We love the changing of seasons that happen in the UK but with the arrival of a new season comes the challenge of making your bed comfortable for the nights to come.
Long winter nights are all about cosiness and layers, thick duvets and snuggly fabrics. You spend longer in your bed in the winter and need to make sure that it’s a warm and inviting haven for long naps and lazy lie-ins. Whereas the summer brings light and heat (although sadly not always guaranteed in the UK) so you’ll want to kick off those heavy layers and switch out the snuggly bed linen for something breathable and moisture-wicking.
Winding Down For Winter
Winter gets a bad rap. However, here at Secret Linen Store we are quite partial to a cold winter’s eve as it gives us every excuse to climb under those cosy sheets and snuggle on down with a good book and a nice cuppa. Before you do that though, you might want to think about how to prepare your snooze spot for the cold, dark months.
Freshen up your duvet
Autumn is a good time of year to prep ahead as you’ve still got some warmth in the sun which you can put to good use. If you’re one of the lucky ones with duvets for different seasons then you might want to give your winter duvet a quick freshen up before it’s fit for snuggly nights in bed. On a sunny autumnal day, take your duvet out of storage and hang it outside in the sun. A day in the sunshine will help blow out the cobwebs and the rays will naturally help kill off any germs and bacteria that can cause musty smells. If it’s really musty, it may need a spin in your washer or a trip to the eco-friendly dry cleaners.
Build up the layers
The months are getting colder, but slowly. And with more and more erratic weather, you may not want a big thick duvet all through autumn and winter. This is where your All Seasons duvet comes in very useful as you can really play around with togs and find the perfect combination for this unpredictable time of year.
Alternatively you could choose a cosy throw to use with your summer duvet until the nights really get chilly. Our Vivienne and Finn Quilted Throws are just the ticket for this ‘shoulder season’ and offer you that extra layer that might be needed on your autumn bed. If your throw has been stuffed in a cupboard for the summer, make sure it’s bed-ready by giving it a run through the machine before draping it on your bed.
Welcoming Winter
Cosying up
You may decide to treat yourself to some lovely new sheets in darker wintry colours. It’s worth thinking about the type of fabric you go for as some are even better than others at keeping you warm. Our favourites for the colder months are brushed cotton. They’re super soft and ever so warm to the touch which makes slipping into bed on a cold night a very big treat indeed.
Ultimate comfort
The depths of winter are made substantially easier with a pile of pillows and a lovely thick duvet. You need never worry about draughts and cold spots with one of our 15 tog offerings, and surrounded by a nest of super soft pillows you’ll discover winter is your favourite time of year.
Don’t forget the ambience
The feeling of warmth doesn’t only come from the temperature around you; it can also come from the ambience and scents in your bedroom. Try lowering the lights before hitting the hay and maybe light a lovely scented candle with wintry essential oils. You could also wash your sheets in Wilton London’s delightful Cedarwood laundry products – the scent is warm, luxurious and fresh, and perfect for a cold winter’s night.
Lightening Things Up
As the days start to get longer and spring… erm… springs… you’ll want to think about removing some layers and lightening up your bedroom.
Now’s the time to perhaps lose the extra 4.5 tog duvet from your All Season combi or switch over to a separate lighter weight duvet, but we still recommend keeping your throw close to hand to pull up over you on those chillier spring mornings. There’s an old saying “Ne’er cast a clout ‘til May be out” which reminds us not to take off all the layers just yet because you can’t rely on the temperatures to be warm until the end of May.
Spring cleaning
When you do decide that summer is finally here then dig out that summer duvet and give it a once-over so it’s fresh for your sunny snooze spot. As you did with your winter bedding, hang it out on a sunny day and let the sunshine work its magic.
You’ll also want to make sure that your winter duvet is nice and clean before storing it away for the coming months. Small marks can be spot cleaned or if you think it might need a proper clean then you can possibly handle this yourself at home if your machine is big enough to take the bedding. It’s very important that your duvet is bone dry before storing it away for the summer. If you’re wary of doing this yourself, or your duvet is particularly big (or machine particularly small) you might want to take it for a professional scrub-up at an eco-friendly dry cleaners. It’s a bit of an investment, but worth it when you pull out a sparkling clean duvet later in the year.
Light and bright
In the summer, it’s all about breathable sheets in light and airy fabrics. We are huge fans of 100% linen for a moisture-wicking and comfortable bed. The open weave of linen makes it incredibly breathable and this fabulous fabric holds plenty of moisture which makes it a champion in hot, sweaty weather.
But if linen isn’t your bag, then a lovely light 100% cotton also makes an excellent hot weather bed fellow. And why not choose a light summery colour to freshen up your bedroom?
When the hot nights kick in you might find yourself shrugging off the duvet completely and relying on a flat sheet for that bit of nighttime coverage. This is a great opportunity to add a splash of colour to your room and mark your bed with an official stamp of summer.
Block it out
With summer comes the additional light which, despite being welcome after a long, dark winter, can interfere with your forty winks. So don’t forget to think about curtains. Although not strictly bed-related, you’ll definitely improve your summer snoozing if you can block out all that pesky light. Blackout curtains will give you a nice dark room for a sneaky lie-in as well as helping convince your toddler that it is indeed bedtime even though the sun is still shining brightly outside.
Summer laundry
The summer is our favourite time to do laundry as nothing pleases us more than a line full of bed linen blowing in the sunshine. And you will probably find you’ll need to wash your bed linen more often when the weather is hot, be it because of additional body sweat or sand between your toes. The sunshine is a marvellous tool in your laundry arsenal because it naturally kills off any bacteria and odours and also helps remove any stubborn stains. But do be careful not to expose your sheets to too much direct sunlight as you run the risk of causing fading or discolouration, especially on darker colours.
Speaking of sun damage, remember that intensive sun exposure through a window can also cause bleaching. If you have a seldom-used south-facing room it might be wise to rotate your bed linen and draw the curtains, or throw a bedspread over the bed to prevent any discolouration.
Another year is over
And then before you know it, the nights start drawing in and the circle is complete. Time to clean up and pack up, to prepare for another winter under the sheets. We’d love to know how you prepare your bed for the change of season… do you use the same duvet and bed linen all year round, or do you meet each season with a completely new look?
Email us on sales@secretlinenstore.com or tag us on social media with your new season style @secretlinenstore.
