WITH summer coming to a grisly, rainy end, most of us will already be thinking about preparing for the autumn and winter months.
And as the colder days and darker nights slowly creep in, now is a good time to be getting our winter duvets and pillows ready.
Because what could be better than getting snuggled up with a lovely, thick, cosy duvet when it’s miserable outside?
But while we’re swapping out our summer duvets and pillows, we might notice that our winter ones are a little flat and limp from not being used for months.
Luckily, one expert is on hand to help us bash some life into our favourite pillows and duvets.
Rhiannon Masters, interior designer and Head of Brand at Piglet in Bed, says all you need is one item to get the best results.
And the best thing about it is that you can pick it up for as little as 90p.
Putting a tennis ball in a sock and popping it in the washing machine with your pillows and duvet can help make them fluffy and cosy again.
This trick is super simple and affordable and might just transform your sleep
Rhiannon Masters
And you can re-use the tennis ball as many times as you like as it doesn’t damage it.
And using this trick can save you from spending fortunes in the long run and buying new pillows every few months.
Not only that, but it will also improve your quality of sleep.
Rhiannon says: “This trick is super simple and affordable and might just transform your sleep.
“All you need is a tennis ball and a sock – that’s it!
“You can purchase a tennis ball for as little as 90p.
“Once you have that, insert it into any old tube sock and tie the top in a knot.
“All you have to do then is throw it into your tumble dryer along with any sad-looking pillows and pop it on your normal cycle at medium heat.
“The ball will bounce inside the drum and essentially beat out the lumps in your pillow, returning them to their former, fluffy glory.”
Rhiannon also shared her two tricks that will keep your pillows lasting longer to make sure you get the most out of them.
All you need to do is remember to fluff them by hand every day and rotate them every few weeks.
She said: “To keep your pillows looking and feeling as close to hotel quality as possible, you should be fluffing them every day.
SWEET DREAMS
FOR anyone who sweats through the night, Rhiannon has the perfect solution for keeping your pillows in better condition for longer.
If you’ve noticed your pillows getting lumpy after the summer, the interior expert suggests investing in some wool-filled pillows.
She explains: “Pillows filled with down or synthetic fibres can often go lumpy due to moisture from exposure to sweat over a long period of time.
“However, investing in pillows filled with natural fibres such as merino wool, will help to regulate your temperature as you sleep.
“This is due to the fibres’ natural thermoregulating properties, that keep you cool in the heat and warm in the cold.
“Sweating less at night will mean that your pillows are free from moisture and are less likely to go lumpy as quickly.”
“Whilst this sounds like an additional job, it needn’t be as you can incorporate it into your morning bed-making routine.
“Simply hold both sides of your pillow and alternate between compressing and decompressing it, making sure to flip it over and repeat on the other side.
“Do this for around 30 seconds to give your pillows their bounce back!”
Rhiannon added: “If you sleep with multiple pillows on your bed, then rotating which you sleep on, and which side of the pillow you sleep on is a good way to keep them fluffier for longer.
“Doing this a couple of times a month will help to distribute the weight placed on them.
“This will minimise the damage to the filling and expand their lifespan.”