Preparing for Winter V

cornishchick

Primrose said:

Have today received our online order for a two-pack of those  headband LED torches as part of our potential winter power cut preparations.  One of us is quite disabled so they look as if they would be very useful  for anything where you need both hands free. The light level is adjustable, and there,s  a downward adjustable position for reading.

I brought my mother in law a pack of similar. She is in her 70s and he is not mobile at all. Not even a thank you when I explained what they were for... just an disinterested "oh right 
Oh well at least I know if it's needed its there .

Floss

Auntycaz said:

I wonder if it depends which covid booster you have what after effects you have. I had one called Spikevax this time and just had a sore arm for a few days. My first 2 were astra zenica  and third was pfizer  which gave me flu like symptoms. I had both covid and flu jab at the same time this time in the same arm 

I'm NHS staff so have had 4 jabs now - 3 Pfizer with no side effects and Moderna 3 weeks ago which gave me a sore arm & mild flu symptoms 🤷‍♀️

flamingo747

@cornishchick ewww gross! My asda brushed cotton are quite pilled too 

Loubie47

markin said:

How long and at what temp you run a heat pump for hot water makes a huge difference in running costs.

my shower is run by electric, I have a small tank beside the kitchen sink for dishes which I was told to leave on economy, but watching the smart meter I have decided to turn it off until I plan on doing the dishes in the evening it literally takes 10 mins on eco mode to heat the water for the dishes then it gets switched off again.

WeegieWumman

re: Brushed cotton sheets.  I realise that the following isn't in the least bit money saving.  I wonder if prior using the sheets for the first time, if you washed the sheets, gave them a fast spin and then put them in tumble dryer, would it eliminate all the excess fluff and prevent pilling?

Cherryfudge

WeegieWumman said:

re: Brushed cotton sheets.  I realise that the following isn't in the least bit money saving.  I wonder if prior using the sheets for the first time, if you washed the sheets, gave them a fast spin and then put them in tumble dryer, would it eliminate all the excess fluff and prevent pilling?

I think it might - but do you have a lint trap in your machine to save the lint building up in the machine? I'm sure there must be some detrimental effect of lint build up (in fact I found this which is quite helpful though mostly about tissues going through the wash). Google found a few laundry-related companies which have 'how to reduce pilling' pages, but having had a similar problem with bedding, I wonder if the initial problem is the nature of the fabric? The lovely soft brushed duvet cover I bought was covered in pills in no time, and these will have been the brushed finish wearing off.

Laura_Elsewhere

Re the brushed cotton bedding - the way it's manufactured nowadays means the fibres are chopped very short and then spun by huge force into a thread to be woven - so sadly, it is simply likely to pill and also to wear thin, as the fibres come apart once you start using it. 
It's the same process that is why modern "affordable" cashmere doesn't last decades, and why so many people find wool makes them itchy (yes, there is a wool-allergy but it's actually quite rare; I believe the majority of people who think it's an allergy are simply reacting to being prickled by hundreds of tiny fibre-ends sticking out). 

Look for "long staple" fibres in linen or cotton or wool, or even for a brand that uses traditional methods, uses the same mills they've used for decades, etc. There are some around and it makes a difference if the fibres are left long instead of being chopped short. 

YoungBlueEyes

Now we just need companies to declare if it’s long staple fibres in their product and we can all buy ‘em 😊

Laura_Elsewhere

YoungBlueEyes said:

Now we just need companies to declare if it’s long staple fibres in their product and we can all buy ‘em 😊

Oh, if they use long-staple they usually say so, because it's such a sign of quality... 

I know nothing of this company, just googled for an example:
"We only use 100% long-staple cotton"

https://www.linenbundle.com/pages/linenbundle-vs-john-lewis-bedding

WeegieWumman

re:  Brushed cotton sheets:  I'm always impressed by how willing everyone is to immediately respond to a problem on this website. 
Last evening, I was delighted for our Martin Lewis when he won the television award for the 'Expert Category'.  Well done to him.  He so deserves it.