Good bedding is an investment – especially when, as with biberna, it comes in original quality from the manufacturer and is intended to retain its quality for years. How you store your bedding between uses plays a major role in how long the colors, fibers, and feel remain fresh. Anyone who wants to store bedding without it smelling musty, wrinkling, or losing its fluffiness should follow a few simple basic rules. In this post, we show you what really matters for proper storage.
Why proper storage is important in the first place
Bedding spends a large part of its life not on the bed, but in the wardrobe – especially if you own several sets for different seasons. If stored incorrectly, i.e., damp, sealed airtight, or exposed to direct sunlight, even high-quality cotton will lose its texture, color intensity, and freshness over time. Anyone who invests in original quality naturally wants to maintain this quality over many washing and usage cycles. Proper storage is therefore the logical complement to proper care during washing.
Storing bedding: The most important basic rules
Only store when clean and completely dry
Bedding should only go into the wardrobe after being freshly washed and completely dried. Residual moisture promotes mildew spots and a musty smell, even with only minimal residual moisture in thicker qualities such as biberna or melange flannel. After drying, feel free to leave thicker sets out for a while before folding them.
Breathable instead of sealed airtight
Plastic bags or vacuum bags save space, but are unsuitable for textiles in the long term because they trap moisture. Cotton bags, pillowcases used as improvised covers, or simply neatly folded stacks in the wardrobe are better – breathable and yet protected from dust.
Store in a dry, dark, and evenly tempered place
The ideal storage place is a dry linen cupboard or shelf, not a basement or attic with fluctuating humidity levels. You should also avoid direct sunlight, as UV radiation causes colors to fade over months – this applies especially to bold color tones.
Properly changing and storing seasonal sets
Anyone who uses summer and winter bedding alternately knows the question: What to do with the set that is not currently needed? It is best to place the unused sets loosely folded, not too tightly pressed, in a separate compartment. This preserves the fluffiness of plush qualities such as biberna or fleece. You can read more about how to organize the change between seasons in the post Changing bedding by season.
Material plays a role in storage
Not every quality behaves the same when stored. Plush, thicker fabrics such as biberna or melange flannel need a little more space so that they are not permanently flattened and retain their warming fluffiness. Smooth, luxurious qualities such as mako satin tend to wrinkle more and should therefore be folded as flat as possible or even rolled up for storage. Easy-care fibers such as TENCEL are uncomplicated to store, but also benefit from a dry, well-ventilated place. You can learn more about our own weaving mill in Hamminkeln and what full-stage production means in the post Made in Germany: full-stage production.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I air out stored bedding?
If bedding lies unused in the wardrobe for several weeks, it helps to occasionally open the wardrobe and ventilate it well so that no moisture builds up.
Can I store different qualities together in the same compartment?
Basically yes, but make sure not to permanently press plush qualities such as biberna under heavy stacks so that the fluffiness is preserved.
Does bedding need to be ironed before storage?
It is not necessary. Whether you want to iron it is purely a matter of taste – read more about this in the post Ironing bedding – or not?
