While most of the people wash or replace their beddings, pillowcases and sheets regularly, they might not wash or even replace their pillows. The pillows will gather dust, sweat or dirt over time and if you don’t give as much attention to them, they can turn yellow colour and too dirty to use when you think of how much time you spend asleep with your pillows.
There can be a lot of signs that your pillows need to wash or replace. When you go to sleep, if you feeling uncomfortable, sneezing , and wheezing too much, you can understand that you have to wash your pillows immediately.
To prevent all of these and sleep healthfully, you should wash your pillows at least twice a year regularly.
Materials And Tools You Need
- Mild detergent
- Washing machine or a deep sink
- Microfiber cleaning cloth
Firstly, there are multiple kinds of pillows on the market. You have wash and care for each type of pillow in a different way. While you can wash some pillows in your washing machine, you have to wash others by hand.
Secondly, check the label of your pillow for care instructions. You can find detailed care instructions for your pillow most of the time. Follow the instructions of washing and caring so that you won’t damage your pillows. Some pillows such as foam and latex are not advised to wash and steam. In this pillows, you can do spot cleaning with the baking soda to remove stain and dirts. Or, some pillows need to clean dry only. If you can’t find the labels, you can check the composition of your pillow to wash it.
How To Wash Your Pillows In Washing Machine?
Generally, most pillows are machine washable. Before you load your pillow into the washing machine, remove the cover of the pillow. If your washing machine is big enough, you can load two pillows at a time. A mild detergent with antibacterial properties is advised for pillows. Start your wash cycle on a gentle washing program. After washing and rinsing, the dryer must be on the lowest possible setting. You can add tennis balls into your washing machine so that the drying duration of the pillow will decrease.
How To Wash Your Pillows By Hand?
When you want to wash your pillows in a more gentle way, you can wash them by hand of course. Firstly, fill a sink with warm water and add the mild detergent into it. To rinse the detergent out of your pillow more easily, use the least amount of it. Then, wait fort he pillow to soak for a time and squeeze your pillow. Keep squeezing your pillow until all the soap is rinsed out. Once you done, you can hang them on a clothes line or just lay them out on a clean surface. Finally, make sure that the pillows are completely dry before you use them again.
Types Of Pillows And How To Wash Them
Cleaning Foam Pillows
Foam pillows can’t be washed or dried in the washing machine. To remove dusts from your foam pillow, you can vacuum both sides of the pillow with a upholstery tool. To wash, put your foam pillow inside a bathtub and fill it with warm water and a mild, low-sud detergent. Soak the pillow into to soak and squeeze the pillow by turning over until it is clean. Keep to squeeze it until all of the soap is out. Once you finished, wrap the pillow in some dry towels. Allow the pillow to air dry properly before putting it back on your bed. Remember turn them time to time to help them dry evenly.
Cleaning Polyester Pillows
Polyester pillows can be washed in the washing machine. Wash your polyester pillows in cold water. Use a mild detergent. Use the medium cycle on the washing machine and load two pillows at a time. If you don’t have two pillows, load with bath towels to balance the load. In the top-loading washing machines, submerge your pillows in the water and make sure they are completely wet. During the washing cycle, check the pillows and move them around because they will float after awhile and not get properly clean. Once you done, rinse your pillows two or three times. Then, add the tennis balls to the dryer and run the dryer on the low setting. Finally, hang your pillows a clothes line and turn them periodically until dry.
Cleaning Fiberfill Filled Pillows
You can wash these pillows in your washing machine safely. Load two pillow at a time to balane the load. If you use an agitator style top loader, locate the pillows in the tub vertically to avoid any damage by the agitator. If the pillow has a care label on it, follow the directions carefully. Otherwise, wash your pillows with warm water on a gentle and short cycle. Once you done, hang the pillows out to dry and turn them regularly to help them dry properly. When you are sure that they are dry, put them in the dryer with a clean tennis ball and run the lowest setting.
Keeping Your Pillow Clean
Before you go to bed, take a shower or just wash your face so that you can go to bed clean. Don’t sleep with your outside clothes to avoid get any dirt or dust into your bed with you. Always use a pillow cover for extra protection. It protects your pillow from dirt, odors or stains. A pillow cover will also help to prolong your pillow’s lifespan. While some pillows can last 3 or 4 years, most of the pillows can last 1 or 2 year.
Wash your pillows regularly and dry them properly. It will help your pillows to be in a good condition for a longer time.
Also, air out your pillow regularly so that your pillows can be fresh always. Fluffing your pillow by hand will allow to evaporate any dust or moisture.