Archive for February, 2010
Softness Against Your Skin
I had never heard of bamboo fabric until recently. It makes me happy that so many manufacturers are coming up with all-natural products like bamboo linens and towels. These products are good for our bodies and the enviroment as well as being high-quality.
A couple months ago I purchased my first set of queen bamboo sheets, and they are softer than almost any other sheet I have encountered. I actually look forward to going to bed every night in order to feel the silky sheets against my freshly-showered skin. I like my new sheets so much that I bought another set in a diffrent color. They are also quite affordable and easy to find.
The Versatile Daybed Pop Up Trundle
By If you are looking to add some additional sleeping space to your room, the daybed pop up trundle combo is the way to go! You not only get sleeping space for two that only takes up space for one when not in use, but you also have options of where to sleep that second person.
The daybed pop up trundle is the easiest to use of the various trundle options. You just slide it out from under the bed, raise it to its normal height, and lock it into position. With a little bit of practice, you can probably do it with just one hand! No need to flip it all around while opening up the legs like with a lift up trundle unit. And because it is not a trundle drawer version, you can move the trundle bed wherever it is needed.
Most people think that when you set up your pop up trundle bed that you will put it alongside the daybed itself. Obviously this is an option, and probably the most preferred one if you are sleeping adults in the daybed. Simply line the two beds up together and you have the equivalent of a king-size bed. You can use either 2 twin-size sheet sets or you can use a king-size set. Then in the morning, strip the bedsheets, lower the trundle bed, slide it back under the daybed, and your room is back to normal.
But with your daybed pop up trundle, you have OPTIONS! You can slide the trundle out from under the daybed but leave it at ground level … great for when sleeping smaller children. Or you can raise the bed and put it anywhere else in the room where it fits better. Or, you can even put it in another room if you need to. Just be sure to not pop it up until you have it where you want it as the open trundle bed will be more difficult to move.
If you’re thinking about adding additional sleeping space somewhere in your house but are concerned that you really don’t have room to dedicate solely to sleeping the occasional guest, a daybed pop up trundle arrangement is by far your best bet. For the space of one bed, you get two beds … and you are not even required to sleep both those guests in the same room. Underneath the daybed is built-in storage space for your trundle bed so you won’t even have to find somewhere to store your extra bed.
Bamboo Sheets and the Benefits For Your Hotel
By While attending a bed and breakfast conference recently, I visited Inn Style in the vendor section to investigate what they had in the way of organic cotton sheets. Instead, I found organic bamboo sheets. The sheets I found are 100 percent bamboo fiber sheets, not a bamboo/cotton blend.
These sheets have all the benefits of satin, silk, and high quality Egyptian cotton bed sheets, with few of the disadvantages of any of them. The price is quite reasonable. Nothing slips off them during the night (the way you experience satin sheets). The hand (how it drapes across your hand) is heavenly. These sheets, be they knit or woven, are soft, supple, and silky to the touch.
Bamboo and silk fibers are more easily damaged by bleaching than other fabrics, so using baking soda and white vinegar in your wash and rinse cycles, respectively, are a better way of keeping sheets clean, bright and soft (and not stinking of perfumes found in fabric softeners). If the sheets get a tough stain, Stain Solver is powerful oxygen bleach you can safely use on them. Bamboo sheets also fair better with a cold-water wash, rather than a warm- or hot-water wash. Think of the comfort you create and the money you save with these laundry changes!
Bamboo sheets are a great alternative to organic cotton because bamboo grows readily much less water than cotton, and without fertilizers or pesticides. By buying natural-colored, un-dyed sheets, you have completed the cycle of natural bedding. And they feel so good you are taking care of your guests, treating them like royalty, but on a reasonable budget.
The knit bamboo sheets I bought from Inn Style to experiment with came in several, softly-hued colors; I chose natural. I later found white, 250 thread-count woven bamboo sheets at Sam’s club. They are a much better quality than any discount bed sheet I’ve ever experienced or purchased. The fabric in both sets of bamboo sheets is soft and drapes nicely. They breathe well, helping keep your guests comfortable all night.
Personally I have preferred jersey-knit sheets because I live in a cool-temperature climate and these sheets regulated my temperature year ’round. I was concerned that I was going to lose that temperature balance if I gave up my knit sheets. Neither of the bamboo sheet sets is a problem for me; I maintain the right temperature while I sleep.
The sheets were soft when we first opened the package. Each has been laundered only twice, so far, but the laundry results are positive. When I removed the knit sheets from the drier the first time, after a few hours of being crumpled, I was relieved to see they weren’t terribly wrinkled. Both sets are somewhat wrinkled after the laundry cycle, which will be a problem for some people, but a non-issue for me. I’ll report again after we’ve had them longer and washed them many more times.
Organic bamboo sheets are a natural for the lodging industry. Bamboo is ecofriendly in its growth patterns, and if you take care of your bamboo sheets naturally, they also are good for your guests with allergies and chemical sensitivities. You can buy them at several places.
Luxury Bed Linens
By What defines luxury? For everything, there is a different answer, and it’s not always clear cut. In fact, many times, luxury is different for different people. In a car, some people feel luxury is simply big, soft seats. Some people have to have a lot power at their disposal. Others want a lot of high tech gadgets. Many people feel that a luxury car is a combination of all these factors. So what is luxury bedding?
What Is A Duvet?
The traditional stuffing for the duvet is down from the Eider Duck, called Eiderdown. The duvet was not invented with luxury in mind, but rather to keep warm using something nearby. Now that duvets can be found all over the world, those still made with Eiderdown definitely fall under the category of luxurious bedding. A duvet covers generally replaces comforters and blankets, and is then itself covered since the Eiderdown is difficult to clean.
What Makes Luxury Bed Sheets?
Bed sheets are normal, but not all are luxury bed sheets. There are several different ways to measure quality in bed sheets, though only a few are used everywhere. This is thread count, as well as the threads’ country of origin. Choosing your luxury bedding should involve more research than just those terms, but they’re the two you’ll see most often advertised. The best, softest luxury bed linens don’t necessarily have the highest thread count, or come from Egypt.
Matelass
Although sometimes marketed as a luxury bed linen all its own, it’s traditionally not. In fact, this French word actually means “padded”. When referring to luxury bedding sets, it generally means a hand quilted, thick luxury bed linen which, ironically, has no padding within it at all. Sometimes there are designs quilted into the linen, but sometimes it’s just a generic quilted pattern. They’re usually 100% cotton, though some Matelass is made of other things.
Coverlet
For the most part, the coverlet is purely decorative, and often sits atop a duvet or other thick covers. Besides being used on a luxury bed, the coverlet can also be found being used a throw blanket, or even a picnic blanket. They are generally quite thin, and are rarely suitable for keeping warm. Although coverlets have been around for a while, they have been largely replaced by duvet covers in most luxury bedding ensembles. The coverlet is still used by some, though, and can be found in a wide variety of designs and patterns. They can be purchased individually, or found in a luxury bedding set.
Fill Power and Down Alternatives
Determining the quality and potential warmth of a given comforter is quite simple when you’re working with down. That’s because of the standardized measurement known as fill power. In a nutshell, fill power refers to down material’s ability to insulate a sleeper. To obtain this measurement, one must compress the down and observe as it fluffs up once released. Down with greater fill power will fluff up all the more.
In the case of a down alternative comforter, it’s important to look at the thread count of the material and the type of fill used. The most comfortable, highly insulated filling will approximate down in nearly every way with the notable exception that it’s made of fiber. Any thread count greater than 200 will mix resilient strength with surprising softness. Don’t forget to factor in breathability as certain comforters can be stifling.
The Beginning of Bedding Bedspreads in America
By Early bedding bedspreads and coverlets in America were produced by hand or woven on a loom just as other textile products were. The complexity of the woven bedspread patterns were limited only by the talent of the person hand weaving them or the limitations of the early type textile looms in existence at the time.. The patterns woven into these products could also be influenced many different cultures from around the world. This would depend upon the ethnicity of the person making the bedspread or coverlet.. They quite often were given as gifts and were kept as heirlooms by many families.
In the earliest years of American History these bedspreads and coverlet were woven by hand on basic looms at home or could be embroidered by hand. By approximately the early eighteenth century, professional male weavers took over most of the textile production in America due to the popularity of these items. The development of more advanced technology used in textile looms allowed mass production that was not possible before..
The Colorado Springs Museum has on display over forty early American coverlets. Among those featured include examples of the most common weaving patterns.. They include examples woven at home by women as well as professional woven patterns produced on textile looms. They vary from simple to complex in pattern design..
Prior to the nineteenth century industrial revolution, textiles were among the most expensive household items possessed by early Americans. They became cheaper after the development of textile looms that could produce products in larger quantities. Textile products were immensely popular among early Americans. Bedspreads were no exception and demand increased as the price moderated.
Commercial textile products became a symbol of status and wealth among early Americans. Woven bedspreads, table cloths and other items such as clothing were extremely popular and quite expensive for the time period. It was not until the nineteenth century that ordinary people could afford store bought textile products. Many of the patterns from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are still being produced in America. Modernization has not changed the popularity of well designed patterns used in bedspreads and other textiles. Explore these pattern designs and I think you would agree.
Finding the Perfect Feather Pillow
By Mary Donlan
Have you decided that you would like to try sleeping on a feather pillow? Maybe you recently slept on one at a friend’s house or a hotel and now you’re hooked? Well, there are a lot of choices out there. To find the perfect pillow it’s a good idea to know some of the key factors involved. The highest quality feather pillows are those made from goose down. Geese provide the softest, most resilient feathers. Goose down pillows will also be the most expensive on the market, but can last for years if you take care of them. Less expensive pillows will be stuffed with duck down or a blend of duck and goose down.
Some shops will advertise that their down feathers come from geese in Canada, Hungary or Siberia; where the winters are coldest and the down is the warmest! Gooses down feathers do not have quills to poke through the casing as other types of feathers do. They rarely give off any type of odor and can be fluffed up so that your pillow retains its loftiness even after years of use. Hypoallergenic down pillows are also available for people who are allergic to feathers.
The next factor to consider is the firmness of your pillow. If you prefer a firmer pillow, you will want to look for a feather pillow with a fill power of 700 to 800. If your idea of the perfect pillow is a little softer, then you can get away with purchasing a pillow with a lower fill power.
You want to look for a pillow with a high quality encasing. The pillows with coverings that have a higher thread count will be better protected over the years. Lower quality pillows may have issues with feathers coming out or seams breaking after extended use. To extend the life of any feather pillow, it’s a good idea to use a pillow protector as well as a pillowcase. Once you’ve made a few decisions you are ready to begin your quest for the perfect pillow. You can find many options at department stores, shops specializing in down products and of course, online. Good luck!
The Good, Bad, Ugly Bathroom Towels Part 3
Well here we are about to talk about the ugly towel. Most times a design is appealing to you which are ok. Beware though of towels with outlandish designs and unusual color schemes. Most of these towels are often times marked down because people do not want to purchase them. Most time these ugly towels won’t match any color scheme you have in your home. If by chance you inherit some ugly towels you’ll probably keep them tucked away somewhere in a storage box or in the back of your linen closet. This great bargain is no bargain at all if you never use the item.
When the next time you are purchasing towels as a gift for some one remember the towels in you storage box or in the back closet and look for soft velour towels that are high quality made with 100% cotton and good thread count.
The Good, Bad, Ugly Bathroom Towels Part 2
This is the second part of my writings on good, bad, ugly bathroom towels. We are going to talk about the “bad quality” of towels.
Towels that are of bad quality are very thin, flimsy and loose weave material. There design is usually a printed design rather than a design that is embroidered. More often these dad quality towels won’t last after several trips to the washing machine. Bad quality towels are mostly made from materials that are not very absorbent.
When buying towels for your home, carefully read the manufacturer tags before buying ,to discover what materials that were used in the making of the towels. There are other problems with towels made with synthetic material is that they may easily scorch, may even melt if used in handling items coming out of an oven and removing a hot pot from the stove top, or when they are thrown into your dryer. Egyptian cotton towels made of 100% cotton is still your best buy.
Next and last part three will be about the ugly towel
The Good, Bad, Ugly Bathroom Towels Part 1
This is a topic on good, bad and ugly bathroom towels that I have broken up into three parts. Today is the first part and I will talk about the good towels. The most common item found in the home these days is towels. Let me talk to you about selecting the best quality and towel accessories for the home.
Let’s start with the goo-quality towels. These are made from solid sturdy fabric. Towels made of good quality will use colorfast dyes. To purchase good-quality towels will cost more than the cheap towels, but they will last longer especially if your towels are laundered frequently like hand towels and dish towels.
Towels that are made of good quality are also made from absorbent materials. Other towels made with synthetic fabrics don’t absorb even a drop of liquid.
The towel that get’s the best judgment of most people are made from 100% cotton. The most recognized around the world by many is Egyptian cotton towels as being made from superior fabric. When shopping for towels you will pay more for Egyptian cotton towels than any other type, but in the long term it is worth the investment as they will last for years to come.
The next article part two will be about the Bad -Quality of towels.