Dear Readers: Are you using your down feather bedding, which is so cozy and warm, in cold weather? How do you take care of it? To help make good-quality down bedding last, it does need care. Well, there is an American Down and Feather Council to help you. The website is www.DownandFeatherCouncil.com.
However, here are some interesting facts and how-tos for you:
Down is defined as the light feathers of ducks and birds, and it is used in pillows and bedding for many reasons:
- It holds in heat well.
- It wicks away moisture.
Two terms to be familiar with when shopping for down products: "fill power" and "loft."
Fill power is the amount of space 1 ounce of down takes up.
Loft is basically how fluffy the feathers are.
The feathers are 3-D, and they can get flattened over time.
If you have down pillows and comforters, caring for them properly will help them last longer. Fluff up your down pillows often. I try to fluff and shake the ones on my bed daily while making the bed.
You can put them in the dryer on "fluff" or "air" and add a CLEAN sneaker to help fluff the down.
DON'T store feather pillows or comforters in plastic bags.-Heloise
P.S. Always follow care instructions for down pillows, jackets or other items.
REUSE GREEN HINT
Dear Heloise: Many of us have hotel-size shampoo, body wash and lotion bottles from our travels. When you get home, rinse out the bottles, let dry and store sundry items in them: sewing notions, seed beads, etc.
Also works for hardware items: screws, pins, etc. The screw-on caps make the bottles spillproof.-Sean, via email
HIDE BED PILLOWS?
Dear Heloise: Under-bed storage boxes are great! That's where I keep my pillows for sleeping during the day, while my bed is made up with the pretty bedspread and floral pillow shams.
At night, I switch them. This makes my small bedroom tidy, and no pillows get tossed on the floor.-A.R., Farmington, N.M.
BATHROOM ORGANIZATION
Dear Heloise: My many hair-care and other beauty appliances were always out on the bathroom counter, and it was really messy.
I took an over-the-door shoe organizer and hung it on the bathroom door. The pockets hold curling irons, lotions, hair sprays, flat irons and everything else I need. This frees up lots of counter space.-Doris B. in California
GIFT BAGS
Dear Heloise: Gift bags are so great, and they are easier to put together than wrapping a box and tying it with ribbon and a bow.
I save the tissue paper and reuse it for other gift bags or as stuffing for gifts.
I press the tissue paper with my iron on the lowest or "cool" setting, and the paper comes out like new. The gift bags are recycled, so you're saving coming and going!-Norma Mae, Lexington, Ky.
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to [email protected]. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
King Features Syndicate