What is Eiderdown?

Eiderdown is down that comes from the Eider, a large sea duck that lives on the northern coasts of Europe, Asia, and North America. The Eider's nest is built close to the sea and is lined with the celebrated eiderdown. This soft and warm lining has long been harvested for filling comforters and pillows. Although eiderdown comforters and pillows are now a rarity, eiderdown harvesting continues and is sustainable, as it can be done after the ducklings leave the nest with no harm to the birds. Eiderdown is exceptionally soft and has insulating properties far superior to any other down.

Eiderdown is a unique plumage. Fill power cannot accurately be measured because of the way each cluster clings to the other. Typical goose and duck down tends to sit loosely in a product and can shift and "flow." Eiderdown tends to hold together and is generally more resilient. This clingy behavior also makes it better at trapping air and, therefore, a better insulator.

Stop by A Touch of Lace to pick out your very own eiderdown comforter!







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Alpaca is a wool, but what type of animal is the alpaca?

The alpaca is a long-haired, domesticated member of the camel family, native to South America, and highly-prized for its silky, long-fiber wool. In appearance, the alpaca resembles a llama.

Its fleece produces a lustrous, silken natural-fiber yarn. Usually, less than half of the annual alpaca shear, the undercoat, is of a quality suitable for weaving textiles. The remainder of the shear is guard hair, or overcoat - coarser, straighter hairs - which must be removed prior to spinning.

Alpaca is considered by many to be as soft and warm as cashmere, yet is lighter in weight, producing yarn with greater durability and strength. Its softness is derived from the fine diameter of its fibers; because the alpaca's hair fibers have a smoother surface than most other wool-producing animals, textiles made from alpaca yield a beautiful sheen and luster. And while it has similarities to sheep's wool, alpaca fibers are naturally hypoallergenic because they contain no lanolin.

Stop in A Touch of Lace to pick a beautiful alpaca throw, offered in various colors!







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Why Do Some Cotton Sheets Pill?

Pilling occurs when fibers in the fabric break, tangle, and "ball up." The shorter the fibers used in the fabric, the most likely the chance for breakage. The more brittle the fiber, the more breakage will occur. Cotton sheets may pill for a variety of reasons.

What pilling looks like:

 Generally, the longer the cotton fabric, and the tighter the twist of the yarn, the most stable the fabric will be and the less chance there will be for pilling. Even the finest of fabrics can pill without proper care, handling, and laundering. Disregarding care instructions may cause fabric to wear and pill. For instance, using chlorine bleach and excessive fabric softener can weaken the fibers, and drying at high heat levels can cause fibers to break.

As an individual sleeps, the act of tossing, turning, and moving against weakened fibers creates friction. Over time, this friction can cause these fibers to break (and then, to pill). This is why fitted sheets tend to pill more heavily at the foot of the bed, where the most abrasive and frequent movement occurs.

The best way to prevent pilling is to follow the care instructions. For the care of fine linens, a short wash cycle with gentle detergent is recommended. Then, use a low-heat setting during the drying cycle and remove the bedding while still slightly damp. Please take note that even the agitation of the washing machine or the tumbling of the dryer can cause breakage, so never overfill the washer or dryer to avoid additional friction during these cycles. Also, avoid laundering your sheets with other items, such as towels, for the high nap on a towel may cause a breakdown of the cotton fibers. To be safe, launder sheets seperately.

It should be noted that, because of the differences in construction, Percale weave have less of a tendency to pill than Sateen weaves. So, if in doubt, go with a Percale.








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Do You Use Bleach?

Dishwashing detergents use chlorine bleach, benzoyl peroxide, or perborate in the liquid, gel, or powder formulas. Toothpaste and tooth whitening aids use hydrogen peroxide to clean and brighten your smile. Acne preparations often have benzoyl peroxide, and hair colorings might contain hydrogen peroxide to do their work!

Sink cleansers, mildew removers, laundry stain removers, and brightening detergents will frequently have one of the three most common bleaches as a component.

Remember that bleaches include hydrogen peroxide, sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, and chlorine. Whenever a label says it will whiten, or brighten or disinfect, bleach may be part of the product- and concentrated amounts can cause a color change! So handle these products with care.

Here is a breakdown of what products contain the following ingredients:

ACID
Moisturizers, skin care products, hand sanitizer, hand lotions, deodorant, tanning products and sun block, callus removers, eye and nose drops, bubble bath, hair conditioner, fade creams, cough syrup and children's liquid medicines, joint pain creams and lotions, perfumes


ALKALINE
Shampoo, toothpaste, soap, depilatories, disinfectants, ammonia, hair dye, Drano, Windex, bath gel, shave cream, some deodorants

BLEACH
Toothpaste, teeth whitening kits, acne medications, some moisturizers, hair lightening products, household cleaning and sanitizing products, mildew removers, shower spray cleaner


ALCOHOL
Rubbing alcohol, perfume and cologne, body sprays, facial toners and astringents