or is DP regarding duvets?

[Notagainmun]

Twice a year I change duvets, 4.5 tog for Summer and 10.5 for Winter. We have one double and two king size beds in total. At this time of year I wash the lighter ones before storing but I buy inexpensive 10.5s and bin them rather than try to wash and dry them as I believe it would probably cost more.

DH doesn't think they need to be washed or binned for several years (MIL never did). I think that all the sweat, drool and other bodily fluids makes them rank. I also wash the feather pillows one a year (summer) and change mattress covers and pillow protectors four times a year and he doesn't see the need to wash the pillows - ever!

I read a blog post on this a few weeks back - it suggested swapping pillows every 6 months, might be worth having a read!

www.thebeddingcompany.co.uk/blog/how-often-should-you-replace-your-pillow

of course a bedding company who gets income from selling bedding would recommend replacing pillows often...

*Surely if someone deams their duvet to be too revoluting for them to use, then giving it to charity/the homeless is just wrong?

Equally the staff at animal shelters would have to handle such item?*

I think you will find that most homeless people or dogs will be very grateful to be given a duvet, even if it is not in 'new from John Lewis' condition unless they are a down on their luck Mumsnetter.

People throw duvets away annually?! Duvets?

Landfill... YABU

Parallel univere moment

universe... too surprised to type an s...

Yabu, who has just a 10.5 in the winter?!

I have a 15 to keep me warm. Its a sheep's wool duvet and I get it cleaned yearly. Cost a fortune but its cheap considering I spent a third of my life in it.

bonded, I am the other way - we have a 4.5 tog in the autumn/winter/spring and a 3 tog for summer. We never feel the need for any more than a 4.5 although I might wear a t-shirt in winter (don't own any pyjamas).

I don't like it when hotels provide massive thick duvets as they are always far too warm.

Gosh, do you live in a very modern house? Mine is old and cold. I only put the heating on if its below 16. I had a todal of three weeks just sleeping with the sheat this Summer

Yabu, who has just a 10.5 in the winter?!

I have a 9.5. Even in my last house which was old and unheated I used have that, then layer up with blankets.

Well the blankets probably push it up to a 15 ;)

Down on their luck mumsnetter...

That made me laugh

I only have a 4 tog on our bed bonded! If it gets too cold we put a blanket on top, but I think we've only had to do that two or three times last winter.

We sleep naked too

It's cheaper for me to buy a new duvet from ASDA than pay for a service wash at a launderette.

Hector - but surely that not a great duvet?

Service wash and dry for a king size 10.5tog duvet was £10.50. The economics obviously depend on what you paid initially for the duvet. I tend to buy the more expensive lighter weight ones as I don't like anything heavy on me when I'm sleeping but if the original duvet cost around a tenner you're better replacing it.

OnlllklyMoorBahTwat. thank you for quoting my post, except I never mentioned "John Lewis" .

I stand by my opinion, the duvet described in the op was full of sweat, drool and other bodily fluids. Therefor not suitable for another human.

Your opinion sounds like "it's not good enough for me so poor can have it." The correct way of supporting the vulnerable is to treat them with respect. Clean things before donating, treat others as you would like your loved ones to be treated.

Mostly those classed as homeless are not rough sleepers but on beds in temporary accommodation

In reality this duvet is probably quite clean, but the op should relax about their standards.

Silver daisy, I am not being disrespectful to the poor I was merely commenting that people or animals who have absolutely nothing are not likely to exhibit some of the ridiculously precious and wasteful traits that some posters on here have. I have been poor and was grateful for any help that I was offered, I didn't stand there saying 'I don't want that, it's not perfect enough'.

There are people on here that feel that only Hungarian goose down duvets costing hundreds of pounds are good enough and cheaper ones are not nice, others that dispose of perfectly satisfactory cheaper ones after a few months because they won't use laundrettes due to 'germs' and people that say it is 'disgusting' to use a pillow for a few months without washing it, even though it is likely that it has been used with a regularly washed pillowcase.

If that's the sorts of things that are 'good enough', then no-one would ever donate anything as most people simply do not adhere to these kind of standards for their own new items, so are unlikely to have surplus items that meet these standards that they are able to give away. They are not likely to spend the time and money taking old quilts to the laundrette before donating them either.

So it would appear that it is preferable for a homeless person to have no duvet and for bedding that is virtually new to go to landfill, than it would be for someone to use something that may have been touched by someone else? We are talking about a duvet that is a few months old and has been used with a clean cover. It is not likely to be soaked in bodily fluids.

Out of date food has also been mentioned. Tinned food lasts for years beyond the BBE date and I am perfectly happy to use it, but it would appear that once it goes anywhere near an arbitrary use by date, it is disrespectful to offer it to someone who would otherwise have nothing to eat?

OnlllklyMoorBahTwat - I have been responding to a thread that said their 6 mth duvet full of drool , .sweat and "other bodily fluids" needs to be thrown out. Not a thread asking "what should I do with my " nearly new duvet" .

No shelter will take a garment described as sweat/drool/bodily fluid stained item with a barge pole. A description like that sounds like a health hazord. (Not something the vulnerable should have).

My reason to keep responding is to ask people to be kind when donating , clean things first.

Prompted by this thread I have washed one duvet and have another airing right now.

If you have dogs jumping all over them, then yes they cleaning regularly.

We washed our king size duvet the other week due to newborn being sick on it. Realised it was the first clean it had had in the 6 years we’ve owned it.

We’ve not caught any diseases!

Argh 🧟‍♂️

There is an alternative - dump the duvets and buy blankets!

People like you disgust me quite frankly.

You would actually rather throw something away that you've used for six months than wash it.

I wonder if that is something you'll admit to doing to your grandchildren, when the planet is running out of resources.

If you're that much of a germ freak then just wash the bloody thing.