Over time, your pillows will accumulate dust, sweat, and oil particles from your skin or the environment that, if left unchecked, can turn your pillows yellow and make them less comfortable to use. To prevent this from happening, you should plan on washing your pillows regularly either by hand or in a washing machine.
How to wash my pillows?
- Remove the case. If you have placed your pillow in a pillowcase or sham, take it off. You can wash it along with the pillows, but you should not wash the pillows inside of a pillow case.
- Fit them in the washing machine. If your washing machine is large enough, wash two pillows at a time. That will help balance the load, allowing the water and detergent to circulate more effectively. The agitator on conventional top-loaders can be tough on pillows, so it’s best to agitate on the gentle cycle only for a few minutes (or the shortest possible setting, if you can’t control the specific time). Alternatively, you can make a special trip to the laundromat to use its front-loaders.
- Add your detergent. For a regular wash job, add a cup/scoop of your regular washing detergent. To get your pillows ultra white, add the following in addition to the detergent: 1 cup of powdered dishwasher detergent, the recommended amount of bleach, and ½ a cup of borax.
- Start the wash cycle. Adjust the settings on your washer so that it runs with hot water and goes through a 2nd rinse cycle. Use the "bulky/large" cycle if it is available on you washer.
- Put your pillows in the dryer. Place your pillows in the dryer and adjust the settings; if your pillows are feather-filled, put your dryer on the "air"/"fluff"/"no heat" setting. For synthetic pillows, switch your dryer to low heat.
- Dry your pillows. Take two tennis balls and put them in separate clean, white socks. Throw these in the dryer with your pillows to fluff them and help decrease their drying time. Then start your dryer!
- Check your pillows. When your dryer has finished its cycle, remove the pillows and feel them, checking for dampness. Smell the pillows to check for moisture in the center. If your pillows don’t feel quite dry, repeat the drying process and check them again a second time. Otherwise, your pillows are clean and ready![4]
- Remove the case. If you have placed your pillow in a pillowcase or sham, take it off. You can wash it along with the pillows, but you should not wash the pillows inside of a pillow case.
Sources:
- How to Wash Pillows – WikiHow – https://www.wikihow.life/Wash-Pillows – Opens in a new window
How to Wash a Pillow to Keep It Smelling Fresh – https://www.consumerreports.org/pillows/how-to-wash-a-pillow/ – – Opens in a new window