Household Textiles: What to know before you shop

Now that 2014 is in full swing, you may be getting the urge to start the year off with some redecorating. After-Christmas sales only make this more tempting and one of the biggest sales you’ll notice is on bedding. But before you run out and start making any purchases, take a minute to read through our quick guide to bedding.

A few important terms

Duvet:

A duvet is a down (or other material) filled bed covering. Traditionally, a duvet is used with a fabric cover instead of top sheets and comforters, but many people still use full sheet sets with them and treat their duvet like a comforter. Thanks to the wide variety of duvet covers available, they are the perfect solution for those who like to switch up their bedding look throughout the year. While a duvet cover can sometimes be washed in a home machine, duvets usually do better with a dry cleaner.

Comforter:

If you aren’t using a duvet, you’ll likely be using a comforter, which is a quilted bed cover. A comforter consists of a center batting covered by an outer face fabric and a backing fabric. Sometimes, these layers are held together with a decorative stitched pattern and due to the work put into some quilts, they become a family heirloom. If this is the case, we highly recommend that you hire a professional to clean your quilt properly. You don’t want to take a chance by putting your great grandmother’s handmade quilt in your washing machine!

Bedspread:

Bedspreads are the finishing touch on your bed. This fabric is decorative and goes over your sheets and blankets. Some of our favourite bedspreads that come in for cleaning are the ones that really take risks with patterns and bright colours.

How to care for your bedding

You may have noticed that you can’t always find care instructions for your bedding. This is because government care label rules often don’t apply to home furnishing fabrics, leaving you guessing about whether or not your new bedspread should head to the dry cleaners or into your front loader. Sometimes, you’ll find care instructions stuck to the packaging, but if you’re ever in doubt, bring your bedding in and we will give you an honest answer about how you should be caring for it.

As a general rule: 

• Protect your fabrics from sunlight, fumes, and pets.
• Repair any damage, like tears, immediately.
• Vacuum fabrics you don’t clean regularly to remove dust.
• Follow any cleaning instructions you do have.
• Try your best to keep your household fabrics away from excessive dirt, like muddy winter boots. If you do find stains, get them removed as soon as possible.
• Never store household textiles that aren’t clean. Time will make a stain worse (especially those spills you thought didn’t stain), so make sure to bring your household fabrics to the cleaner before you pack them away for next year.

Phew! With all of that information, you’re ready to start redecorating! Never hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. You can find us through our contact page or on Twitter and Facebook.

If you have some bedding you need cleaned, please contact us. We also offer pickup and delivery at no extra charge, so feel free to make use of our valet service and stay warm!

Image: Marimekko Rantapuisto Grey Bed Linens