4 Reasons why Bedding Makes a Great Gift

 

When shopping for gifts, it can be hard to find something unique, affordable, and practical. You want to give your special someone something that they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves. You want to give them something that they’ll use and appreciate. You’d hate to think of your gift being put in storage and left there to gather dust, right? With high quality bedding, you won’t have that problem, as it’s the most practical and beautiful gift you could give. Let’s find out why;

 

We all need bedding

 

We’re all guilty of not spending money on the things that we use every day. We’ll complain about having to buy an expensive pair of running shoes or a high quality mattress but we won’t complain about paying for Netflix. Sound familiar? This is the reason why gifting high quality bedding is such a great idea. It’s not something we’d normally buy for ourselves but it’s something we’ll use every day.

 

It’s easy to buy

 

As long as you know the size of the recipient’s bed, you can order the bedding online and get it delivered to your home/their home. Prices vary from store to store but you get what you pay for when it comes to shopping for underlays, sheets, doonas, pillow cases and covers. Top tip; look online for a wool quilt sale or end of season clearout and bag yourself a bargain.

 

It’s a unique gift 

 

Not many people give the gift of bedding so it can be quite a unique one. For the best impact, choose a colour and pattern that you know your special someone will love.

 

Bedding lasts a long time

 

Not only is bedding a useful and thoughtful gift, but it also lasts a long time. When it’s well-kept and washed regularly taking the right instructions into account, high quality bedding can last for years. This makes it a very good gift choice for newly weds, someone who is just moving into a new home and for someone who is re-decorating.

 

There are many reasons why bedding is a perfect gift, so why not hit the wool quilt sales and end of season sales and see what amazing finds are out there? You might just find the ideal gift for that special someone in your life. Birthdays, anniversary’s, Christmas, Mother’s Day – bedding is the way to go!

 

5 Ways to Make Your Bedroom Feel Like a 5-Star Hotel Room

 

Your bedroom is the one room in the house where you can let your imagination run free and create a space that truly reflects your taste. It’s the place where you go to rest after a stressful day, so why not take some ideas from luxury hotels and turn your bedroom into your ultimate sanctuary? From making the best use of the space to creating the most comfortable bed complete with a cosy king size doona, here are 5 ways to make your bedroom feel like a 5-star hotel room.

Plan Your Space

Hotel rooms often have clearly defined areas. If your room allows, create an area for sleeping, an area to dress and get ready and maybe a small reading nook with a chair and lamp, and. Work out which activities you plan to do in your room and plan the space accordingly.

Add Layers of Comfort

Having a well-ventilated, quiet room is a priority for restful sleep. If you live in a hot climate, you may need to add air-conditioning. You may also need to add extra insulation to keep the room at a constant temperature and to dampen external noises. Install a luxurious deep pile carpet or rug to cushion bare feet, hang fabric on the wall and think about swapping out your wooden headboard for the padded variety. You may also want to add extra layers to your bed, such as a king size quilt together with pillows, cushions and throws.

Dim the Lights

Hotel designers know that correct lighting is key to creating a relaxing environment. So think about extras such as three-way switches that turn on bedside lamps from the doorway, installing a light in your closet to shed light on your clothes, individually controlled reading lights and, of course, dimmer switches.

If you have an ensuite bathroom attached, you’ll need extra bright light above your mirror. You may also want to add LED lighting strips around or under the vanity unit or bathtub for extra impact.

The Bed

The most important element of any bedroom is the bed; so, buy the best you can afford. Consider adding bedding made from natural fibres such as wool to keep your body at an optimum temperature. For example, a wool king size doona will keep you comfortable and cosy, especially in the cooler months. Emulate hotel bedding with high thread count sheets and plain duvet covers for your king size quilt, together with matching pillowcases and cushions. Top the whole lot off with a throw that can double up as a blanket when you want to snuggle up in your chair and read.

The Finishing Touches

Add your favourite art and photographs, fresh flowers and plants and other items that reflect you and your personality to make the room unique and personal. Then lie back and enjoy all your hard work – in your luxury 5-star bedroom.

How to Look After Your Washable Wool Quilt

 

Many people prefer a quilt that they can wash rather than having to send it to the dry cleaners. This means that the traditional Aussie wool doona is often ruled out as a bedding option. However, new ways of manufacturing mean that it’s now possible to get a washable wool quilt that’s every bit as good as the original.

If you are wondering how to look after an Aussie wool quilt, here’s the lowdown on how to keep your doona looking as good as the day it was bought.

What Makes a Wool Quilt Washable?

Many wool quilts are ‘dry-clean only’. So, what is the difference between those and washable wool bedding? Dry clean wool quilts are usually made from chemical-free wool that’s washed and carded before it is made into a quilt. Washable woollen bedding is put through an extra pre-shrinking process where it is washed in hot water mixed with small amounts of peroxide and chlorine. But don’t worry; there’s no nasty chemical smell left behind, and it does not affect the lifespan of the product.

Can I Wash My Quilt in My Washing Machine?

Washable quilts can be washed in a home washing machine with an approved wool washing detergent on the wool wash cycle. However, unless you have a washing machine with an extra-large drum, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to fit anything larger than a single quilt in there. Larger quilts will fit comfortably into the front loader machines you find at laundromats; so, there’s no need to take them for professional cleaning.

Some companies suggest that you can wash your quilt in the bath. However, we don’t recommend it as they are extremely heavy and awkward to manage when wet.

How Should I Dry My Quilt?

Don’t be tempted to dry it in the tumble dryer as it’s likely to shrink. We suggest that you dry it by laying it as flat as possible, preferably over the top of a washing line. You may also want to air it from time to time by hanging it in the fresh air but do try to keep it out of direct sunlight.

Prolong the Life of Your Wool Quilt with Regular Cleaning

All bedding needs frequent cleaning, and we recommend that you clean your wool quilts regularly. By looking after your woollen quilt, you’ll extend its lifespan, and it will remain hygienic. You’ll be happy to know that dust mites don’t live in woollen quilts and wool is hypoallergenic, so they are one of the best types of washable wool quilts.

Before You Invest in a New Mattress Try a Wool Underlay

 If you’re experiencing disrupted sleep because it’s difficult to get comfortable in bed, it may be because your mattress is no longer providing the correct amount of support. And, if your mattress is no longer providing the correct support, you may find that you wake up with all kinds of aches and pains. However, disrupted sleep isn’t always down to the age of the mattress. Memory foam mattresses often cause overheating, while some mattresses are simply too firm.

Signs that it’s time to replace your mattress

It’s generally recommended that you replace your mattress every 8 to 10 years. Signs that it should be replaced include visible lumps and bumps, creaking sounds, exposed springs and sagging in the middle. It may be that your mattress is badly stained or just looks as though it’s ready for replacement.

How a wool underlay can help

If your mattress doesn’t have any of these outward signs and it’s less than 10 years old, you may want to try topping it with a woollen underlay and see if that improves the quality of your sleep.

A woollen underlay doesn’t just smooth out any irregularities in your sleeping surface; it has far more far-reaching benefits.

·         It will keep you cool – wool is a totally natural and breathable fibre

·         It will keep you warm – wool is also a natural insulator and keeps your body at its optimal temperature which may improve your sleep quality by up to 25%

·         It stops you from becoming sweaty – wool absorbs body moisture and then releases it into the air. It can absorb up to 33% of its weight in moisture, so you can say goodbye to night-time sweats!

·         It’s not attractive to dust mites or fungal spores – dust mites love warm and humid environments. Due to its breathable properties, wool provides a dry and cool environment – the exact opposite of the environment required for the growth of dust mites and fungus

·         It’s naturally fire retardant – there’s no need to use chemicals to make it fire safe

·         It’s naturally sustainable and biodegradable – making it a great choice if you want to make a difference to the environment.

So, as you can see, a wool underlay is a great choice for any bed. It provides a healthy sleeping surface, will smooth out any irregularities in your mattress and it’s a great eco-friendly option too. So, before you rush out to buy a new mattress, why not try sleeping on a wool underlay?

The Truth About Woollen Bedding and Dust Mites

If you have asthma or suffer from allergies, you may already be aware that sleeping in hypoallergenic bedding can reduce allergic reactions. However, you may have discounted the idea of a wool quilt as you’ve heard that woollen bedding provides a great environment for dust mites. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth; so, let’s dispel this myth once and for all.

Unfortunately, dust mites are a fact of life. Although we can’t see them without a microscope, they do exist in all types of bedding. Contrary to the suggestion implied by their name, dust mites don’t eat dust. Neither do they eat wool. They do, however, love beds. They love the warm and humid conditions created by our hot and sweaty bodies. But they prefer bedding that’s made of feathers, down or synthetic fibres. This means that wool quilts are a much better choice.

Dust mites love warm and humid environments

It’s a well-known fact that dust mites require a warm and humid environment to survive. So, the suggestion that your wool quilt may be home to an extra-large colony of dust mites is unlikely to be true. The natural properties of wool ensure that any moisture that’s released from your body as you sleep is absorbed by the wool fibres and then released into the atmosphere to keep you and your bedding dry and cool. This is not the kind of environment that helps dust mites to thrive.

The idea that dust mites thrive in wool comes from a 1970’s study

A study carried out in the 1970s suggested that dust mites were able to survive and thrive in woollen fibres. However, if we tell you that this study was carried out on a tropical island in temperatures of around 40^oC and humidity not far short of 80%, you can perhaps see why there is a problem. These temperatures and levels of humidity provide an excellent breeding ground for dust mites in any kind of material. It’s not necessarily because they used woollen blankets.

Woollen bedding has fewer dust mites than other types of bedding

As we’ve already said, you’ll find dust mites in all types of bedding. The mites themselves are harmless. It’s the protein they produce that causes the typical allergic reactions such as wheezing, sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes, and itchy skin. So, while there may be dust mites in your woollen bedding, there won’t be as many as found in bedding made of synthetic fibres, duck or down.

Choose Woollen Bedding for Better Health

Wool quilts not only have fewer dust mites than other types of bedding, but they can absorb harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are found in a wide range of things from paints, varnishes and glues to cleaning products and cleaning products, and can be problematic for anyone with allergies or asthma. So, there’s another great reason to choose woollen bedding for your home.

Feeling Uncomfortable During the Night? Invest in Wool

Do you struggle with your sleep? Do you find it hard to get comfortable and find yourself tossing and turning throughout the night? If so, you are not alone, and you do not have to suffer.

While many of us can underestimate the importance of putting time and effort into choosing your choice of bedding, it can make all the difference to you getting a comfortable and restful night’s sleep.

A wool quilt can change the way you sleep. If you want to find out more, keep reading.

Regulate your temperature

One of the reasons for poor sleep could be that you find yourself getting too hot or cold during the night. On a cold winter’s night, there is nothing better than getting into a warm and cosy bed.

However, if your bedding is made from synthetic fibres, it can cause you to overheat, which may result in you sweating and feeling uncomfortable. Halcyon Dreams has the answer: wool.

Wool is temperature regulating, which means that it keeps you at the right temperature. Should you sweat, the wool will wick away any additional moisture, keeping you cool and comfortable. Did you know wool can retain up to 30% of its body weight in moisture and only releases it when the conditions are dry enough?

Of course, it also works the other way around. Should you often feel the cold, wool will keep you warm and cosy, so that is one more thing off your mind.

It keeps allergies at bay

For those who suffer from allergies, the type of bedding you choose is imperative to how you sleep at night. Wool quilts are naturally resistant to dust mites, which can help to keep your allergies at bay. You can look forward to a peaceful night’s sleep without any sneezing or sniffling. Your partner will thank you for that as well!

Wool is natural

As a natural material, wool is gentle next to your skin. If environmental factors are important to you, it is good to know that you are choosing a sustainable option.

Wool is durable, and you can expect to enjoy your wool quilt for many years to come. When it does eventually reach the end of its life, it can naturally be broken down by the earth in a way that synthetic fibres cannot.

Find your wool bedding at Halcyon Dreams

If you want to have better sleep, choose wool for your bedding, and you will not look back. At Halcyon Dreams, we can supply all your wool bedding, and as our wool is 100% Australian, you can be sure of its quality.

You can also feel good knowing that you are supporting the local economy and Australian farmers. We look forward to seeing you soon.