What bed linen, duvets, bedspreads, etc. do guests prefer?

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Pamela W
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Post by Pamela W »

This is a fascinating thread. We are Brits who live in Canada and we were in UK in September.

Everywhere we went we had duvets which I found a lot of the time too hot. However, whether we stayed at a place one night or three we realised the duvets were laundered, even after one night.

We could not understand why there was no top sheet, so that a duvet would not have to be laundered so much and create so much work.

In Canada and USA we have comforters and always a top sheet, since comforters do not have covers, but in any case it seems to me that it only makes sense to have a top sheet and then if a duvet is too hot one can have the sheet as a covering and there is less laundering to do!
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

Pamela, I don't think washing the duvet after each use can be very common practice in the UK - or anywhere - not practical on many counts, or energy efficient! It's just the cover that gets laundered each time as far as I'm aware, and the duvets themselves less frequently, though others here may correct me. :?
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Post by Margaret »

I agree! The point of the cover is not to have to wash the duvet every time. This is the other reason (apart from comfort) why I hate sleeping in hotels and holiday homes which have sheets and blankets. In my experience, it is impossible to use such bedding without the blankets coming into contact with the people sleeping in the beds. I can't help thinking about all the other people who have been there before. At least duvets are completely protected by the covers.
Pamela W
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Post by Pamela W »

Sorry, my mistake, I meant that the duvet cover would not have to be washed each time. I did not mean the duvet itself. On reading again I see I omitted the word cover.
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I find duvet covers a lot easier to wash and iron than sheets.
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remote
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Post by remote »

Me too. My first summer I had a top sheet under the duvet, with the idea of just washing the sheets as I only had one changeover. However the duvets looked so crumpled that they couldn't be left on, so we ended up with even more washing. Now I just do thin duvets. The house, having thick walls, keeps reasonably cool. Haven't had any complaints to date.
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pete
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Post by pete »

Hey,

very unfair to have a linen topic under uk and ireland - took me ages to find it !!!

We put a top sheet under a quilt because todate most of our guests have been french and this is what they get in the french run b&bs and hotels, they dont expect the quilt cover to be washed each time, and it suits us, in our rooms as when its hot the quilt can be pushed off and motisty purvails,

so says mrs p :D
Christine Kenyon
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Post by Christine Kenyon »

In our B&B we have opted for a bottom sheet, top sheet and duvet with cover and we just wash the two sheets on a regular basis.

The duvet cover is a suede-type material - sounds revolting, when put like that, but it is lovely to touch - and it's a dark burgundy colour. We did this because the first thing people tend to do when they get to their B&B room is put their bag on the bed. The material means it doesn't get crumpled; the colour means it doesn't show the dirt. They are washed as and when they need washing. They take a bit more washing and drying than a normal duvet cover, but it only needs a quick iron on the reverse side. And it seems to work for us.

Pictures are on www.grisedalelodge.co.uk/bedandbreakfast.htm.
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pepsipuss
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What bed linen

Post by pepsipuss »

Wow, what a useful and fascinating thread! I'm with you Pete, pity it is in a specific country.

In this part of Spain you don't need much to keep you warm for the majority of the year and we use a variety of options according to room/bed size/ availability of existing duvets etc. In self-catering we don't use top sheets where we have duvets so the covers always get washed. In B&B, on those beds where we use duvets in winter on some beds, we go the top sheet route. As the stays tend to be shorter in B&B, like Christine we don't wash the cover every time - we do monitor it religiously - which seems to us quite reasonable as water is scarce and energy expensive. For the warmer seasons we just use the top sheet and a lightweight spread or throw for the look - you don't need more than a sheet between May and September but the bed needs to look 'made'.

What we have seen and don't personally like is using an empty duvet cover in the hot season, instead of a sheet, and nothing on top of it. :oops: I can see that it is an economical option if yo are only using duvets but I think it is a bit tacky. Maybe I am just a bit picky.
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catherinedonegal
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Post by catherinedonegal »

in relation to duvets, i was looking at a uk site that i think is good but not sure if the pricing is high for what i want.

anyway, in our house we will have some single beds and some doubles. the singles are 3' wide and i wonder if it is better to buy a double bed size duvet for them? i don't want the covering to be skimpy and thought it might be more luxurious to have extra duvet as it were. what do others think? and i think i will opt for the goose down as they are (imo) much more comfy than the fibre ones. the site i'm looking at guarantees that the duvets are suitable for people who suffer from house dust mite allergies and the like.

this is the site (and i have NO connection with them whatsoever, never even used them before. just thought i'd better add that as i'm new here so incase anyone thinks i'm spamming). i have copied to show the duvet i'm thinking of:

towelsrus.co.uk/product/720

has anyone else used this company?
what do you think about goose -v- fibre
what about larger duvets for the beds?

thanks.
A-two
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Post by A-two »

catherine,
I would not spend anything like that, it's not necessary here. Just to give you an idea for comparison, I pay about $40.00 (20 pounds) per feather and down duvet regardless of size and around $20 (10 pounds) for 4 feather and down pillows. That meas that I can equip 4 bedrooms with duvets and pillows for the price of one of your duvets.

I'm sure yours are better quality, but I would rather replace more often, especially pillows, which only survive one or two seasons with normal wear, then need replacing.

I chose lightweight duvets, which means I can use year round with extra heavyweight bed cover for winter. This is also so that I can fit them into a domestic washing machine. Yes, they do say dry clean only, but I do it anyway and it's fine. Dry cleaning is so expensive, it's almost the same as buying new.

Mine are not low allergen, and I'm sure they come from China, but they do the job, and it's not a big expense if one gets damaged.

Regarding size, I would not put a double on a single bed, unless it's a very high bed, otherwise it might trail on the floor. If too much hangs over the side, it weighs very heavy on the sleeper, so I think you're reducing comfort level.
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Post by Christine Kenyon »

Agree with A2 about the idea of a double duvet on a single bed.

A friend does provide this. It looks nice but the duvets are very heavy to sleep under - quite claustrophobic.

We get our duvets from www.peacockblue.co.uk or from a company called Mitre Furnishings in Wales. And they're very reasonably priced.
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J&J
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Post by J&J »

Hi, I wouldn't "up" the size of the duvets. I tried doing it on a few beds, but forgot to take into account the extra washing and ironing the bigger cover sizes entailed, especially if you pay for them to be laundered. For a more finished look try a good valance instead and they don't need washing much. Don't go very cheap with duvets, we bought a couple in Mackro and they were all lumpy! Christine is right about replacing often, you never know what might stain them!
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enid
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Post by enid »

Well I am moving to single duvets on every bed - double included (we'll put two on there of course) easier washing ironing etc. We loved in when we were in Scandinavia and have two singles on our bed.

Don't be too dismissive of cheaper outlets - we have white sheets from Matalan that are really good quality and have lasted very well.
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Post by catherinedonegal »

thank you all so much for your reply. looks like the double is a no no then. i was just thinking along the lines of 'bug in a rug' and not rationally. :) good points on the no side too. i will check that other site and thanks for telling me about it. last night i did a bit more hunting around the net and found what seems to be good duvets for less so i will just have to apply myself and sit down and work out the best deals available. it is the excitement of all the shopping ... and not a bit of renovation done. :roll:

thanks again. :)
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