Proper maintenance of your pillows is crucial for maintaining hygiene and ensuring their longevity. With daily exposure to dust, dead skin cells, pet dander, body oils, and sweat, Here we’ll tell you how to wash and maintain your pillows regularly to keep them fresh and clean. The recommended frequency for washing pillows is at least every three months or four times a year. While you can easily wash cotton, down, and synthetic pillows in a machine, memory foam pillows require special care and hand-wash. To ensure that your pillows stay in good condition, it’s essential to follow the proper care instructions for each type, including adjusting washing and drying settings and avoiding high heat.
There are many reasons for cleaning a pillow
Your pillow naturally accumulates dirt, dust, pet dander, body oils, dead skin cells, sweat, and other particles that float in your room. Over time, these substances get absorbed into your pillow case and then into the pillow, causing it to gain weight and potentially become a breeding ground for bacteria and allergens. Hence, it’s important to regularly clean your pillow to maintain a clean and healthy sleeping environment.
How Often Should You Clean Pillows?
Clean your pillows at least every six months, or even more frequently every three months to ensure they are in their best condition with good hygiene. Clean your pillowcases along with your bed sheets on a weekly basis. Replace your pillows every one to two years to keep good hygiene.
Washing Cotton, Down, and Synthetic Pillows in a Machine
The majority of pillows, such as those filled with cotton, feathers, fiberfill, or down, can be effectively cleaned using the gentle cycle and warm water in a washing machine. However, foam pillows are an exception and should not be placed in the washing machine as it is too harsh and may break up the padding.
Remove the case
To properly clean your pillow, start by removing the case of the pillow and putting them separately. Take off any pillowcase or sham that you have placed over your pillow. Additionally, if your pillow has any zip-on cases, remove these as well and wash them separately from the body of the pillow.
Wash Your Pillows in the Washing Machine
To clean your pillows, place them in the washing machine. You can safely wash pillows, including down pillows, in the washing machine without worrying when using gentle wash. To prevent excessive movement and ensure balance in the washer, we recommend you wash at least two pillows at a time. If your pillows have yellowed, consider rubbing the surface with a solution made of equal parts white vinegar and warm water before putting them in the washer.
Add your detergent
To achieve a regular wash for your pillows, add a cup or scoop of your regular laundry detergent, you can also use homemade detergent. For extra whitening, add the following items to the detergent: 1 cup of powdered dishwasher detergent, the appropriate amount of bleach, and half a cup of borax. Alternatively, you can use a special detergent specifically designed for whitening discolored white garments.
Begin the wash cycle
To ensure thorough cleaning of your pillows, adjust the settings on your washing machine to use hot water and complete a second rinse cycle. If your washing machine has a “large” cycle option, use that for washing your pillows. Then, simply let the machine do its job and clean your pillows to perfection!
Dry Your Pillows in the Dryer
To dry your pillows, place them in the dryer and adjust the settings. For feather-filled pillows, set the dryer to “air”/”fluff” and “no heat.” For synthetic pillows, switch the dryer to low heat.
Check your pillows
After the dryer has completed its cycle, take out the pillows and assess their dryness by feeling of touch and smelling them. If the pillows still feel damp or have a moist smell, run another drying cycle and check them again. Once the pillows are fully dry, they are clean and ready for use.
Washing Memory Foam Pillows
Hand-washing is necessary when it comes to caring for memory foam pillows. Despite offering solid support, the material of these pillows is delicate and you should not clean them in the washing machine or dry in.
Remove the cover
Before washing your pillow, remove any pillowcases or shams that may be covering it. If your pillow is a memory foam one, it may also have a zip-on protective cover that you should also remove. These coverings you can wash these separately in a washing machine.
Add water to a tub
Memory foam pillows are too delicate to be cleaned in a washing machine, so they must be hand washed. Fill a tub or sink with warm water, making sure that there is only enough water to cover the pillow, adding too much water is not required.
Add your detergent
To hand wash your memory foam pillow, add a tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent to the water for each pillow. Mix the water and detergent by swirling it around with your hands, and ensure the distribution of detergent properly.
Wash your pillow
To clean your memory foam pillow, immerse it in the water and gently move it around to allow the detergent to penetrate. Using your hands, massage and squeeze the pillow to remove dirt and freshen the inner layer. You will see how the detergent easily cleans your pillow.
Rinse the pillow
Take the pillow and run it under fresh water to remove as much soap as possible. Take your time and thoroughly rinse the pillow to ensure all suds are gone, as this process may take several minutes longer than the washing step.
Dry the pillow
Lay out your memory foam pillow on a clean white cloth in a dry area. Avoid exposing it to high heat levels as they can damage the foam and cause it to crumble. If possible, place the pillow in the sun to aid in the drying process.
Check the pillow
Thoroughly check your memory foam pillow to ensure that all the water has been removed before using it again. The sponge-like material of memory foam is likely to retain water. This material can lead to the growth of mold and mildew if not completely dried. To prevent this, make sure to thoroughly dry the pillow and ensure that there is no water left in the material.
Summary
Maintaining pillows is important for hygiene and to ensure they last as long as possible. Pillows accumulate dust, dead skin cells, pet dander, body oils, and sweat, so it’s important to wash them regularly. It is recommended to wash pillows at least every three months or four times a year. Pillowcases should be washed weekly with bedding. Cotton, down, and synthetic pillows can be machine-washed, while memory foam pillows need to be hand-washed. It’s important to follow the proper care instructions for each type of pillow, including adjusting the washing and drying settings and avoiding
high heat.
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