How to Use a Featherbed
Featherbeds have been around for centuries and remain one of the coziest, most comfortable ways to get a good night's sleep. Modern-day featherbeds are placed on top of an existing mattress to make it softer. They are typically filled with a combination of feathers and down (the warm, fluffy layer underneath a bird's exterior feathers). Down makes a featherbed both lightweight and long-lasting. It's also an ideal temperature regulator, helping you stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Selecting a Featherbed
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Choose a featherbed that's best for your needs and budget. First, consider the thread count. The higher the thread count, the softer and more durable the exterior of your featherbed will be (and the more likely it is to keep feathers from poking through).
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Look for box quilting or baffle boxes that keep the feathers from shifting. Box quilting is a series of squares sewn into the fabric. Baffle boxes take it a step further, with a layer of fabric sewn perpendicular to the top and bottom layers of the featherbed to seal the boxes and allow more even distribution of the down.
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Note the type of feathers used. Duck down is the least expensive, white goose the most common and eiderdown the most luxurious. Goose down is generally of better quality than duck; mature down from older birds is warmer and thicker than immature down. The density of the fill is also a factor that will affect warmth and cost.
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Choose a featherbed to match the size of your mattress at home (twin, full, queen or king).
Using Your Featherbed
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After your featherbed is in place, cover it with a fitted sheet to protect it and keep it from shifting. You might also want to add a washable duvet cover.
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Fluff the featherbed daily.
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Spot clean as needed.
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Let your featherbed air outdoors every few months.
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Dry-clean once every few years.
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Tips & Warnings
It's normal for a few feathers to escape from time to time, even with the highest quality featherbeds. If you're allergic to down, consider a featherbed made with a down alternative such as cotton fiberfill.
