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Regularly cleaning your bedding is essential for reducing allergens in the bedroom. Explore more images of eco-friendly living.A good night's sleep is essential, but it's hard to achieve if your bedding is unclean. To ensure this, bedding should be cleaned frequently. The secret to effective cleaning is addressing it before it becomes too dirty and knowing the fabric types to choose the appropriate cleaning methods. Keep a record of care labels from manufacturers and adhere to their instructions when cleaning is required.
In this article, we’ll provide helpful tips for maintaining bedding. We will cover cleaning techniques for bedspreads, blankets, comforters, quilts, mattresses, box springs, and pillows. This should lead to a more restful sleep.
Bedspreads & Blankets
Bedspreads come in various fabrics, many of which can be washed. It's important to wash bedspreads before they get too dirty. For stains and spots, use a prewash spray. Always test a small corner of the bedspread in the detergent solution to ensure colorfastness. If the color runs, opt for dry cleaning instead.
For oversized bedspreads, it's best to use a large commercial washing machine. An overloaded machine won’t clean effectively, and the added wet weight could strain the appliance.
Air dry your bedspreads on a clothesline or use a large commercial dryer for quicker drying.
Blankets come in a variety of fibers and blends, most of which can be washed by hand or machine. Even wool blankets are sometimes machine washable.
To keep your blankets in excellent condition, consider these extra care tips:
- Occasionally vacuum your blankets to eliminate dust and lint.
- Hang your blankets on a clothesline now and then to refresh them.
- Before washing, repair or replace any bindings and treat stains and spots.
- Always wash electric blankets instead of dry-cleaning, as dry-cleaning solvents can damage the wiring. Avoid mothproofing as well, as it can harm the wiring.
Now, let's move on to cleaning comforters and quilts.
Sleeping bags endure heavy use, especially outdoors. Here’s how to keep them in great condition:
- Pre-treat any spots and stains on the bag's cover with liquid detergent.
- Wash down-filled sleeping bags in cool water using a mild detergent.
- Wash polyester-filled sleeping bags in warm water with a regular detergent.
- If machine drying is an option, tumble dry with a clean tennis ball to avoid matting and a dry bath towel to soak up extra moisture.
- If air-drying the bag, unzip it before drying.
Comforters & Quilts
Padded bed coverings are typically filled with materials like wool, cotton batting, or polyester fiber. The filling is secured with tufts of yarn or stitched patterns. Most comforters and quilts filled with cotton or polyester are machine washable, though some older ones may be too delicate for home cleaning. Always check the manufacturer's guidelines when possible.
Here are some additional considerations to keep in mind:
- For patchwork quilts, clean using the method that suits the most delicate fabric in the quilt.
- Do not attempt to wash quilts or comforters made of silk or velvet. Unless labeled as washable, avoid washing wool batting or covering.
- For large quilts, use a commercial washing machine. Let them soak in the machine for about ten minutes before starting a gentle wash cycle.
- For old or fragile quilts, especially those with cotton batting, hand-wash and line-dry. Machine washing can cause the batting to shift. Wash in a bathtub or deep laundry tub, ensuring soap or detergent dissolves in the water before adding the quilt.
Down-Filled Comforters & Quilts
Down-filled comforters and quilts use tufts of yarn or stitched-through patterns to hold the down filling in place. While many down-filled comforters and quilts are machine washable, older ones might be too fragile for home cleaning. To test for colorfastness, apply a detergent solution to a hidden spot, blot it with a white cloth, and check for any color transfer.
If your comforters or quilts are in good condition, you can machine wash and dry them. Use cold water with an all-purpose detergent. For delicate down comforters and quilts, hand wash them in a bathtub or a deep laundry tub.
Hang a wet comforter or quilt over several clotheslines to allow excess moisture to drip out, moving it occasionally. If the comforter or quilt is durable enough for machine drying, set the dryer to a low temperature and toss in clean, dry tennis shoes to help fluff the down. Alternatively, use the air-dry setting (no heat) to dry the quilt.
The last items on your list are mattresses, box springs, and pillows. In the final section, we will cover how to maintain these.
Mattresses, Box Springs & Pillows
Achieving a better night's sleep is just a few steps away. Here's the final part of your cleaning checklist:
Mattresses and Box Springs
Mattresses are typically constructed with foam or springs encased in fabric; older models may use hair, while futon mattresses are filled with cotton. Proper maintenance is essential for all mattresses. To ensure even wear, rotate your mattress monthly by flipping it and turning it end to end.
Protect your mattress with quilted or rubberized covers to prevent dirt buildup. Clean spots and stains as soon as they occur, but avoid soaking the mattress. Wait until the mattress is completely dry before making the bed.
Pillows
While pillowcases are typically changed with the bedding, the pillow itself also requires cleaning. Know the type of filling inside your pillow – down, feather, foam, polyester, or kapok – to ensure proper care. For polyester pillows, check the care labels, as some are washable and others are not. Kapok, the soft material derived from the ceiba tree seeds, requires regular airing but should not be washed.
Additionally, consider these essential guidelines:
- Use a zip-on cotton or polyester cover to protect each pillow.
- Give your pillows a freshen-up each month by airing them out near an open window or hanging them on a clothesline.
- Fluff feather and down pillows every day to remove dust and evenly distribute the filling.
- Before washing feather or down pillows, ensure there are no tears or holes. Wash them either by machine or by hand in cool water with a gentle detergent. To balance the load, wash two pillows together or add a couple of bath towels.
- For drying down or feather pillows, set the dryer to low heat. Adding clean, dry tennis shoes will help evenly distribute the down as it dries.
- Foam pillows should be hand-washed and line-dried. Turn them periodically while drying to ensure even drying. Never place foam pillows in the dryer.
- Wash polyester-filled pillows in warm water with an all-purpose detergent, either by hand or machine. Dry them in the dryer on a moderate heat setting.
By following these straightforward tips from the article, your bedding will stay in excellent condition. And by enjoying a more comfortable sleep, you'll also stay in top shape.
