Bedroom

1. Lighting

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The bedroom is the resting area of the home, where the lighting should be soothing, unobtrusive, cosy and warm. We suggest that you choose several luminaires – a ceiling lamp for general lighting and a wall lamp or a bedside table lamp next to the bed.

A ceiling lamp with 600–900 lm is suitable for the general room lighting of a bedroom. The light should preferably be diffused in all directions and not be too bright. For convenience, it is recommended that you install a light switch next to the bed to turn off this light.
To read in bed, you need additional wall lamps with downward light on both sides of the bed with about 800 lm of light.
LED bulbs with a warm white light colour (2700–3200 K) should be chosen for bedroom lighting.
Greenish lighting can be used to create the mood in a bedroom, because green soothes and creates a positive mood.

2. Air quality

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Research results on the impact of air quality on human health show that poor indoor air quality is the cause of many diseases. Therefore we should pay attention to our daily habits and mundane and taken-for-granted things such as indoor climate.

One very important form of indoor air pollution is often overlooked: the concentration of carbon dioxide, or CO₂ in a room, which increases as people breathe it out.

Concentration of carbon dioxide or CO₂ is the most widely used parameter of indoor air quality. This concentration is measured in parts per million or ppm, and indoor CO₂ concentrations of up to 1,000 ppm are considered acceptable. CO₂ levels can be measured by multifunctional measuring devices available in shops, which also measure the temperature and humidity in a room.

It should be taken into consideration that elevated CO₂ levels affect the well-being of a person, causing significant long-term health damage.

Therefore, like other rooms, the bedroom needs to be regularly ventilated by completely opening the window for a while.
Make sure that radiators are not blocked by furniture or other objects, which could prevent the efficient exchange of air in the room.
In summer, curtains should be kept closed to protect the room from the heat, while in the dark and cold period, daylight should be utilised to the maximum by only closing the curtains in the evenings, while ensuring that the curtains do not cover the radiators.
If possible, adjustment of the room temperature is recommended, especially by lowering it at bedtime and at night. As a person’s body temperature drops during the night, the air temperature in the room needs to be appropriate. The optimum temperature in the bedroom is between 17 and 18 °C; lower temperatures will result in a sweeter and more restful sleep.

3. Iron

Ironing may not be the favourite activity at your household; however, you cannot do ironing properly without a good helper. Most people iron their clothes every day, or at least every few days, and it is important that the iron does its job quickly and to a high standard.

Iron – selection, use and care

Selection

A good iron heats up quickly, optimally distributes the temperature, is powerful and offers a wide range of functions. The range of ironing appliances includes irons without a steam supply for dry ironing, steam irons that are best suited for household use, as well as ironing systems that combine a powerful iron and a steam generator (an ironing board is also available for certain models) and are suitable for professional use. They are also useful for larger families where you need to iron often and a lot, including thick fabrics.

Type of surface coating	Advantages	Disadvantages
Aluminium	The most affordable in terms of price. Lightweight.	Not sufficiently resistant to deformation, scratches.
Stainless steel	Robust. Long lasting.	Heavier compared to other materials. Takes longer to heat up and slides less well than, for instance, ceramic metal.
Ceramics/ceramic metal	Glides well on the fabric without creasing it. Suitable even for fine fabrics – they do not stick to the hot surface.	TFragile – a part of the coating can break off, for instance, if caught on a button. Potential for surface damage, for instance, scratches.
Teflon	Suitable for both extra-fine fabrics and everyday wear. The most durable options with excellent sliding properties.	Can be scratched easily when in contact with metal; care should be taken when ironing the button area.

The larger the volume of the tank where the water is filled, the less frequently the liquid needs to be replenished. The iron uses 30–40 g of water per minute in normal operation mode and 100 g in intensive operation mode. It should be noted that the tank empties very quickly when using the steam spray function; therefore, attention should be paid to the capacity of the iron water tank and the frequency of using the steam function.

Useful functions

Most iron models have an anti-drop system. This ensures that only steam, not water droplets, escapes from the surface nozzles at lower temperatures.
Please pay attention to the limescale protection of your iron; it is most convenient to choose an iron with a self-cleaning function that removes limescale particles with the steam jet.
Some iron models also offer a vertical ironing function, which is particularly useful to save time. In particular, you can quickly iron out small wrinkles in your clothes without using an ironing board.
The auto shut-off function can protect your home from the risk of fire. An iron that is equipped with this feature will switch itself off if left unattended for longer than the set time.
Automatic steam supply depending on the temperature reached by the iron. This function ensures the regular release of steam to moisturise the fabric and make ironing easier.
There are models with a manually adjustable steam function that allow you to use it as needed, as well as to set the right amount of steam, for instance, by increasing it for thick and wrinkled fabrics to make ironing easier.
Iron technology is also advancing and models with built-in sensors that recognise the fabric and heat the iron to the appropriate temperature are currently available, thus preventing any risk of damaging the garment. There are also systems equipped with smart technology – a camera and artificial intelligence, which makes ironing ultra-modern, fast and easy.

Use

It is recommended to iron slightly damp laundry – this reduces electricity consumption and makes ironing easier.
When using a steam iron, it is recommended to fill the water tank before switching on and to use filtered water, otherwise the iron nozzles may become clogged, which consumes extra energy.
Metal objects must not be used as they can damage the surface, causing further risk of rusting.
After using the iron, the water should be drained from the tank, any additional moisture wiped off the surface with a soft, dry cloth and the iron placed in an upright position.

Care

If you need to clean the surface of the iron, we recommend using a mixture of baking soda or table salt and citric acid to form a paste. Soak a clean white cloth and wipe the surface with it, and then clean the surface with a damp white cloth.
If plastic particles are stuck to the surface, switch the iron off immediately and cool it. Then you need to fill a shallow dish/pan with ice cubes, place the iron on top of them, and leave it for 5–10 minutes until the stain hardens and can be removed with a blunt plastic/wood knife. The surface should then be cleaned with the above-mentioned mixture of salt or soda and citric acid.
If these plastic particles get in contact with the clothes during ironing, the fabric can be put in the freezer and then the particles can be removed with a plastic knife or other blunt object, but this will not be fast and some parts of the stain may remain.
To protect the iron and, consequently, the clothes from damage, avoid touching metal zippers, hooks and clothing appliqués while ironing.
Always place the iron in an upright position after switching it off; do not place it horizontally.

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