How to Wash Pillows

I bet right now you are wondering to yourself: “You can WASH pillows?!”. Yes you can, and you should! I know that prior to having a family I simply replaced things that got “worn out”. It never dawned on me to just take better care of my stuff or to repair it. And tasks that seem so obvious now were never on my agenda (ironically back when o actually had the time and energy to keep a clean house). If you think about it, this is the one thing that is closest to your face on a constant basis, why wouldn’t you clean it regularly? Allergies, asthma, and infection are the primary reasons (other than the “ick” factor) to clean your bedding often. The dust that is created by the shedding of skin in your linens as you sleep is literally a hotbed breeding ground for dust mites. These nasty little arachnida (the same class as spiders) breed quickly and easily in such an environment. On average, polyester-filled pillows accumulate more than double the quantity of mite allergens compared to feather-filled pillows. The digestive enzymes produced my dust mites and left behind in their feces is extremely allergenic to most humans. Now, what can you do about now that you are super grossed out?

Here are my tips on How to Wash Pillows

How to wash pillows with synthetic filling:

If your pillow has a care label, definitely read that and follow the directions. In general though, two pillows at a time with hot or warm water using the “gentle” cycle should do the trick. To dry, use an air dry setting on your dryer and add a few tennis balls to keep them fluffy and make sure that they are getting throughly dried.

How to wash down pillows or pillows with another natural filling (such as down):

If you are washing at home you should really only hand wash with warm soapy water and air dry. Air drying is best, but on air dry with a could of tennis balls could do the trick as well. The best way to clean them is probably via a dry cleaner though.

Foam pillows (memory foam included):

If you have a tag or instructions, no lease make sure to follow the specific instructions given by the manufacturer to maintain the integrity of the pillow. Most will have removable covers though that can be washed like standard pillow cases and should be washed often. If you are in doubt as to the care instructions, you can hand wash with warm soapy water and let air dry. Never place them in a dryer. You can also vacuum them often to keep the dust from collecting.

How often should you clean them?

This one you can mark down on the calendar as a “to do” item every 3-6 months or whenever they need it.

When should you replace them?

Washing and maintaining has it’s place in a home, but there will come a time to replace. That time is every 6 months to a year or when you fold a pillow on half and it doesn’t “bounce back” to it’s original shape right away.

Also check out these cleaning tips:

Citrus Vinegar Cleaner
Homemade All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Best Degreaser Recipe