Households that layer their beds end up with items out of use for months at a time. What happens during that period determines whether they come back out usable or smelling of the loft.
Clean and Dry Before Anything Else
The single most important step. Bedding stored with body oils on it develops yellow marks that were invisible when packed and are permanent by spring.
Stored damp, it develops mildew that does not wash out. Completely dry means drier than it feels, particularly for thick items such as toppers and comforters where the centre holds moisture long after the surface is dry.
Fleece and Synthetics
These store well and are the least demanding category. The main considerations are keeping them clean, since stored dirt attracts pests, and avoiding compression that flattens the pile.
Ranges of quilts and fleece blankets that wash and dry easily, such as those at han-sleep.com, are straightforward here: wash, dry fully, fold loosely, store.
The Storage Rules
- Washed and thoroughly dried, with no residual damp anywhere
- Breathable containers, not sealed plastic bags
- Somewhere with a stable temperature, not a loft or garage
- Flat rather than tightly compressed, particularly for foam
- Off the floor, in case of any water incident
- Labelled, so the right thing can be found without opening everything
Why Sealed Bags Are a Mistake
Vacuum bags are widely sold for this purpose and are a poor choice for anything that will be stored for months.
They trap whatever moisture was present when sealed, which then redistributes as the temperature changes. They also compress fibres and foam, and prolonged compression damages loft permanently.
Cotton storage bags, old pillowcases and lidded boxes that are not airtight all work better.
Foam Specifically
Toppers should be stored flat and uncompressed. Rolling or folding one for months deforms the cell structure, and it may not fully recover.
Under a bed or flat on top of a wardrobe is better than any compressed arrangement. Where flat storage is genuinely impossible, a loose roll for a short period is preferable to a tight one.
Pests
Moths target natural fibres, particularly wool, and are attracted to soiling rather than to clean fabric. This is another argument for washing before storage.
Cedar and lavender deter to a limited degree. Clean fabric in a closed but breathable container in a stable environment does considerably more.
Where to Store
An indoor cupboard, under a bed, or on top of a wardrobe. All are better than a loft, where temperature swings cause condensation, or a garage, where humidity is uncontrolled.
Airing Before Use
Bedding brought out of storage benefits from a few hours in a ventilated room, or a short tumble on low heat, before going on a bed.
This removes the stored smell that otherwise takes several nights to disappear.