How well do you look after your bed? The chances are you change the sheets regularly; give them a good wash; let them dry off; and put them back on the bed smelling floral fresh. You’ll feel good about doing it, too, and why wouldn’t you?
Fair play for looking after your bedding, but hold off from patting yourself too hard on the back. A stately home in Wrexham, Erddig Hall, is going that little bit further: The home is conducting an Easter spring clean and has singled out a 300 year old bed in its State Bedroom for a spot of conservation work.
The bed itself is a rare heirloom and dates as far back as 1720. Meanwhile, the room’s Chinese wallpaper is about 250 years old. This is all part of a room of which the furniture and décor is so delicate you may only view through a small glass box built into the door. Now, next time your teenager gets het up about their room being their own personal, private space, just ask them if their bed was made in the 18th century or not. That’s 1–0 to you.
To what lengths has the home gone? The answer is, collections staff have sent off parts of the bed to no less than the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio, in Norfolk. There experts will review them so that the home can decide how best to preserve the bed for the future.
While all this is going on and during visiting hours, the family rooms of Erddig Hall will be on the business end of a serious deep clean. How deep — who can say , but the team there will likely tell you that it’s most definitely worth it. The visitors love a bit of specialist conservation work. Whatever makes people happy!
The conservation of the bed is part of a series of measures Erddig Hall has implemented to preserve the stately home, which reopened in March. The restaurant received a facelift and is now decorated in blue and pink, with the food coming out of a kitchen that is boasting new ovens, a new bratt pan and a new coffee machine.
How well are you looking after your own bed?
You’ve got to hand it to Erdding Hall. They’ve kept that bed in pristine condition for 300 years and counting. The question now, though, is: how well are you looking after your own bed?
With all the wear and tear and regular usage, it would be an almighty feat to trump the stately home. No one’s asking you to do that, course, but certainly you can take steps to get more out of your bed before you have to buy a new one. Here are a few tips to make it last.
Don’t leave your mattress hanging around
When you get a new mattress, don’t just leave it in the wrapping unloved and unused. You wouldn’t do this with a birthday present or Christmas. Get it straight out of the wrapping and onto your bed. The longer you leave it in the packaging, the longer it could take to rid the mattress of that chemical pong, which should disappear in a few days if you air it off sufficiently.
Air the mattress regularly
Strip off the covers and let the air get to your mattress. Twenty minutes will be enough and give the mattress time to deal with any body moisture. Oh, and try to keep it out of direct sunlight. You might like the sun. So might your friends and family. Mattresses and wooden bed frames, however, will have other ideas and voice their displeasure by fading.
Clean your bed frame
Different frames will respond better to different cleaning methods. Avoid using harsh cleaning liquid on wooden frames; instead opt for a specialised wood cleaner or, if you’re cleaning a lacquered bed frame, some mild soap and water.
You’re in for an easy ride if you have a metal bed frame. All they take is a little light dusting. You can run over the frame with a damp cloth if the circumstances call for a slightly more aggressive scrub. Remember to go back over the frame with a dry cloth immediately, though, to prevent rust from setting in.
Fabric frames are trickier to clean. Washing the fabric may cause more damage, not to mention make it harder to dry. If you spot a stain, blot it with a damp cloth but don’t rub it. Propping pillows up against the headboard of a fabric frame can pre-empt the risk of stains.
Make your bed a bounce-free zone
Let’s face it — jumping on the bed when you’re a kid is the epitome of fun, but if the owners of Erddig Hall were to see a child bouncing happily up and down on that rare, 300 year old bed in their State Room, some kind of fit or loss of consciousness would be on the cards. Preserve your mattress and bed frame by stopping your kids from jumping on the bed. Sure, it’ll make you a party pooper, but a quick trip to McDonald’s or a trampoline park — or both if the little ones are really twisting the knife! — and all will be forgiven.
