Bedding - The Electric Blanket Warning
Bedding becomes a priority in the cold, frosty months - especially when so many of us are faced with such big hikes in electricity and gas bills. It can be tempting to cut down on the heating bills and opt for an electric blanket. Electric blankets are particular popular types of bedding for the elderly. But in 2007, Trading Standards found out of the 734 blankets tested across the UK, 267 failed the safety test, with 53 deemed dangerous. Alternative bedding such as extra blankets, thicker duvets and opting for thick fabrics in your bedroom such as heavy curtains, carpet and rugs, can help create a warmer, cosier environment.
Bedding - The Electric Blanket Shock
The statistics are frightening - around 40% of the bedding tested was not recommended for further use. Electric blankets that are worn-out can trigger potentially fatal fires. Although keeping warm at night is vital, especially for the elderly, it's safer to consider alternative bedding solutions - for example, layering blankets is an effective way of trapping heat. Trading Standards recommend as a general rule that if your electric blanket is over ten years old, you should stop using it, replace it, or consider alternative bedding.
Alternative Bedding for Winter Months
If you're looking for alternative bedding, there is an array of warming blankets and bedding accessories that can be easily thrown on your bed to accommodate the changing seasons. The story in a local paper of a lad whose electric blanket caught fire highlights the very real risks. A 15 year-old boy turned on his electric bedding without realising the blanket was folded up underneath his bed. The bedding caught alight releasing an acrid smoke, but the smoke alarms in the house weren't triggered as the bedroom door was shut. His mother woke after hearing her son's coughing and called the fire brigade: All of which could have been avoided if alternative, safer bedding was used.
The Right Bedding for Undisrupted Sleep
Research at the University of South Australia revealed that in fact electric bedding isn't the best way to keep warm at night. The study at the Centre for Sleep Research showed that overheating the body during sleep can disrupt your sleep cycle. The researchers said the electric bedding was responsible for a trend in increased waking during the night as a result of higher body temperatures. Alternative bedding to electric blankets during the winter months should include thick blankets or a basic, good old-fashioned duvet, as well as cosy pyjamas and bed socks.
Duncan Stewart Textiles Ltd has been trading online at www.towelsrus.co.uk for over 5 years. With 30 years of experience in the towel and home textiles market, we offer the very best in quality and service both to businesses and individual clients. We give you as much information nand advice as we can so that you can make an informed choice when it comes to buying bedding, towels and other textiles. Whether you're replenishing your linen cupboard or ordering personalised towels for a corporate events, we can help. Browse our website to order online, or call us on 0845 123 5880.
