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How to Keep Your Home Warm and Comfortable this Fall and Winter
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Dec 4, 2005, 00:35

(ARA) - Days are starting to get cooler and homes in the colder seasons become havens for warmth and comfort. Here are a few tips to consider when making your home the perfect hide-away:
Bring on the Blankets

Cold weather is just around the corner, bringing with it the need for a warm bed layered with blankets. Blankets and throws can be decorative as well as functional and a new blanket doesn’t have to break the bank. Styles like the Springmaid Luxury Throws at Wal-Mart are stylish and affordable, starting at $19.88 for stylish looks such as faux fur, pashmina and crushed velvet. Good for layering on the bed, draped over a chair or for snuggling on the couch at night.

Replace Your Pillow

When was the last time you replaced your pillow? Experts recommend replacing it every one to three years in order to improve the quality of your sleep and your overall health, including your exposure to certain household allergens such as dust mites. Be sure to choose your pillow depending on your sleep position -- side sleepers need an extra firm or firm pillow that will fill in the distance between the shoulders and bed; back sleepers need a medium-density pillow that offers the head and neck support; and stomach sleepers should seek softer pillows. Try what’s recommended for your sleep style and see how you feel. Your body is smart, listen to it.

Lose the Lint

New towels linting? It’s to be expected on new cotton towels, though the amount will vary depending on yarn type and construction. Try these tips to fade out the fuzz:

* Make sure your dryer's lint trap stays clean so excess lint gets pulled away from the towels.

* Before washing, try tumbling the new towels in the dryer with no heat for 20 or 30 minutes to help eliminate some of the loose fibers.

* Evaluate your towels' linting again after five or six washings, at which point it should be minimal. While you shouldn't expect to get to a point where no linting occurs, you will see the amount of lint decrease significantly from wash cycle to wash cycle.

Unraveling the Thread Count Mystery

The higher the thread count, the better the sheet, right? Not always. While a higher thread count contributes to increased softness, do not overlook cotton in your quest for the perfect set of sheets. There are different grades of cotton to consider, including Egyptian, a long-staple cotton with a soft feel, and Supima, a soft and durable cotton grown in the U.S. Also pay attention to weave, which is the way the yarns are alternated over one another. Some common weaves are sateen, an extremely soft option and pinpoint, a crisper feel. Most importantly, touch the sheets before you buy them. If you don’t like the way they feel in the store you certainly aren’t going to like the way they feel on your bed.

For more home fashion tips and trends, visit www.springmaid.com. Courtesy of ARA Content

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