5 Top tips for storing bedding.

With Summer almost here it’s time to replace those thick warm duvets, blankets and sheets with light cool ones. The warm and cosy colours of winter will be replaced by fresh summer designs.But as we retrieve our linen from their hiding places we are once again struck with the same old problem of unpleasant smells, mould and sometimes even creepy crawlies.

Here at Luna Luxury we have put together 5 very useful tips to help store your linen so that they last longer, stay cleaner, fresher and healthier.

1-Before you put your bedding into storage make sure you wash it on a cold delicate cycle. By washing your bedding you remove any built up dead skin or sweat in the fibers. Cold water has less chance of degrading fabric over time while a delicate cycle gives them a gentle massage yet fully cleans. A fast cycle wash is more of a surface clean and thus not as thorough.  It is also recommended that you wash sheets and duvet cover sets alone to prevent rubbing against tough materials. This will extend the life of your linen and give them space to open-up for a better clean. Using less detergent than stated on the package will reduce the residue build-up and decrease the chances of your linen becoming stiff. If your duvets and blankets do not fit in your washing machine, you can hand wash in a bath tub or use your local laundry mat to wash them before storage.

For more tips on washing see our article - Top 10 tips on how to wash you bedding.

2- Make sure your bedding is completely dry before storing to prevent mould and unpleasant smells. It is recommended you air dry your bedding for several reasons that you can find in article “Benefits of Air Drying bedding”. However, if you don't have space or time to do so, just make sure you don't overfill your dryer. Because when you overfill the dryer, you don't leave enough space for your bedding to fluff up. This results in those nasty wrinkles and your sheets will come out looking like a tornado ran through them. These wrinkles are not only unpleasant aesthetically but also have a negative effect on your sleep, by disturbing your comfort.Hanging them on the line after the dryer when they are still moist is also a good way to complete the drying quickly while removing the wrinkles. So that when you need to use them, they are in perfect shape.
If you are patient enough to iron your bedding, like my mother, it is also a good way to remove wrinkles and make sure they are completely dry before storage. 3- Pick a storage container. There are several options for storing your bedding; plastic containers, plastic bags, vacuum bags, baskets and fabric bags are amongst the most commonly used ones. However, it is very important to provide airflow through your storage while protecting your bedding from dust and insects. Therefor Luna Luxury recommends avoiding any sealed plastic storage units and instead use fabric storage bags. The reason for this is, that no matter how dry your bedding looks, there is always an element of moisture amongst the fabric fibers. When sealed in an unbreathable storage unit, this would create perfect environment for mould and bacteria, causing dark stains, bad smells and unhealthy bedding. If you don't have fabric storage bags, you may use a folded flat sheet to wrap up your bedding nice and tight (like swaddling a baby). You can also place them in cane baskets after swaddling for an aesthetically pleasing storage view in your cupboard.When storing any bed linens, the most important thing to keep in mind is that anything made of wood pulp, i.e., tissue paper, newsprint, or cardboard, may react with the linen over extended periods of time. Coloured tissue paper may also bleed and stain the linen.Make sure that if you are using plastic containers, that they are made from Polyethylene, which is stable, or inert. Other types of plastics can release gases as they break down, so it's bad for storing linens over the long term.Dry-cleaning bags, for instance, react with linen and can become sticky over time.

4-We also recommend lavender and rice bags and/or some dry hand-soaps (wrapped in a clean piece of cloth to avoid any sweating on fabrics) as the best and natural way to avoid bugs, moist, mould and insects like moths.5- The main three aspects to storing your bedding without mould, dust, bugs and smells etc. Is a clean, cool and dry place. Make sure that the storage area; under the bed, drawer, cupboard shelf, chest is clean, dry and cool with reasonable air flow and no risk of water leakage. (We don't recommend storing areas in bathrooms, under sinks etc.)
Mixing vodka with some water and using it as a spray and wipe is a good scent free and healthy way to disinfect your storage area before you put in your bedding.

We hope these handy hints have helped from all of the Luna Luxury Team.