! My husband’s side of the bed is full of luxurious looking Hypodown pillows and I look at this tiny funny shaped pillow my side and it looks rather pathetic. But I sleep much better. So I figure that is more important.

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