I also grew up with bedspreads. They were always washable and if a guest didn't fold it down, there was no problem. We always folded them down to the foot of the bed. It seems odd to me to hear people say that that isn't "using" them. The purpose was to keep the bedding clean (and maybe hide wrinkled pillow cases/top sheets) as GWlolo says and also as a decorative element in the room. The 'point' of using it is the same as making your bed. I have heard people say, "what is the point of making your bed? You are just going to get into it again at night." The spreads were always pretty and easy to unfold and pull up when we made our beds. We used top and bottom sheets, a blanket (wool for winter, lighter for summer-no AC since we lived in PA and didn't need it), and an extra quilt if needed for winter which would be folded on top of the bedspread at the foot of the bed during the day. Now, I have a washable duvet with a down comforter. Love it and don't fold it down since it is both for warmth and because I like the way it looks. In the guest bedrooms, I have myriad choices, so the guests can be as cool or warm as they like: top sheet, blanket (wool in winter), quilt, a throw across foot of beds, and extra quilts and throws just in case.

Tara, you'll find most in the laundry room, here, know and understand that its not very difficult to keep whites White. Its just a matter of the correct detergent, water temperature, and amount of time in the wash. I lurk on a few other Houzz catagories and could not believe the people that mention their white towels or white bed sheets are dingy and they can't keep them white..most of these people have stunning homes, and looks as if you could eat off their floors, yet many complain of yellowed sheets which of course means build up of body oils which means dirty stinky sheets...it just really drives me nuts that everything about their homes is absolute perfection, yet they sleep with dirty bedding and don't even realize it. I just ddon't understand why some people can't keep whites...white. I don't have slip covers but if I did I'd love white.

Also powder...,lots of powder/cornstarch and powdered floor cleaner its smothers them. I've never heard that bedbugs are smothered by powder. However, if they don't like powder they may not like dust either, so one could use that as a reason to neglect the bothersome underbed vacuuming when cleaning your room. Strongest form of rubbing alcohol and lemon juice mixed non diluted sprayed on them kills on contact. You'd have to practically soak the corners of the mattress to get them as they scoot and hide. That's a lot of alcohol. I'm thinking as it evaporates into the room, if you inhale enough you aren't going to care whether there are budbigs or not...

Great news! Thank you for the follow up report. FWIW, my go-to unscented products that I keep on hand are listed below --- and all three are sold in stores and at amazon.ca, so you might want to look into these to keep in your arsenal: - Carbona Stain Devils (this is a link to their website) has a formula for coffee & tea stains. I have not used it, but have used their formula for fat, grease & oils with pretty good success. There is absolutely no scent, either. I have also bought it in grocery stores (the laundry detergent section) and JoAnn fabric stores (don't know if they are in B.C.) - Amodex is another stain remover I have had lots of success with. There is a very faint scent but nothing like regular mass-marketed laundry stain removers and it does not bother me. It is excellent on ink stains and the fresher the stain, the better it works. - Also,Charlies Soap (link) products are all unscented. They have a stain pre-treat product that I once tried, but now I just buy the liquid laundry detergent and dilute it in a spray bottle. It's much cheaper. It needs to sit on the stain for a while, the longer the better. *** When I use the Charlies Soap as a stain pre-treat on more than one item (like hubby's ring around the collar on golf shirts), I have to reduce the amount of laundry detergent.