When do I have to replace down-and-feather-filled bedding products?
Down-and-feather-filled duvets should be replaced by new ones after 8 to 10 years of use. Pillows should be replaced after 5 years at the latest.
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Why do I have to replace down- and feather- filled bedding products after a certain time?
Even though you have always cared for the bedding products, e. g. you have never beaten of vacuum-cleaned them, the down and feathers will increasingly lose their original resiliency over time which is a natural ageing process.
During the sleep down and feathers undergo mechanical stress for up to 8 hours every day. So they might get crushed. Moreover, they are affected by other factors for instance by sweat which makes them dehydrate. All this is a natural process which you cannot prevent. The shells which are natural products made of cotton might get porous as well in the course of time.
Please, take into account that you use the bedding products day by day, year after year for several hours so that they are stressed considerably. You cannot compare them to normal clothes which you do not wear every day. For restful sleep you should purchase a new pillow or duvet at regular intervals.
Suddenly the duvet does not keep the body warm any longer. Why?
Since down and feathers are natural materials they undergo a certain natural ageing process. In the course of time the filling gradually desiccates and you will find an increasing number of broken and damaged down and feathers. You can slow down the process by proper care (fluff up the duvet or pillow every day and air them regularly), but you cannot stop it.
If your duvet is not worn out, you should have it cleaned to remove residue such as sweat. Besides, worn out filling components, in particular broken down and feathers are picked out and replaced by new material.
If your duvet has been used for a very long time, it will hardly be worthwhile to have it cleaned. You should rather consider to purchase a new one.
It is generally advised to replace a pillow after 5 years of use at the latest. You should purchase a new duvet after 8 to 10 years.
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What can I do, if the washing machine or the tumble-drier are too small?
Sometimes, the capacity of a standard washing machine is not sufficient, for instance with duvets that have a large volume. Duvets with a large volume must be washed in a washing machine with a minimum capacity of 6 to 7.5 kg. If this is the case, the duvet should better be washed at a specialized shop.
In particular, with down and feathers it is very important to dry them in a professional way.
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How can I get my duvet and pillow completely dry after washing?
It is advisable to place a damp towel into the tumble-drier and wet it again several times, if necessary. Thus the sensor of the tumble-drier receives a signal showing that the “laundry is still wet“ and the drying cycle continues.
You may also use the timer, if your tumble-drier offers this function. For instance, adjust “30 minutes, warm”. The procedure might be repeated until the bedding product is completely dry.
What temperatures are appropriate to wash down-and-feather-filled bedding products?
In general it is advised to follow the temperatures indicated on the label. When washing the bedding products do not exceed the temperatures reported on the label. Some down- and -feather- filled duvets are washable at 40o C, others can be washed at 60o C. Bedding articles which have been finished in a special way and are washable at about 95o C come on offer as well.
Patients suffering from an allergy to house- dust- mites should ensure that their bedding articles are washable at 95o C.
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How can I dispose of waste down and feathers?
Please turn to your local waste disposal consultancy service, if you want to dispose of bedding you have no further use for.
Waste down and feathers have an elevated nitrogen content.
The nutrient contents of feather meal, horn meal and barn manure have been tested and compared in a study by the German Hohenheim University, which is called “The Application of Feather Meal as Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer in Agriculture and Horticulture”. In the following table, you will find the results:
Comparison of the nutrient contents of feather meal, horn meal and barn manure |
|||
| Feather meal | Horn meal | Barn manure | |
| Organic substance (C) | 45% | 70% | 18% |
| Nitrogen | 14% | 10% | 1,7% |
| Further essential nutrients (g/KG DM) | |||
| Phosphorus | 2,9 | 1,8 | 2,5 |
| Potassium | 1,5 | 1,2 | 5,0 |
| Magnesium | 0,8 | 0,3 | 1,5 |
Down and feathers can be disposed of in an environment-friendly way. They make an excellent fertilizer.
How often do I have to clean my down and feather bedding products?
Pillows should be cleaned after 3 years. Duvets should be cleaned every 5 to 6 years.
What is the appropriate care for down- and feather-filled duvets and pillows?
It is neither difficult nor expensive to care for your top-quality down- and- feather-filled duvets or pillows. Simple measures are sufficient to maintain the quality of your valuable bedding products for a long time span.
- Fluff up your down- and-feather-filled duvet every day.
Hence the countless air-filled pockets reshape which is an essential requirement for the excellent climate regulation in down-and-feather-filled duvets.
- Air your down- and-feather-filled duvet or pillow regularly.
Through daily airing the perspiration absorbed during the sleep is eliminated and the remaining humidity is reduced.
When it is dry outside, duvets and pillows are perfectly suitable to be aired on the balcony or at the open window for one or two hours.
When the air is quite humid, the humidity built up during the sleep cannot decrease. Therefore bedding products should not be exposed to mist or rain.
Down-and-feather-filled duvets may neither be exposed to the blazing sun. Otherwise they will soon parch and get porous and the shell will be damaged through UV light as well. In winter bedding articles should not be dried at the heating and get too hot.
Persons suffering from an allergy to pollen should choose pollen-free days to air their bedding articles at the open window.
- Neither beat your down-and-feather-filled duvet nor use a vacuum-cleaner.
Beating and vacuum-cleaning will do harm to the duvets and pillows.
If you beat the duvets or pillows, the structure of the ticking threads will be loosened or even be destroyed. Furthermore, feather quills might burst, the marrow pulls out into the bed and turns into dust there.
If down- and- feather- filled duvets and pillows are vacuum-cleaned, the fine pores of the ticking will be dilated and the fabric will be loosened. The pull of the vacuum-cleaner might even extract single down and feathers from the filling.
- Occasionally treat the duvet or pillow with a soft brush.
Thus, small quantities of dust are removed which might have accumulated at the seams etc. The structure of the ticking is so smooth so that dust can hardly adhere to the outer surface.
How do I have to store my down- and- feather-filled bedding products?
The duvet used in winter is to be stored in summer and the duvet used in summer must be stored in winter. Please, take note of the following: Store your duvets at a dry and well-ventilated place. Down and feather duvets might get moist in damp places which make the down and feathers stick together in their shell.
Besides bedding products should not be compressed over a long time period. A sufficiently sized shell that does not affect their fill power, is necessary to protect the down-and-feather-filled duvets and pillows from dust. They can be placed for instance in an old plumeau case or a cotton bag. Plastic bags are unsuitable to store down-and-feather-filled duvets and pillows.
Moreover, special encasings to store them are commercially available.