There’s nothing like climbing into a bed with fresh clean sheets or wrapping yourself in a nice clean towel, and if those sheets and towels are brand new, even better. Which begs the question: how often is it ‘right’ to update householdy things such as pillows and duvets and towels? Once a year? Every three years? Every five years? I’ve got no idea, but what I do know is that when it is time to (re) feather the nest, it’s not cheap.

So when John Lewis asked me to review their new active anti-allergy pillows and a super duper lime green bath towel (pictured) I jumped at the chance.

So crisp and plump and new, the pillows make our old – and by no means passed it – pillows look very sorry for themselves indeed. Now I hate feather pillows – spikey stemmy bits sticking out everywhere, the need for constant replumping and the thought of other people’s heads sweating into the feathers are just a few of my bugbears: the only good thing about them is that luxurious sinking feeling when one first lies down.

Somehow John Lewis has managed to replicate this feeling in these hollow fibre pillows (also pictured), made with 80% siliconised microfiber and 20% Amicor (stuff to keep the dust mites at bay to you and me) and which – would you believe it – are specifically tailored for back and side sleepers. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it feather pillow.

At £20 a pop they’re not the cheapest pillows in the world, but with pure cotton covers and a 240 thread count (the higher the thread count, the better the cotton) and given that they’re machine washable, I’ll bet they’re still going strong in five years time.

And no need to worry about allergies disturbing your sleep either: the Amicor means they’re specifically made for people with asthma, eczema or other allergies triggered by dust mites. Now if someone can come up with a solution to Misery Guts not disturbing my sleep with incessant snoring, I’ll be the happiest – and most well rested – mummy in the world.

As for the bath towel, at 90cm by 165cm it’s so big it can be used by the whole family – from BB (2ft) to Misery Guts (6ft 4inches). It’s got longer loops (technical term) than the average towel, making it really plush and absorbent.

So forget BB and Misery Guts: I’m commandeering this one all to myself. Some things, like 100% Egyptian cotton, are sacred, right?