Introduction
A bed can be defined as a piece of furniture or location primarily used as a place to rest, relax, nap or sleep. A bed is a piece of furniture used as a place to sleep or relax. Most modern beds consist of a mattress on a bed frame, with the mattress resting either on a solid base, often wooden slats, or a sprung base. Some beds has a box spring inner-sprung base, a large mattress-sized box containing wood and springs that provide additional support and suspension forthe mattress.
Others have a headboard for resting against, with others also having side rails and footboards (or “footers”). “Headboard only” beds often incorporate a “dust ruffle”, “bed skirt”, or “valance sheet“ to hide the bed frame.
For greater head support, a pillow, placed on the top of a mattress can be used along with the bed. Also covering blanket can be used to insulate the sleeper during the cold period, often bed sheets, a quilt, or a duvet, collectively referred to as bedding. Bedding is the removable non-furniture portion of a sleeping environment.
As sleep is a complete or deeper form of rest so it is important to make the bed more comfortable to enhance a full rest.
Types Of Bed
Adjustable Bed: is a bed can be adjusted to a number of different positions.
Air Bed: uses an air inflated mattress sometime connected to an electric air pump and having firmness controls.
Box Bed: is a bed having the form of a large box wooden roof, sides and ends opening in the front with two sliding panel often used in cottage in (Scotland).
Day Bed: is couch that is used as a seat by day an as a bed by night.
Futon Bed: is a traditional style of Japanese bed.
Murphy Bed: also known as wall bed is a bed that can lunge into a wall or cabinet to save space.
Pallet: is a thin bed with a light weight mattress.
Platform Bed: is abed that has it mattress resting on a solid or flat raised surface.
Roll-Away Bed: or (cot) is a bed whose frame folds in half and rolls in order to be more easily stored or moved.
Sofa Bed: is a bed that is stored inside a sofa
Vibrating Bed: is typically in win operated novelty found in a vintage motel. These used to counter body ache and relax.
Water Bed: is a bed/mattress combination where the mattress is filled with water.
Bed Linen
Bed linen means the entire fabrics used for bed laying or all bed accessories, or bed wares.
They include:
- Bed sheet
- Pillow cases
- Blanket
- Durets
- Bed spread/counter panel/bed cover
Qualities Of Good Bed Linen
The clothing items used to make up a bed, such as sheets and pillowcases. formerly made of linen but now coming in a wide variety of material such as cotton or polyester.
Bed Sheet
A bed sheet is a rectangular piece of cloth, linen or cotton used to cover a mattress. It is this sheet that one typically lies on.
In many areas of the world, a second flat bed sheet is laid on top of the sheet covering the mattress. This is known as a “flat sheet” and when a top sheet is used, the sheet covering the mattress is known as a ”fitted sheet”. One sleeps between the two bed sheets. Blankets, comforters, and other bed covers are then placed on top of the second bed sheet.
Types of Bed Sheets
There are two major types of bed sheets, they are:
Flat Bed Sheets
is a rectangular sheet of cloth. Usually a flat bed sheet is overlooked around the edges to form four seams. One of the seams is wider than the other three and helps with orienting the sheet correctly on the mattress. The wider seam goes at the head end of the mattress. Sometimes the sides do not have seams, but are finished with the selvedge only.
Fitted Sheet
has four corners, and sometimes two or four sides, titted w’th elastic, to be used only as a bottom sheet. The fitted sheet may also be secured using a drawstring instead of elastic. The purpose of a fitted bottom sheetis to keep it from slipping off the mattress while the bed is in use.
A particular way of folding and tuck’ng wh’le mak’ng the bed, know s “hospital comers”, is sometimes used when the bottom sheet is flat rather than fitted.
Bed sheets were traditionally white, but now various colours and patterns are used. The quality of bed sheets is often conveyed by the thread count the number of threads per square inch of material.
In general, the higher the thread count, the softer the sheet, but the weave and type of thread may affect the “hand” of the material so that a sheet with a lower thread count may actually be softer than one with a higher count.
Qualities of Good Bed Sheets
- Should have a good finishing usually with a slight luster and be made from a non-crease fabrics so as to retain its appearance.
- The texture must be soft, smooth, absorbent and free from static.
- They should easy to wash and to keep clean.
Pillow
A pillow is a large cushion support for the head or other parts of the body, usually used while sleeping on a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair. There are also throw pillows (also called toss pillows), which are pillows that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort.
A cushion is a soft bag filled with air or padding like feathers or foam rubber. In the United Kingdom, these types of pillows are called a cushion, with the word pillow used for pillows on a bed.
Pillow Cases and Pillow Shams
The pillow case is a sort of slip cover for pillow. its purpose is to absorb oils and perspiration, and to grant protection for the face while sleeping.
Pillow shams are similar, but they are decorative, and not intended for use while sleeping. You can use it while sleeping, but usually pillow cases are made of less expensive materials, and pillow shams are made from more expensive materials that you might not want to drool on.
Blanket
A blanket is a type of bedding, or a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket.
Blankets are generally used for warmth, while sheets are for hygiene, comfort and aesthetics. Blankets are subdivided into many types, including quilts, duvets, and comforters, depending on their thickness, construction and/or till material.
Blankets were traditionally made of wool because of wool’s warmth, breathability and natural fire-retardant properties, while sheets were made of cotton or linen, which are less irritating to the skin.
Nowadays, synthetic fibers are frequently used for both. Throw blankets are smaller blankets, often in decorative colours and patterns, that can be used for extra warmth outside of bed. Blankets are sometimes used as comfort objects by small children.
Qualities of Good Blanket
- Must be soft, smooth, resilient and not too heavy.
- Must be easy to keep clean.
- Must be of good quality that cannot be easily attacked by insects.
Duvets
A duvet also known as a Doona is a type of bedding, a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers, wool, silk or a synthetic alternative, and protected with a removable cover, analogous to a pillow and pillow case. Duvets originated in rural Europe and were made from the down feathers of the elder duck, known forits usefulness as a thermal insulator.
Duvets have become increasingly popular ‘in hotels and are replacing the blanket especially on double beds. They consist of filling sandwiched or stitched in a fabric case with a chargeable cover. The filler may be duck/goose down, a feather mix or combination of the two. It is not easy to wash so it is always advisable to provide a covering sheet in conjunction with duvet cover to save laundry cost.
Bedspread/ Bed Cover/ Counter Pane
- These are purchased with due consideration for appearances, durability and size.
- The colour and the prints should match the décor and soil should not show easily.
- The fabrics should not crease easily
- It must be approximately be 8 meter.
Bed Making
Bed making is the technique of preparing and laying of different types of bed to make the guest comfortable and feel more relax in his/her rooms.
Therefore, it is very important to learn the proper procedure for making a bed to ensure guest comfortability and sense of well-being.
Bed Making Procedures
1. Stripe the bed by removing all the beddings.
2. Place the underlay
3. Shake the mattress and place it over the underlay
4 Spread the first or bottom sheet with the right side up and the wider hem at the head of the bed.
5. Work the corners or mitres them so that sheet fits smoothly around the mattress. Making a triangle as shown in pix.
6. Tuck the sheet tightly between the mattress and the floor of the bed, pulling firmly.
7. Place the top sheet with the wrong side up and the right side against the bed and the narrow hem at the foot of the bed.
8. Spread the blanket over the sheet.
9. Turn the sheet over the blanket and tuck the top sheet and blanket all round.
10. Shake the pillows, put them in their cases. Place at the head end of the bed.
11. Spread the bed cover/counter pane/bed spread smoothly over the bed.
12. The foot and of the cover may and may not be tucked in. The sides are usually allowed to hang well.