Do you need to clean your pillows? Find out the easy way
Pillows are among the objects that we use regularly but often forget to clean well. Yet every night they absorb our sweat, are dirtied with the residue of cosmetics and many other forms of grime. We can change the pillowcases as much as we want, but in the end also the pillows themselves need to be washed.
When they are properly cleaned and sanitized, among other things it will guarantee us a better sleep and help avoid potential respiratory problems. Lets see how to take proper care of your pillows.
Pillows should be washed at least once or twice a year, and in any case when you note stains or unpleasant odors.
You also need to be very careful and make sure to read the manufacturers instructions on the tag: they may be made of different materials that can't all be treated in the same manner. In any case there is a golden rule: most times you can wash your pillow in a washing machine (and some even have specific programs for washing pillows), but you should never wash at excessively high temperatures or with a too powerful spin cycle. The best thing to do is to wash pillows separately so that they are cleaned better.
- For down pillows: use the wool or hand wash programs, with a temperature between 40 °C and (maximum) 60 °C.
- For polyester pillows: wash them by hand, at 30 - 40 °C, or else use a professional service.
- For microfiber pillows: these need a special detergent for synthetic products and can be washed even at 60 °C.
- For latex pillows: these need to be washed by hand in a large basin or bathtub, with lukewarm water and soap.
Always make sure that the lining of the pillow is intact before washing, so as not to risk losing some of the stuffing, which could also potentially harm the washing machine.
Regarding the type of detergent, it is always better to use very delicate ones: on the market you can find even detergents specifically for pillows, especially for down pillows. For these pillows be sure to avoid fabric softener.
To make sure that the pillow stuffing remains well distributed, you can add a bunch of clean tennis balls (that don't lose their color) to the tub of your washing machine.
To dry the pillows you can use a dryer, and in the case of down pillows make sure to let the dryer work for a long time at a low temperature. It is always best to take out the pillows a few times and shake them before the drying cycle finishes. It is also possible to air dry your pillows, however not directly in the sun, and only in areas where the temperature is high enough and the climate not humid enough for the drying to take a long time, which could possibly lead to mold.
If you don't have a dryer, you can always use a hair dryer to speed up the process.
For pillows that can't be washed in a washing machine, like some ergonomic types, you can wipe them down regularly with a cloth bathed lightly in delicate detergent. If there are any dry stains you can try using a fabric brush.
Another smart idea is to leave your pillows to air out once in a while, for example when you are making the bed: when the weather is nice, leaving them to air out in the sun for a half hour is an excellent remedy to neutralize unpleasant odors.
