You know how September arrives, and with it, chilly nights. Too warm for flannel sheets yet you need more than just a sheet and a quilt over you while you sleep. Down blankets are the perfect solution. No need to turn up the heat to take off the chill. Down blankets have been discussed in previous columns and it’s the perfect time for a refresher on down blankets.
First, each blanket is down filled, which makes it lightweight with big warmth. It’s white duck down, in 7” square pockets. Down is naturally hypoallergenic and it has been sanitized to guarantee a “lasting hygienic freshness & odour protection”. What this means for you is a product that resists dust mites, bacteria, mould and mildew growth. Your body releases heat at night, some of which ends up as condensation in the bedding. Without you even noticing, you can have a moisture build-up, which can turn ugly. Trapped moisture can make you feel clammy and chilled, as well as creating odor-building bacteria. Down, a fully natural filling, helps trap then release that moisture so your body temperature stays relatively constant.
This brings us to the next reason to love these blankets- they are machine wash and dry. Yes, you can put your down blanket into the washer, give it a good wash in cold water with mild detergent and then tumble it dry on a low setting in the dryer. It’s possible to line dry a down blanket but it makes fluffing it up more difficult. Partially line drying then popping it into the dryer to finish the drying is a good idea. The wash-ability makes the blankets particularly useful for children or for those who want the warmth of down without the cost of dry-cleaning, both environmentally and in dollars.
And the third good reason for owning a down blanket is the construction of the blanket itself. 7”square pockets are stitched through, encasing down so it cannot shift to the sides or bottom. This means the warmth is where you need it most, over your body where heat is generated. The casing is 230tc, down proof (important for washing as you don’t want a dryer full of white fluff!), and 100% cotton. The outside edge is completely bound in satin binding for a lovely soft blanket finish.
Down blankets are available in bed sizes twin, queen or king, in three soft colours. Warm up your fall naturally.
Did you know? The word ‘duvet’ is a French version of the word ‘down’. Originally, duvets were filled with feathers stuffed into one huge pocket. The duvet evolved over many years to have smaller pockets and only filled with down (no feathers).