bedding

Bedding, also known as bedclothes,^[1] refers to the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, to protect the mattress, and for decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment. It is more easily and economically replaced than the bed itself. Multiple sets of bedding for each bed will often be washed in rotation and/or changed seasonally to improve sleep comfort at varying room temperatures. In American English bedding generally does not include the mattress, box spring or bed frame,^[2] while in British English it does.^[3]

A set of bedding usually consists of an appropriately-sized flat or fitted sheet which covers the mattress; a flat top sheet; either a blanket, quilt, or duvet, sometimes with a duvet cover which can replace or be used in addition to the top sheet; and a number of pillows with pillowcases, also referred to as pillow shams. Additional blankets, etc. may be added to ensure the necessary insulation in cold sleeping areas. A common practice for children and some adults is to decorate a bed with plush stuffed animals, dolls, and other soft toys. These are not included under the designation of bedding, although they may provide additional warmth and reassurance to the sleeper.

Bedding materials

Lightweight white, solid-color or printed plain weave, satin weave, or flannel cotton or cotton/polyester blends are the most commonly used fabrics for bedding. Goose or duck down and other feathers are frequently used as a warm and lightweight filling in duvets and quilts. Down is an irritant for many people with allergies, and several natural and synthetic down alternatives are marketed. Polyester batting is commonly used as a filling for quilts and duvets, and is less expensive and more easily laundered than natural down or feathers. Thick woven or knitted wool, acrylic or microfiber synthetics are most commonly used for blankets.

Bedding sizes

Bedding sizes usually are made with the dimensions of the bed and mattress for which it is to be used in mind. Bed sizes vary considerably around the world, with most countries having their own standards and terminology. Furthermore, mattresses within a particular nation may have different thicknesses, and bedding may be sized for different thicknesses.

Mattress sizes are best categorized by their country of sale:

UK Bed Sizes

Europe Bed Sizes

North American Bed Sizes

Australian Bed Sizes^[4]

Bettgrößen

History

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Around 3400 BC Egyptian pharaohs had their beds moved off the ground and slept on a raised surface.

Roman Empire mattresses were stuffed with wool, feather, reeds or hay. The beds were decorated with paint, bronze, silver, jewels and gold.

During the Renaissance, mattresses were stuffed with straw and feathers and then covered with silks, velvets or satin material.

The arrival of the 18th century brought bed frames made from cast iron, and mattresses that were made of cotton. The 19th century saw the invention of the bed spring, also called the box spring.

The 20th century brought the inner spring mattress, futon, water bed (starting in the 1960s), air mattresses, foam rubber mattresses and pillows.

Terminology

Bedcover entitled "Buildings, Animals and Shields", Albany, New York, c. 1890. Art Institute of Chicago collections.

• Bed skirt (also bed ruffle, dust ruffle or valance): A decorative piece used to cover the boxspring and legs of the bed. It fits between the mattress and boxspring and hangs to the floor.
• Bed spread: A bed cover with sides that go to the floor. This does not require a bed skirt, and was particularly popular in North America after World War II.
• Bolster: A long, narrow and commonly cylindrical pillow filled with down or feathers.
• Boudoir pillows (or breakfast pillows): Small rectangular decorative throw pillows.
• Comforter: A filled bed cover that is quilted and usually reversible. They typically are paired with a bed skirt to form a complete ensemble, as the sides only go about halfway to the floor.
• Drop: The length of a bed skirt.
• Duvet: A soft flat bag traditionally filled with down or feathers, or a combination of both, and used on a bed as a blanket.
• Duvet cover: A decorative and protective covering for a duvet. Most duvet covers have a button or tie closure at one end.
• European sham (or Euro sham): A decorative pillow covering which fits a large 26” x 26” pillow. These are often placed behind the standard size pillow shams as a backdrop, or on top of standard pillows as a coordinated set with a duvet cover.
• Feather bed: Feathers contained within a fabric shell and lay on top of a mattress as a mattress topper. The featherbed will normally have elastic straps or even have a fitted sheet on it so that it fits over a mattress and stays in place.^[5]
• Fitted sheet: This is the bottom sheet used to fit tightly over a mattress. Fitted sheets are available in a variety of pocket depths, which refers to the thickness of your mattress. Standard North American pocket size is 7” to 9”. Deep pocket corners are usually 10” to 13”. Extra deep pocket corners are very generous in size, and range from 14” to as much as 22” and used for the extraordinary high/deep mattress depth.^[6]
• Flanged: Including a decorative band of fabric that is straight or tailored; often used to describe pillows or pillow shams.
• Hotel bedding: Sheets with a high-thread count and unadorned designs, marketed to replicate the bedding materials that hotels use. Hotel bedding is typically designed to be soft, durable and inoffensive to variable tastes, and the expansion of business travel created a consumer demand for similar products.
• Mako cotton: A high grade of cotton, the long staple or long fibre of Egyptian-grown cotton has more continuous fibres to use when creating threads or yarns. This yarn is smaller in diameter yet stronger than other cottons. Smaller yarn means that more threads per square inch can be used to create stronger fabrics which are lighter in weight yet breathe well. Mako cotton is frequently used to make upscale sheets and towels, which are marketed as a luxury product.^[7]
• Neckroll: Small cylindrical decorative throw pillows.
• Pillow shams: Decorative coverings for pillows, often designed with trims, ruffles, flanges, or cording. Shams are normally placed behind the pillows used to sleep on, which would be covered with regular pillowcases.
• Pima cotton: A high grade cotton. It has the long staple similar to Mako cotton, which is what gives it its exceptional softness and brilliant luster, as well as its durability. Its superior characteristics improve with wear. Pima cotton is used to make upscale sheets, towels and clothing, which are marketed as a luxury product. Peru produces the most of the world's Pima cotton and of the best quality.^[8]
• Pleated: Material that is sewn in folds, like a fan.
• Tailored: Fitted closely, i.e. made to fit the bed exactly.
• Thread count: The number of thread ends per square inch in a woven fabric.

See also

Look up bedding in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Bed sheet
• Blanket
• Comforter
• Duvet
• Futon
• Pillow
• Quilt

References

1. ^ "Bedding - Definition". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedding. Retrieved 15 December 2011. 
2. ^ "Bedclothes - Definition". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedclothes. Retrieved 15 December 2011. 
3. ^ Oxford English Dictionary: "A collective term for the articles which compose a bed, esp. the mattress, feather-bed, or other article lain upon, and the bed-clothes."
4. ^ Australian Bedding Sizes
5. ^ Common Linen Terms
6. ^ Common Linen Terms
7. ^ [1]
8. ^ [2]