Run your pillows through the rinse cycle twice the second time around without detergent, to ensure they're rinsed fully. When it comes to drying pillows, you'll need to ensure that all moisture has been wicked away, as dampness left in pillows can lead to mold. Use the no-heat cycle or low-heat setting, as high heat can lead to clumping in polyester-filled pillows. Your dryer will fluff pillows nicely, especially if you throw in a couple of unused tennis balls wrapped in clean white socks, to prevent dyes from transferring.
Afterward, keep plumping your pillows daily when you make your bed, to keep the filling from becoming flattened. When should you replace your pillows, you may ask? With regular washing and fluffing, the average down or feather pillow can last many years. In the long run, good-quality down is the least-expensive way to go since it holds up better than synthetic stuffings, which generally wear out in three to four years. When a pillow no longer looks evenly filled after being fluffed, or if you're waking up with chronic neck or back pain, it's time for a replacement.
It's good to note that many high-end manufacturers will refill their pillows for a fee-but if you're shopping for a new pillow, choose one that supports your posture. Stomach sleepers do best on soft preferably down pillows, which reduce neck strain; back sleepers need a semi-firm pillow that is flatter.
Firmer pillows are best if you sleep on your side or toss and turn a lot. From soft bamboo sheets to luxurious cotton duvets, there are many options in organic- and other natural-fiber bedding.
The best options on the market, however, are percent cotton varieties-they're breathable linens that are made entirely of cotton, and they'll last for many years. Egyptian cotton, another high-quality material grown in the fertile Nile Valley, has a long fiber, or staple, that yields a strong, highly absorbent material.
Supima, America's version of Egyptian cotton, is the finest long-staple cotton grown in the United States-and Pima, grown primarily in the southwestern United States, is long-staple cotton named after an American Indian tribe. Other cotton varieties include linen, bamboo, and organic cotton. Linen is a luxurious fiber, derived from the flax plant, feels nice and cool in summer and gets softer after many years of use.
Linen-cotton blends are more affordable and generally easier to care for than percent linen or cotton-based sheets. If you get hot while you sleep , try cool and silky bamboo-fiber sheets. Often blended with organic cotton, the fiber, made from the pulp of bamboo grass, is naturally resistant to bacteria.
Although the grass renews rapidly, the fiber production can be resource intensive, so this isn't necessarily a "green" product. Raised and harvested using methods that do not include harmful pesticides, orgainc cotton is environmentally friendly.
Keep in mind that some sheets labeled "organic" are colored with nonorganic dyes. Most comforters and duvets should have a cover, which is much easier to clean and, like a pillow protector, helps shield allergy sufferers from a buildup of dust and dirt.
It also guards against oils that can break down the fabric and eventually cause filling to leak. Decorative comforters, which come in a variety of colors and styles, do not require covers, on the other hand.
These comforter covers should be washed weekly-monthly if you use a top sheet-but you won't have to wash the comforter itself unless you spill something on it. When it's necessary, launder comforters following the label's instructions. To remove moisture, which could lead to mold and mildew , thoroughly dry all comforters-most should and can be machine-dried, but check the label before doing so. Store your comforter folded in a cool, dry place , away from moisture and light.
A linen or canvas storage bag will allow it to breathe; avoid plastic, which prevents air circulation. In order to reduce odor buildup, hang your comforter on a clothesline on a dry, breezy day every few months. You can fluff your comforter in the dryer, just as you would a pillow. Because it doesn't have to support weight the way that pillows and mattresses must, your comforter should last 15 to 25 years if you keep it covered and air it regularly.
Replace it when it begins to look limp and flat or starts leaking bits of filling. Probably not. One less thing to worry about! We Asked an Expert. By Caylin Harris December 03, Save FB Tweet More. Related Items. Close menu. Log in Create account. Blog Menu. Shipping Bedding While we work in as clean an environment as possible, everything and anything tends to pick up some dirt and germs while in transit or being stored.
Fragrance Bedding will not only pick up the fragrance of the packaging materials used, but it may also pick up the fragrance of anyone who opens the package to feel how soft the material is. Sheets should then be washed at least once a week. Once every two weeks is okay, but this should not be the case if someone becomes sick or during times when one sweats more, like hot summer nights.
Neglecting to wash sheets can have consequences on overall health by lengthening a cold or sickness and overall breeding unhealthy bacteria over time. When done properly, you should only have to wash them once before use. In some circumstances, some fabrics such as flannel sheets, often come with a warning that they do pill after several washes. So you might reconsider washing them twice. Dark-colored sheets can also run dye for several washes.
Using cold water during at least one of the washes will help extend the life of your sheets. There are other methods that can help avoid needing to double wash. Adding a cup of white cleaning vinegar to the wash cycle reduces the amount of pilling on flannel sheets. Rinsing dark sheets in a cold rinse cycle before washing will remove most of the dye before the first use.
If you are sensitive to scents and the sheets still smell, you should consider washing them again or returning the sheets if they were washed properly and still bother you. Similarly, pillows are an important item to pay attention to when it comes to cleanliness. For the same reasons listed above, new pillows should be washed. Unclean pillows are often a culprit of sleepless nights for allergy sufferers.
Follow the care instructions. Most can be machine washed and dried, but down pillows should be paid extra attention to. A good step in preventing pillows from becoming dirty is to use pillow protectors on ones that you will be sleeping with for a variety of reasons.
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