Preparing for Winter V

Laura_Elsewhere

We invested in a wool duvet last winter, just over a hundred quid from a well-known, and never knowingly undersold, shop... but it had no label saying its content (essential for allergies as above poster knows!) and of course no care or cleaning instructions. 

We emailed to ask if they could send us a label and we would sew it on, and they were bizarrely and surreally uninterested... that made us get a bit arsey and look up the law- it turns out that clear and well-attached labels are legally required for bedding, both for allergy reasons and flame-retardant reasons. They got arsier in response and eventually we pointed out that this kind of response is NOT what one expects from That Shop, and suggested they go and read their own webpage about their ethos and principles...

...at which point a grown-up became involved and apologised and sent us a new British wool duvet, telling us to keep both...!

an odd experience but we now have all the cosy bedding we could ever need- a spare in the cupboard for bitter weather, but currently doing fine with one wool duvet with our beloved patchwork quilt on top  

joedenise

We were told that there is no need to wash wool duvet.  The best way to clean it is to hang it over a line (whirligig in our case!) in the sun for an hour or so.

maryb

Sadly the Marks goose feather and down duvet turned out to weigh more than the wool duvet!!  Probably because there's not actually a lot of down in there, it's mainly feathers.  I was able to take it back because I hadn't broken the security seal so that was ok. (I weighed it by holding it when I stepped on the scales then compared it with my empty handed weight.  And the bag probably didn't weigh more than the weight the duvet cover added to the wool duvet I compared it with).  But it makes the full price look a bit OTT.  John Lewis costs a lot more but it is a much higher percentage of down.  When I win the lottery.  

Laura_Elsewhere

joedenise said:

We were told that there is no need to wash wool duvet.  The best way to clean it is to hang it over a line (whirligig in our case!) in the sun for an hour or so.

Yes, real wool has a sort of self-cleaning property- I knitted a cardigan out of wool I had dyed to vibrant rich reds and oranges, and I was really worried it would fade with washing so I started actively avoiding washing it- hanging it inside-out to air every so often, and putting hair-elastics round the wrist and waist ribbings to squish it together tightly overnight if it got a bit stretched and saggy, and it's been two years now and it still hasn't needed washed! 

cornishchick

 I was just given a tv to set up in my bedroom, so now on winter nights I will be in my room, electric blanket, tv, One cup kettle and I will be toasty warm ,
 I also have noticed a huge differnce in the last few days of having double curtains on the bedroom window. I have a set on a tension pole that sit right on the sill and another set that are floor to ceiling, the first set are closed as soon as the sun goes away from that side and the heating is on, then once I am in for the evening, the full set is closed. so cosy 

PipneyJane

maryb said:

Sadly the Marks goose feather and down duvet turned out to weigh more than the wool duvet!!  Probably because there's not actually a lot of down in there, it's mainly feathers.  I was able to take it back because I hadn't broken the security seal so that was ok. (I weighed it by holding it when I stepped on the scales then compared it with my empty handed weight.  And the bag probably didn't weigh more than the weight the duvet cover added to the wool duvet I compared it with).  But it makes the full price look a bit OTT.  John Lewis costs a lot more but it is a much higher percentage of down.  When I win the lottery.  

A proper down duvet is worth saving up for, @maryb, even if you can only put aside £5/month.  We bought ours 25 years ago.  It's 15 tog and quilted in 40cm squares, so that the contents don't pool completely at the bottom.  Very warm. I get it drycleaned about once a decade.

- Pip

Green_hopeful

We got a second hand feather duvet for £10 on Facebook marketplace. It’s important to get the ones stitched in squares so the feathers don’t clump up. We wash ours in the washing machine and then put in the laundrette tumble dryer. It comes up super fluffy and lovely.