CJAD-AM at 8:40 am - Feathering Your Nest with New Bedding
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010Q1: Why is it, when Spring hits, that the Great Cleaning Moment happens?
With Spring here our nesting instincts kick in. I don’t know if it’s strictly a female thing, but women do get sudden urges to throw out, spruce up, scrub and shine their abodes just around now. Maybe I’m being sexist, but you don’t exactly hear about guys dying to clean out their garages or workshops though.
Q2: Just how far back does this go, is there a historical connection?
Yes, there at least one connection to both Passover and Easter which happen around this time. For Passover there’s ritual of cleaning every bit of dirt and dust in the house and cleaning out your kitchen food cupboards is done as well. For Easter, it’s traditional to buy new clothes - just like the birds getting their new Spring feathers. In my home town, New York City, there is an Easter Parade up 5th Avenue where everyone turns out in their finest with Easter bonnets too.
Q3: Let’s bring this back home, just how are we sprucing up?
In the home, it is traditional for some ethnic groups to buy new bedding at this time of year. With the whole new home renovation show craze, people are running out to recreate those color coordinated rooms. The least expensive way to give rooms a whole new look (besides painting), is to change the comforter (or duvet), the sheets, curtains and throw pillows (and don’t forget the mattress covers for those nasty little dust mites).
Q4: With sheets, we keep hearing thread count numbers relating to percale. What do the numbers mean and what should we be buying?
It’s become very confusing. First it was 180 percale then 200, 300 and now we’re hearing thread count numbers in the 1000’s. They relate to the number of threads but they don’t have a meaning the average person could fathom because it could be double or tripled yarns, and the lushness has to do with the twists in the thread too. So what do I say to all this? Feel the sheets. If they have a smooth silky feel that you like, buy them. If they feel rough and scratchy, no matter how many washings they get, they’ll still feel rough and scratchy.
Q5: All this could get expensive if we didn’t know where to get the deals. So I’m leaving that up to you to find them for us.
We are lucky that some linen and bedding manufacturers have decided to sell off their overstocked clearances to the public on a regular basis. When was the last time you bought yourself a fluffy new bed pillow? I know where you could buy one for $5.
Universal /Maison Condelle/Merimack Manufacturer’s Outlet has set up two places for overstocked items at rock bottom prices. In boxes neatly lined up in rows, with most prices marked, you can find: double comforters $20-25 or a queen for $25-30, twin comforter sets (shams and cases) for $20, queen jacquard sets $40 and up, and percale queen sheet sets $25, synthetic duvets $34.99, curtains $5 & up, mattress pads $10 -$15 and only $5 for decorative pillows. There’s curtain rods too.
Location: 9399 St. Laurent Blvd.
Corner: Louvain St.
Phone: (514) 383-7803
Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
Other location: 5805 des Grandes Prairies (514-329-0115).
Espace Home Fashions is a bedding manufacturer who has been open since 1983> here you can buy duvet covers, bedspreads, comforters, non-allergenic pillows, mattress covers and “mink” blankets. Look for sheets sets in 100% cotton and 50/50 cotton polyester, towels, shower and living room curtains, throw pillows and tablecloths. Don’t forget to look for the door to the factory and go in to find lots more.
Location: 160 St Viateur
Corner: Casgrain
Phone: 514-273-3318
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-4, Sat 8:30-11:30
For the past 30 years, Liquideco.com has been a bedding manufacturer who has been selling off overstocked products to retail customers in the know. To find out when they are, ads placed in local ethnic newspapers (Greek, Italian, etc.) and now you can look online, or you can call the number above and ask.
The large warehouse space offers up amazing prices like: comforters (all sizes) $15, 4-pc. bedding queen set $45, twin sheets with curtains $40, 4-pc. jacquard queen cover set $35, 10–pc. jacquard queen set $79, twin sheet sets $10, pillow covers $7-$10, mattress covers twin 2/$25, carpet runners $10, throws $8 & $10, drapes, curtain panels, rods ($3 -$25), dishcloths 6/$4, table cloths (52″X70″) or $8 for throw pillows.
Location: 120 Louvain
Corner: Boul. St-Laurent
Phone: 514- 384-8290
Hours: Every 3 or 4 weeks, on Fri 11-6 and & Sat 8-1
Date of next sale: May 7 & 8
www.liquideco.com
