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Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Forever No. 1: Sly & the Family Stone's ‘Everyday People'
Forever No. 1 is a Billboard series that pays special tribute to the recently deceased artists who achieved the highest honor our charts have to offer — a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single — by taking an extended look back at the chart-topping songs that made them part of this exclusive club. Here, we honor Sly Stone, who died on Monday (June 9) at age 82, by looking at the first of Sly & the Family Stone's three Hot 100-toppers: the simple, yet profound 'Everyday People.' Sly & the Family Stone, a genre-fluid, interracial, mixed-gender group (at a time when all three things were unique) was formed in San Francisco in 1966. The group was led by Sly Stone, a musical prodigy who was just 23 at the time. His main claim-to-fame at that point is that he had produced a string of hits for the pop/rock group The Beau Brummels, including 'Laugh, Laugh' and 'Just a Little.' More from Billboard Sly Stone Dead at 82 DJ Akademiks Denies Taking Payola From Drake During Kendrick Battle Raekwon and Ghostface Killah Release Trailer for 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' Documentary Sly & the Family Stone made the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1968 with its first chart hit, 'Dance to the Music.' That funky celebration of dance music wasn't topical at all, but after the stunning events of 1968 – a year of assassinations, riots and a war without end in Vietnam – acts almost had to say something, and Sly & the Family Stone did on 'Everyday People,' which was released that November. The song is a plea for understanding and racial unity, which is so understated in its approach that it's easy to lose sight of just how progressive its sentiments seemed in 1968. The record has a gentle tone and a disarming opening line: 'Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong/ My own beliefs are in my song.' Who ever starts out a conversation by conceding 'I can be wrong?' The sense of urgency and passion picks up on the proclamation 'I am everyday people!' which is repeated three times during the song, and then on the call to action 'We got to live together,' which is repeated twice. Stone, who was born Sylvester Stewart, wrote and produced 'Everyday People.' His genius move on this song was to simplify the discussion to the level of a childhood playground taunt – 'There is a yellow one that won't accept the Black one/ That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one/ Different strokes for different folks/And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby.' The unspoken, but unmistakable, message: Isn't all this division really pretty childish? Sly makes the point even more directly in the second verse: 'I am no better and neither are you/ We are the same whatever we do.' The reasonableness of his argument instantly disarms any detractors. The song's politics are expressed most directly in the third verse, in the song's depiction of counter-culture types vs. establishment types; progressives vs. conservatives. 'There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair/For being such a rich one that will not help the poor one.' The bridges of the song contain the line 'different strokes for different folks,' which was initially popularized by Muhammad Ali. It became a popular catchphrase in 1969 (and inspired the name of a 1978-86 TV sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes). Sly wisely kept the record short – the childlike sections, which are charming in small doses, would have become grating if the record had overstayed its welcome. The record runs just 2:18, shorter than any other No. 1 hit of 1969. Three Dog Night took a similar approach on 'Black & White,' which was a No. 1 hit in September 1972 – putting a plea for racial unity and brotherhood in simple, grade-school language. Three Dog's record isn't as timeless or memorable as 'Everyday People,' but it shows Sly's influence. 'Everyday People' entered the Hot 100 at No. 93 for the week ending Nov. 30, 1968. You might assume that a record this catchy and classic shot to the top quickly, but it took a while. In the week ending Jan. 11, 1969, it inched up from No. 27 to No. 26, looking like it might not even match 'Dance to the Music''s top 10 ranking. But then it caught fire. The following week, it leapt to No. 15, then No. 5, then No. 2 for a couple of weeks behind Tommy James & the Shondells' 'Crimson and Clover,' before finally reaching the top spot in the week ending Feb. 15. It stayed on top for four consecutive weeks, the longest stay of Sly's career. The song was of a piece with such other socially-aware No. 1 hits as Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' (1967) and The Rascals' 'People Got to Be Free' (1968). 'Everyday People' remained on the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, a personal best for Sly, and wound up as the No. 5 song of 1969 on Billboard's year-end chart recap. The song was included on the group's fourth studio album, Stand!, which was released in May 1969. The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 102 weeks – also a personal best for the group. The album, which also featured 'Sing a Simple Song,' 'Stand!' and 'I Want to Take You Higher,' was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2014 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. The band included 'Everyday People' in their set at Woodstock on Aug. 17, 1969. Fun Fact: It was the only No. 1 Hot 100 hit performed by the original artist during that landmark three-day festival. The song is widely acknowledged as a classic. Rolling Stone had it at No. 109 on its 2024 update of its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Billboard included it on its 2023 list of the 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List. (We had it way down at No. 293, clearly proving the wisdom of Sly's opening line, 'Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong.') While Sly was bedeviled by personal demons that shortened his run at the top, he lived to get his flowers. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 (in its first year of eligibility). On his own, Sly received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2017. Numerous artists covered 'Everyday People' in the wake of Sly's recording. Between 1969 and 1972, the song was featured on Billboard 200 albums by The Supremes, Ike & Tina Turner, The Winstons, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Supremes & Four Tops, Billy Paul and Dionne Warwick. Spend any time on YouTube and you can also find cover versions of 'Everyday People' by everyone from Peggy Lee to Pearl Jam (who performed it in concert in 1995). Other artists who took a stab at it: Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, William Bell, Belle & Sebastian, Maroon 5 (on a 2005 remix and cover album Different Strokes by Different Folks) and the unlikely team of Cher and Future, who covered it for a 2017 Gap ad that has recently gone viral. A couple artists even had Hot 100 hits with their new spins on the song. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts covered the song in 1983 and took it to No. 37. Arrested Development drew heavily from the song for their 1993 hit 'People Everyday,' which reached No. 8. (The song used the chorus and basic structure of the original, with new verses written by lead singer Speech.) Sly & the Family Stone nearly landed a second No. 1 hit in 1969, but 'Hot Fun in the Summertime' stalled at No. 2 for two weeks in October behind The Temptations' 'I Can't Get Next to You.' 'Hot Fun' wound up at No. 7 on the aforementioned year-end Hot 100 recap, making Sly the only act with two songs in the year-end top 10. Questlove, who directed the 2025 documentary Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius), shared a touching tribute to the icon on Instagram on Monday. 'Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, left this earth today, but the changes he sparked while here will echo forever … He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths.' That last part was a clear reference to 'Everyday People.' Questlove also recalled what he called that song's 'eternal cry' – 'We got to live together!' Said Quest: 'Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command. Sly's music will likely speak to us even more now than it did then. Thank you, Sly. You will forever live.' Later this week: Two additional Sly & the Family Stone No. 1s take the group into darker and murkier territory, with similarly spellbinding results. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs
In a famed 1970 Rolling Stone profile by Ben Fong-Torres, Sly Stone (né Sylvester Stewart) explained the concept behind he and the Family Stone: 'If there was anything to be happy about, then everybody'd be happy about it. If there were a lot of songs to sing, then everybody got to sing. If we have something to suffer or a cross to bear – we bear it together.' Those words — a rare, lucid moment for Stone in that era — encapsulated the group's arc up until that point: from the rosy optimism of their Summer of Love debut through their hit song era and into the cynicism of that early Seventies moment. The band would bear it together, until they couldn't anymore. More from Rolling Stone Sly Stone, Family Stone Architect Who Fused Funk, Rock, and Soul, Dead at 82 Hear Sly and the Family Stone Rock a Small Club in 1967 With Funky 'I Gotta Go Now' 'Sly Lives!' Producer Reveals Why Sly Stone Wasn't Interviewed for Documentary Sly and the Family Stone became the poster children for a particularly San Francisco sensibility of the late Sixties: integrated, progressive, indomitably idealistic. Their music, a combustible mix of psychedelic rock, funky soul and sunshine pop, placed them at a nexus of convergent cultural movements, and in turn, they collected a string of chart-topping hits. Just as they seemed on the cusp of even greater success, Stone made a social and psychological retreat, only to reemerge in 1971 with the sonic equivalent of a repudiation: dark, brilliant and bracing. The band wouldn't survive intact much longer, but in that short span, they redefined the possibilities of pop music. Was Sly and the Family Stone one of the great American funk bands? Rock bands? Pop bands? All of the Stone's first taste of national notoriety began at the tender age of 19 when he produced the moody pop single, "Laugh, Laugh," for the San Mateo folk-rock band the Beau Brummels. As a teen guitarist, Stone's various gigs around San Francisco lead him to cross paths with Autumn Records' Tom Donahue, who gave the budding talent a shot at producing. "Laugh, Laugh" was one of Sly's first efforts and by early 1965, it had climbed into the Top 20. As Ben Fong-Torres said of the single in 1970: "Sly had produced the very first rock & roll hits out of… a city then known for little more than Johnny Mathis and Vince Guaraldi." The "San Francisco Sound" would soon be in full bloom, but here Sly was planting the seeds early Stone's brief stint at Autumn Records, he made use of their studios to mess around with his own compositions, including this funky, chattering instrumental, likely concocted in 1965. Stone self-taught himself how to play an array of instruments, including the organ that can be heard wheezing away on this track. "Rock Dirge" and similar experiments from this era eventually surfaced on a 1975 compilation of Stone's early work and the song was subsequently pressed onto a seven-inch that's become popular amongst breakbeat-crazed proceeds earned from Autumn, Stone set himself and his family up in Daly City, just outside of San Francisco. This is where the Family Stone band began to cohere in the mid 1960s and their first official release came on this single for the local Loadstone label. With its snappy, uptempo backbeat and layered vocal harmonies, the song now sounds like a prescient first draft for a style that would take full form on the group's later hits. "I Ain't Got Nobody" only made noise locally but it helped put the group on the radar of Epic Records who signed Sly and the Family Stone that same the first single and first song on the group's first album, A Whole New Thing, "Underdog" introduced Sly and the Family Stone in as raucous a way possible. It opens, oddly enough, with saxophonist Jerry Martini sleepily riffing on the children's song "Frère Jacques" before giving way to a full acid rock jam of driving horns, dramatic choral yells and a defiant social message about underdogs who have to prove themselves to be "twice as good." George Clinton told official Family Stone biographer Jeff Kaliss that, in listening to the song, "you felt like they were speaking directly to you personally." The song and its album were the group's creative magnum opus… just not a commercial one. They failed to break the Family Stone out nationally, but that moment would come soon Sly Stone song most likely to be heard on a 1980s "as advertised on TV" compilation, "Dance to the Music," netted the group their first Top 10 hit by the spring of 1968. Recorded under the insistent direction of Clive Davis, the single's ebullient, infectious energy helped cover for the fact that, lyrically, it's little more than the band narrating what instruments they're about to fold into the groove: drums, then guitar, bass, etc. Within the group, the song and same-titled album was met with mixed emotions. Saxophonist Jerry Martini, speaking to oral historian Joel Selvin, insisted, "It was so unhip to us. The beats were glorified Motown. We did the formula thing." However, engineer Don Pulese, quoted by journalist Miles Marshall Lewis, claims that Sly himself once said of the single, "that's the best bass and drum sounds I've ever got."Life was a middle child album, shortchanged between the breakout success of "Dance to the Music" and the transcendent accomplishment of Stand! Yet, for all its commercial shortcomings, the album made an impact with critics, especially Rolling Stone's Barret Hansen (a.k.a. the future Dr. Demento) who declared it "the most radical soul album ever issued." Hansen was particularly taken by the group's "element of surprise": Songs like the psych-fringed "Dynamite" or the carnival-esque title track make quixotic shifts in arrangement, with sudden sonic pockets opening up and closing while the Family's singers play tag on lead vocals. As trumpeter Cynthia Robinson told Ebony last summer (before she passed in November), "We were free to adlib things. Sly would cut things off in a different way than the real recordings; he'd just stop it and go into something else.""The things that were happening across the country changed us as people," said Freddy Stone in a 2013 interview with Wax Poetics. "We would begin having conversations amongst ourselves, and Sly being the genius that he is, he was putting these thoughts into songs." The album that came out of that moment, Stand!, absorbed the furious energies of the era's political and musical revolutions and spit back an LP so potent that more than half of its songs would end up being reissued just a year later on the group's Greatest Hits. "Everyday People" remains the group's pinnacle of that era, a flamboyantly utopian anthem about forging unity through difference. All that and Scooby Dooby Doo, ya'll."Everyday People," was an undeniably feel-good pop hit, but for the best-selling single's B-side, the Family Stone unleashed this blistering blast of funk. As rollicking and aggressive as anything James Brown and his crew were pumping out, the song also found Sly playing with studio techniques, including stereo panning to split instruments into separate channels. Greg Errico – whose crackling drum work on the song would be liberally sampled decades later – told interviewer Eric Sandler in 2013: "The track was laid so down to the bone and we all knew it was. You could feel it."Elsewhere on Stand!, the Family Stone may have painted their social commentary in varying metaphoric shades but with "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey," they left little room for reinterpretation. Clocking in at nearly six minutes, the song is almost all hook (save for a short Rose Stone verse) and its stark, defiant tone stands in sharp contrast to the album's more optimistic vibes. The song is also striking for its spaced-out vocoder effects and distorted instrumentation, predating and predicting the launch of the P-Funk Mothership half a decade only fitting that this song – now considered one of Woodstock's most legendary performances – took form at another seminal Family Stone concert: the 1968 Fillmore East show. The original "Higher," a jerky album cut off Dance to the Music, was part of their set and during the performance, the group began to improvise with it, adding the crucial line, "I wanna take you higher." By Stand!, the song had evolved into a lumbering, aggressive tune that promised to drag you to a higher plane whether you were ready to tag along or rushed to capitalize on the group's incandescent Woodstock performance by releasing "Hot Fun in the Summertime" as a standalone single in August of 1969. Compared to the social messaging on Stand!, "Hot Fun" delivered what its title promised: a fun summer anthem awash in some gentle streams of nostalgia and a rare instance of Stone using a string section. Critics generally treated it as a pleasant trifle – Rolling Stone's Jon Landau compared it to "a hard version of the Lettermen" – but years later, George Clinton would laud it as "proof that funk could be a pop standard.""Thank You" would have been memorable enough thanks to Sly's strange, phonetic title but the song's enduring legacy rests mostly with the thumb of bassist Larry Graham. His "thunkin' and pluckin'" technique revolutionized the role of the bass as a lead instrument in R&B, leading music writer and scholar Ricky Vincent to opine, "perhaps more than any other record, 'Thank You' introduced the Decade of Funk."It says much about the Family Stone's power and popularity in 1970 that a compilation ostensibly made to collect their past hits would end up creating three entirely new ones. "Hot Fun" and "Thank You" were huge successes in their own right but perhaps the most timeless was "Everybody Is a Star." Even more than "Everyday People," "Star" was Sly and the Family Stone at their self-affirming best — a happy, hippy-er version of the "black is beautiful" slogan of the era. Of course, if the song was a high point, by extension, what came next meant that Sly and the Family Stone were about to get and the Family Stone were supposed to follow the Greatest Hits anthology with a new studio album in 1970. Instead, Stone decided to postpone that recording while moving his base of operations to Los Angeles, the first of many decisions that began to fray relationships within the band. For the next year or so, Sly stayed in seclusion, frustrating bandmates, label reps and fans. Drugs and gnawing paranoia didn't help, but this "lost" period was also a fertile creative time for Stone as he tinkered with new toys, especially emergent drum machine technology. Beatboxes were still a novelty item then, nothing a serious musician would consider using as a studio instrument. But through Sly's own Stone Flower imprint, he began to explore its musical potential on the lone single by vocal group 6ix. In a rare contemporary interview for the liner notes of I'm Just Like You, a Stone Flower anthology, Sly told Alec Palao, "All instruments are real. Anything that can express your heart, it's an instrument, man." By 1971, those ideas would come into fuller fruition on the group's epochal There's a Riot Goin' Marcus famously wrote that There's a Riot Goin' On! "was no fun. It was slow, hard to hear, and it isn't celebrating anything." In short, "It was not groovy." These were all meant as compliments since the album's dark tones – literal and figurative – felt like an unflinchingly honest expression of both the Family Stone's internal turmoil and the state of America waking up from its late Sixties high and facing the early Seventies' bleak hangover. The group's last Number One single, "Family Affair," was a sobering retreat from the sunny positivity of "Everybody Is a Star," replacing it with a meditation on human strife and weakness, cleverly masked within the mesmerizing burbling of its drum machine rhythms. In a 1971 Rolling Stone interview, Sly insisted, "I don't feel being torn apart," but many around him wondered more than "Family Affair," "Running Away" felt like a song at odds with itself. The message was unambiguous – "running away/to get away … you're wearing out your shoes" – and the "ha-ha, hee-hee" laughter feels mocking in every stanza. But in contrast, the music feels light and luminous with a jaunty guitar and bright brass section that would have been at home with Earth, Wind & Fire. Cynicism never sounded so the time Sly had disappeared into his L.A. studio, he was experimenting with playing every instrument he could lay his hands on. Riot still featured the Family players, but in many instances it was all Sly, overdubbing himself playing the various parts. With each new layer, the sound quality would gradually deteriorate into the hazy, opioid sound heard on "Time," "Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa," "Luv N' Haight," and other songs: all slurred and half-dreamed. The affect was as alluring as it was foreboding – a journey into the heart of funk's Family Stone came undone in the Riot era, amid a string of near-mythologically disastrous concerts. To work on his next album, Fresh, Sly headed back to the Bay, but began replacing several of the key players who had been with him since at least the "Dance to the Music" days. Despite the change in personnel, Fresh was a compelling sequel to Riot's funk explorations, albeit not nearly as dark or pathos-laden. "If You Want Me to Stay," the album's modest hit, still saw Sly keeping his audience at arm's length. As the singer explained on a radio interview, "That's exactly what I meant, what I wrote. If you want me to stay, let me know. Otherwise, sayonara."The most damning-with-faint-praise for Small Talk, Sly and the Family Stone's final group album of the 1970s, may have come in Billboard's July 1974 review where an uncredited critic offers "not really much new in the way of presentation… but… there really is no need for a successful star to have to come up with something new on each LP." They weren't wrong: Small Talk mostly retread the same stylings, but the formula still had legs, especially on the tightly wound "Can't Strain My Brain," one of many Sly songs of the era where he hinted at his gradually loosening grip on the last great Sly Stone song, "Remember Who You Are" wasn't a full-fledged return to the original Family Stone. Sly had jettisoned the band several years earlier, recording under his own name, including on 1976's Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back, perhaps one of the worst on-the-nose album titles in history. Back on the Right Track, in 1979, sounds like a concession to the mistakes of the past and, at least for "Remember Who You Are," he reunited siblings Freddie and Rose Stone to share vocals, recapturing some of that old Family Stone magic. { pmcCnx({ settings: { plugins: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 1, }, pmcCnx: { singleAutoPlay: 'auto' } } }, playerId: "d762a038-c1a2-4e6c-969e-b2f1c9ec6f8a", mediaId: "e4dc3aa6-3781-4d73-8332-8e311e2c5c59", }).render("connatix_player_e4dc3aa6-3781-4d73-8332-8e311e2c5c59_1"); }); Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Sleep experts say we should be washing bed sheets more than we think
Many individuals put off washing their bed sheets, as they take up a lot of space in the washing machine and often require higher wash temperatures than other fabrics. However, with each use, bedding accumulates dead skin and dirt that may not be immediately visible. Given that the average person spends nearly a third of their life sleeping, regular washing is crucial for maintaining good sleep hygiene. Experts at the Sleep Foundation suggest that most people do not wash their sheets frequently enough. They state: "Even after a few days, bed sheets can accumulate significant amounts of dirt, dead skin cells, body oils, sweat, and dust mites - including their carcasses and faecal matter." Dust mites multiply rapidly, feeding exclusively on dead skin cells. Tens of thousands of dust mites can inhabit your mattress and bedding at any given time, and washing sheets regularly is the most effective way to eliminate them. The Sleep Foundation recommends that people wash their sheets at least once per week. However, this may need to be increased based on other factors: "Those who share their bed with a pet should clean their sheets every three to four days", urged the sleep experts, reports the Express. Moreover, individuals who experience allergies or night sweats should wash their sheets more frequently. Cleaning enthusiast and author of Live, Laugh, Laundry, Laura Mountford (@Lauracleanaholic) has revealed that hot weather means bedding will become dirtier more quickly. She recommends washing pillowcases, duvet covers and sheets twice weekly during the summertime. Laura remarks that, contrary to what many believe, this task is easier than expected due to the efficacy of modern detergents; high-temperature washes are no longer necessary. She asserts that with high-quality detergents, you can achieve a thorough clean even on cool cycles as low as 20 degrees. If you're still sceptical about washing at such low temperatures, adding a laundry cleanser can help kill bacteria and viruses. While in-wash scent boosters may extend the freshness of laundry, many professionals concur that air-drying your bedding is equally effective and chemical-free. Lenor's team of laundry experts further explains that line-dried linens acquire a distinctive fragrance from the photochemical reaction that occurs as solar rays meet wet fabric. They stated: "Hung outside, the ultraviolet light from the sun kills bacteria effectively in your laundry." How to wash bed sheets No matter the frequency of washing, it's crucial to always consult and adhere to the care instructions found on the label. Generally, bedding should be washed in warm water, avoiding hot water, which can damage delicate fabrics. Use a sheets or normal cycle on your washing machine, and consider a gentle cycle for delicate fabrics like silk or bamboo. Avoid overloading the washer, and wash sheets separately or with similar fabrics to ensure proper cleaning and hygiene.
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Exactly how often you should wash bedsheets in summer, according to experts
Some folk love washing the bedsheets and are firmly in the once a week camp when it comes to clean, fresh bedding. For others it's a chore and they might be more likely to leave them on a bit longer to avoid the task. But how often should you be washing them in the summer months when the temperatures are warmer? Experts have waded in on the debate and you probably should be washing your sheets far more often than you think, according to them. And the answer may surprise even those who have a regimented laundry regime for their bedding. Of course, bedding should be washed regularly as every night your sheets, pillows and duvet cover accumulates dead skin and dirt which, although you can't see, makes them unsanitary after a while. Experts at the Sleep Foundation found that the majority of householders don't wash their bedsheets often enough. They said: "Even after a few days, bed sheets can accumulate significant amounts of dirt, dead skin cells, body oils, sweat, and dust mites - including their carcasses and faecal matter," reports The Express. They recommend washing bedding at least once a week to rid it of dust mites which multiply rapidly and feed on dead skin cells. Tens of thousands of dust mites can inhabit your mattress and bedding at any given time, but washing sheets regularly is the most effective way to eliminate them. And if you share your bed with your pet, that frequency should increase. But cleaning enthusiast and author of Live, Laugh, Laundry, Laura Mountford (@Lauracleanaholic), says that hot weather means bedding will inevitably get dirtier faster. In the summer months she suggests washing pillowcases, duvet covers twice a week. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Laura notes that it is easier than most people think, thanks to the efficiency of modern detergents; there's no longer a need to wash bedding at high temperatures. She says that if you invest in good-quality detergents, they will clean effectively even on cool washes as low as 20 degrees. If you are still dubious about washing bedding at this temperature, it could be worth using a laundry cleanser to kill bacteria and viruses. In-wash scent boosters can prolong the fresh-scent of clean laundry, but many experts agree that drying bedding outdoors is just as effective - and uses no chemicals. Lenor's laundry professionals explain that line-dried clothes have a unique smell, thanks to the photochemical reaction that takes place when solar rays hit wet fabric. They said: "Hung outside, the ultraviolet light from the sun kills bacteria effectively in your laundry." How to wash bed sheets Regardless of how often you wash your bedding, it's important to always read and follow all of the care instructions on the label. First, pre-treat stains, wash your bed sheets separately from other items, and avoid mixing lights, darks, and colours. The Sleep Foundation notes that overcrowding the washing machine can prevent a thorough cleanse. Set the washing machine to the appropriate temperature setting. Use a gentle detergent according to your machine's instructions. Set your machine to a gentle cycle. If you have sensitive skin, consider washing your bed sheets a second time in just water to remove lingering detergent residue. Immediately transfer the bed sheets to the dryer or clothes line to avoid mould growth and odour.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
The 4 viral trends making guests cringe as soon as they walk into your ‘dated' home, according to interior designer
YOUR interior design choices might be making your guests cringe when they walk through the door, an interior designer has warned. Alessandra from The Virtual Edit is urging Brits to ditch several homeware trends if they want to avoid turning their homes into graveyards of cliches and forgotten fads. 1 Certain trends in your home, such as 'millennial grey', might be dating it Credit: Getty It's important to avoid having a dated home because outdated design choices can make your space feel uninspired, uncomfortable or less welcoming As your tastes and lifestyle evolve, interior experts agree that so should your home; a dated space can hold you back from fully expressing yourself. Interior designer Alessandra, who co-runs The Virtual Edit studio, shared her expert advice on what to ditch in a now-viral TikTok video… Millennial Grey First and foremost, she is calling for the end of the ' read more home advice Once adored by many in the 2010s, coating your walls and furniture in endless shades of grey has become a tired cliche, signalling a lack of creativity to many interior enthusiasts. Alessandra explained: 'It was grey everything – grey sofas, grey curtains, grey walls. Stainless steel accents, grey artwork. 'Mirrors everywhere and layers upon layers of grey textures – faux fur, velvet, crushed velvet. It was a lot.' Matching furniture sets Matching Most read in Fabulous The idea is to create a cohesive and uniform look in a room - but Alessandra believes these sets have the opposite effect and instead date your home. She said: 'We wanted everything to be so cohesive. Everything had the same hardware, exactly that same wood, in all exactly the same colours. 'Everything was built to be easy and work in harmony with one another.' Slogan-heavy artwork Slogan artwork combines impactful text with graphic elements to convey a message or idea, often with a bold or artistic flair. It's typically used in posters, prints or advertisements to make a statement. But as far as Alessandra's concerned, most of it makes a very dated statement. She cited barn signs, posters with the 'house rules' and labels in each room as the main offenders making your home unfashionable. The recognisable 'Live Laugh Love' slogan was the one to kick this trend off in the Noughties, she added. Using the 'Big Light' In most British homes, we have a series of lamps and then a main overhead lighting system, dubbed the 'big light'. Having that 'big light' on is a surefire way to date your interiors, Alessandra warned. She said: 'This is a hill that I will die on and one of my worst interior trends. 'One of the worst is spot lights in places that should be ambient lighting, such as living rooms, bedrooms. 'The only places spot lights should be are bathrooms and kitchens. 'Let the fire do the talking, let the alcove lighting do the talking.'
