How to Wash Your Pillows

Spring & Fall are the times of year I go into full on cleaning mode. I am not really sure why. Maybe because the weather is nice enough to open the windows and air the house out?! One item that gets forgotten is Pillows.

We wash our pillow cases once a week with the sheets, but the pillows themselves get overlooked. Maybe you are scarred you will ruin them? Maybe you just figured it is time for new pillows? It’s OK. Washing them isn’t as hard as it may seem!

Wash

Get that pillow naked. Take off all pillow cases and protectors. You will want to use the most liquid gentle detergent you have. Set your washer on the gentle, warm water cycle as well as it’s largest capacity. Put in the detergent and allow the washer to begin filling before putting in your pillows. Wash no more than two to three average pillows at a time to guarantee a thorough cleaning.

Rinse

After your washer has completed it’s cycle, do it again! This is to make sure that the detergent is thoroughly removed from the interior of the pillow. Because pillows are thick and dense, pillows require a bit more care to be thoroughly cleaned. You can also run that final spin cycle an extra time to get that extra water out.

Dry

• Foam: If your pillow is foam, you will want to line dry or hang your pillow to dry as a trip through the dryer would cause the material to melt.
• Synthetic: For other synthetic materials, dry on a low to medium heat cycle and avoid any high heat.
• Down: Down and natural materials can’t stand much heat, so set your dryer on Air and allow them to dry thoroughly.

Re-fluff  your pillows while they are drying. Put a couple tennis balls in some socks and toss them in the dryer to agitate and return the fibers to their natural state. Stop the dryer every 30 minutes to rotate the pillows around to make sure that they dry thoroughly.

When was the last time you washed your pillows? Do you have any tips or tricks?