Most people think of silk as an expensive fabric that is the ultimate in luxury, smoothness and normally associated with the sexiest lingerie and bed linen. However, if you are serious about giving yourself, family or children one of the healthiest night sleep possible; then a pure silk duvet is an important option.
What are the Health Benefits?
Silk's natural hypoallergenic qualities have come to be increasingly appreciated across the modern world. Silk bedding is a great blessing to all allergy sufferers, who may be prone to Asthma, blocked sinuses, or other allergies. House dust mites and their allergens are a very frequent cause of allergic reaction in the home. One of their favorite locations is bedding. It has been observed that unlike many bedding materials (particularly down, feathers and wool), these mites will not, or perhaps cannot, live in silk. So, provided the rest of the bedding is washed regularly to keep it "mite-free", this source of allergy can be controlled.
Silks’ thermostatic properties, as silk can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture before it feels damp. The combination of the duvets’ naturally breathable silk filling and cotton casing allows the duvet to wick away any excess moisture. This moisture subsequently escapes as it evaporates as a result of your body heat or when the duvet is aired the following morning. The evaporation causes cooling keeping you feeling fresh and comfortable throughout the night. So in effect the silk acts as a thermostat. The more you heat up, the more the silk will provide cooling, and vice versa. You get a good sleep at an even temperature all night long. While it is warm when required you are much less likely to overheat under a suitably chosen weight of silk filled duvet creating the 'Cool in Summer; Warm in Winter’ effect, for which it is renowned throughout Asia.
Silk is 100% natural and contains many amino acids in common with, and beneficial to, human skin cells. Long ago the Chinese observed that silk is beneficial to our skin; that is to say, they believe the aging of the facial lines is delayed. It is thought that these Amino Acids are responsible. By activating the skin cells to help moisture penetrate the skin (aid in absorption) and aid in skin healing, these amino acids also seem to activate the skin cells to help prevent vascular sclerosis, relieve itchy skin, Eczema, Sensitive Skin, allergic rash, skin inflammations (psoriasis), post-chemotherapy sensitive skin, sunburns, assist in preventing arthritis, asthma and multiple chemical sensitivity.
How are they Made?
The silk used to fill these duvets is the finest quality ‘A’ grade natural 100% long strand mulberry.
The silk threads can be stretched for up to a mile long. Many layers of long silk floss are pulled out by hand to the dimensions of the duvet until the specified weight is reached. Each stretched mat looks like gossamer before it is laid on its fellows. These layers of raw silk being so light and fine yet strong, naturally mesh into one mass and cannot move against each other. Due to its strength, once the silk threads have been teased into place and sewn there is no possibility of the silk migrating, or bunching up, within the duvet. "Box stitching" or "quilt sewing" is not necessary. With the correct care the silk duvet the filling remains evenly distributed throughout its life. More importantly, if the duvet were "quilted", it would lose its even distribution of warmth, as the sewn lines would diminish insulation and become "cold lines" across the quilt.
These duvets were designed by The Fine Bedding Company and made in the same traditional way they have been made for centuries in China.
Anything else?
Available in a 200g (equivalent to a 4 tog) and 400g (equivalent to an 8 tog) thtwo weights of duvet can be joined together to create a warmer duvet for winter.
Care Instructions
As delicate as it feels against your skin, silk is actually an extremely strong protein fibre similar to human hair. By knowing the right way to care for your silk, you can keep it looking and feeling in perfect condition for years to come.
To prolong the use of the Mulberry Silk Duvet, we recommend using a duvet cover to protect the silk from general wear, tear and staining. Washing your Mulberry silk duvet is not recommended, whether in a machine or by hand as this may affect some of the silks natural properties.
Small stains may be spot cleaned using water and a silk detergent or a gentle washing liquid such as Ecover Ecological Washing Liquid for Fine Fabrics and Wool. Never use harsh detergents or bleach—they will strip the finish and possibly ruin the silk.
Do not dry-clean your silk duvet as silk should not be cleaned with any form of chemical cleaner, as these too will affect the silks natural properties.
If you feel your duvet could use refreshing, we suggest airing it outside as the sun will purify the fibres.
When the duvet feels weighty, or begins to lose its heat retention or fluffiness, it needs to be aired out in the sun for a couple of hours without its duvet cover. Sunlight will draw out trapped moisture and restore fluffiness to the duvet.
