How To Keep Your Bedding Beautiful

Snuggling into fresh bed linen at the end of a long day is one of life’s greatest little pleasures – for both you and your kids.

But despite how enjoyable it is, for some, changing bed linen can be a bit of a mission and you may suspect you don’t do yours as often as you should.

In 2014, a YouGov poll found that 35 per cent of Brits wash their bed linen once a fortnight. But with humans shedding half an ounce of skin every week – largely in bed – even that’s not often enough.

“Just one more night” in dirty sheets actually can make a difference. Experts say we should be changing our bed linen every week to tackle dust mites and bacteria. There are in fact dozens of different types of bacteria and viruses that can survive on your bed sheets, including E. coli, ringworm, salmonella, herpes, norovirus, athlete’s foot, and the flu.

With this in mind Nest, has decided to share a few tips and tricks to help keep things feeling extra-fresh.

Washing for the first time

Always wash a new duvet cover and pillowcases before putting them on your bed for the first time. This is important because after washing, the cotton will absorb moisture better. Besides, new bedding usually has a slight chemical smell as a result of the production process. Wash at 30 °C for the first time. Avoid leaving your bedding in soak overnight as this could cause colour in the fabric to run.

We recommend washing your bedding every week. That might sound like a lot, but take a minute to think about it. If you sleep for seven hours per night (because, honestly, who really gets the recommended eight hours of sleep) that’s 49 hours per week that you’re spending in your bed.

Nest’s washing tips for bedding

• Turn the duvet cover and the pillow case inside out.
• Do not load your washing machine to maximum capacity. There’s really no point in washing your linens if they don’t have the space to actually get clean.
• Use liquid detergent, preferably as little as possible. Washing powder can leave white spots.
• Wash at a max. of 40 °C, preferably on a crease-resistant program. Note: Wash at 30 °C for the first time.
• Remove the wet bedding from the washing machine immediately after the cycle has ended to prevent colours from running.
• Preferably dry the bedding on a washing line – it is good for the bedding, and better for the environment too. Turn the duvet cover and the pillowcase inside out to avoid colours fading through exposure to direct sunlight.
• If you do put your bedding in the tumble dryer then make sure that you dry it on a low temperature on an anti-wrinkle program. It is also important to turn the covers inside out.

Follow these simple guidelines and begin the day knowing their beds will be fresh and ready for them to return to that night and that you and your kids will be sleeping soundly (and sanitarily).

So, sleep tight and don’t let those bed bugs bite!

Here at Nest we’ve got bedtime covered with our wide selection of kids bedding designs. Our duvet sets feature a mix of colours and patterns and are made of only the finest fabrics, to guarantee comfort, durability and style.

Shop our full range here: https://www.nestdesigns.co.za/products/bedding/all-bedding/