Misconceptions
The most wide-spread misconceptions ...
Down and feathers are masterpieces of nature. They serve us excellently as filling material due to their distinguished properties. Unfortunately, there are widely spread errors regarding down and feathers, which we would like to set straight:
Misconception – Allergy
…because mites thrive on down-filled quilts
Good
news for the many people suffering from an allergy to house-dust-mites:
They do not have to forego their soft and cuddly down- and
feather-filled quilt. In particular, scientific research revealed that
down- and feather-filled quilts practically do not contain any
house-dust-mites, since feathers are not a nutrient to mites, but the
human being himself. The small animals are baited by human skin scales.
And humans shed them abundantly. Every day, a human being sheds 0.5 to
1.0 g. Considering, that only 0.25 g are sufficient for the nutrition
of some thousands of mites for a large time period, this is quite a
large amount. Many allergy-sufferers will heave a sigh of relief after the evidence was supplied that feathers offer only a poor habitat to mites and thus are no longer a taboo to allergy sufferers. In addition, it was figured out at the same time that the down-proof ticking, i. e. the shell of the filling acts as a barrier against the migration of mites in the bed. This means: also people suffering from an allergy to house-dust-mites may enjoy the comfort offered by down- and feather-filled quilts and pillows.
In this context, here is some good advice for persons suffering from an allergy to house-dust-mites: Do not get undressed in the bedroom, since the human skin scales are shed during the process. It makes most sense to get changed in the bath-room.
Sources / Further information:
„Gutachten zur Einschätzung der Relevanz der Bettfedern- (Keratin) Allergie“ "Expert opinion on the assessment of the Prevalence of Keratin allergy"
(Expert
assessment on the relevance of keratin allergy, Prof. Dr. med.
Hoffmann, former Head of the Paediatric Institute of the Clinical
Center of the University of Frankfurt on the Main, Germany.
“House-dust-mite allergen in pillows",
Expert
opinion by the Wellington Asthma Research Group, Wellington School of
Medicine, New Zealand (Gutachten der Wellington Asthma Research Group,
Wel-lington School of Medicine, New Zealand)
„Ökologische Untersuchungen zur Hausstaubmilbenallergie“
(Ecological
studies on the allergy to house-dust-mites), Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans W.
Jürgens, Institute for Anthropology at the University of Kiel in
Germany.
Links to the sources: http://www.nomite.de/studien.htm
Please, click here to request further information (allergy package).
Misconception – Heat accumulation
Whether people feel comfortable in bed or not during their sleep
is determined deci-sively by the climate created under the duvet (the
bed hollow climate). The insulating effect of a quilt chiefly depends on
- the filling material (for instance down and feathers)
- the filling quantity (indicated in gram)
- the type of stitching (for instance: duvets with interior baffle walls, stitched-through duvets which are available in a number of different patterns)
- the capacity of the filling to store air, since these air-filled pockets make up the volume and the insulating capacity of a quilt
- the drape-ability (i.e. to what extent the quilt has the ability to adapt to the shape of the sleeper and his or her movements)
Thus, besides the season, the ambient temperature and the temperature in the bed-room, it is the sleeper’s needs which finally decide upon the type of quilt to purchase. A comfortable down filling, provided with interior baffle walls for the wintertime might be suitable for people who feel cold easily. Stitched-through light down quilts with fillings, which are permanently fixed in the quilts’ various compartments are suitable for use during the summertime. This way the sleeping person is optimally equipped.
One thing should be paid attention to: In any case it is recommended to choose the comfort size (155 x 220 cm).
Misconception – Disposal
Down and feathers are environment-friendly because waste feathers might be ap-plied as valuable fertilizer after they can no longer be used as filling material.
Within the scope of examinations performed at Hohenheim University (Germany) ti-tled “The applicability of feather meal as organic nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture and horticulture“, the nutrient content of feather meal, horn meal and barn manure were analysed and compared. Here are the results:
Comparison between the nutrient contents of feather meal, horn meal and barn ma-nure
| Comparison of the nutrient content of feather meal, horn meal and barn manure |
|||
|
Feather meal
|
Horn meal
|
Barn manure
|
|
| Organic substance (C) |
45%
|
70%
|
18%
|
| Nitrogen |
14%
|
10%
|
1,7%
|
Further main nutrients (g/KG DM) |
|||
| Phosphorus |
2,9
|
1,8
|
2,5
|
| Potassium |
1,5
|
1,2
|
5,0
|
| Magnesium |
0,8
|
0,3
|
1,5
|
Down and feathers which cannot be used as filling material any longer, are perfectly suited as nitrogen fertilizer in flower boxes or for beds of flowers! Soil-dwelling mi-crobes decompose the feathers so that their components can be assimilated by the plants.
Misconception – Care
It is so easy to care for down- and feather-filled duvets appropriately!
-
When it is dry outside the duvet may be fluffed up and aired at the open window. Thus, the filling is loosened and new air-filled pockets will form. The humidity which has accumulated during the night will be removed when the duvet is aired. Down- and feather-filled duvets do not need much care. Down and feathers are even washable!
Please, make sure that they are thoroughly dried! Duvets may not be exposed to the blazing sun, and neither beaten nor vac-uum-cleaned! -
The filling can be cleaned at the specialist shop or the duvet / the pillow can be washed in the washing machine. Please, follow the care instructions that have been attached to the bedding product.