We spend 8 hours a day in bed (more or less), recharging our batteries and preparing for the new day ahead. If we were to calculate how much we sleep on average during our lifetime, we arrive at an impressive figure of 229,961 hours. That’s a lot of sleep, and a lot of time spent in bed, basically one-third of our lives are spent sleeping. It is precisely for this reason that bed linen must be washed more often, which we do, especially when we wash the bed linen used to cover duvets and pillows together with sheets. But what about pillows? You must have noticed how after a while they become yellowish and dirty. It is dust and, above all, sweat that create those ugly yellow spots on pillows. To prevent this, you should wash your pillows more often, whether by hand or in the washing machine. How often you should actually wash pillows, and how to wash them, read in todays blog.

When should we wash the pillows?

You don’t have to wash the pillows every month, or even every two months. The general rule of thumb is that you should wash the pillows every 6 months, if they are pillows you sleep on every day. In case you have pillows for guests, you can freely extend the time between washing to one year, while for renters we recommend that pillows be washed at the beginning and end of the season, due to the large number of different people who sleep on these pillows.

Some signs that show it’s time to wash your pillows are:

• The pillows have turned yellow
• Pillows have a sour or musty smell, simply put, they stink
• The pillows are not comfortable and fluffy, but you feel as if you have nothing under your head or you have to adjust it 10 times every night until it shrinks into the somewhat desired position

How do you wash pillows in a washing machine?

You can easily wash pillows filled with feathers or pillow filler at home in your washing machine. Washing pillows in the washing machine is a quick and easy way to keep your pillows in excellent condition. To avoid damage of pillows, you will need a front-loading washing machine, the type we usually have in our household. If you do not own a front-loading washing machine, we advise you to take the pillows to a professional laundromat.

Preparation for washing pillows at home consists of several steps:

Step 1: Check the pillow for tears after removing them from the cover. Damaged pillows should not be washed in the washing machine, as the filling could leak out and your washing machine would be full of feathers or pillow filler, which could cause the filter clog. Pillow covers should be set aside so they can be washed separately according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 2: At least two pillows should be placed in the washing machine. To maintain an even load, always wash two pillows at a time.

Step 3: Add mild detergent of your choice and set the wash cycle to delicate. Use cold water to prevent the pillow from shrinking during the wash cycle.

Step 4: Use a mild detergent – When washing your pillows, use a mild detergent for washing feather or delicate detergent to prevent feather damage. Use only a small amount of detergent to avoid excessive foaming.

Step 5: Rinse thoroughly – After washing, make sure the pillow is thoroughly rinsed to remove all traces of detergent. You may need several rinse cycles to remove all the detergent.

How to dry pillows?

When you finish washing, you must dry the pillows thoroughly so that moisture does not remain in the pillows. You can air dry the pillows, but you can also put them in the dryer. It is best to dry pillows at a low temperature in the dryer, and to turn them occasionally so that they dry evenly. If you don’t have a dryer, you can hang them to air dry. We recommend that you wash the pillows when the weather is warm and nice outside, because the pillows need a little longer to dry completely.

We bring you a few additional tricks for quality drying of pillows in the dryer:

Step 1: Choose the lowest temperature setting. If you dry the pillows at a high temperature, you may destroy the feathers.

Step 2: To speed up drying, place 2 clean tennis balls in the dryer. Although they  will make noise, don’t worry, it won’t damage the dryer. When washing anything filled with down or feathers, such as blankets or pillows, adding a few new, clean tennis balls to the dryer will help them fluff up again. If you’ve ever pulled a freshly washed pillow out of the dryer to find it lumpy and misshapen, the tennis ball trick can prevent it.

Step 3: Use a delicate program on the dryer.

Step 4: Continue drying the pillows. It may take two to three rounds to get your pillows completely dry.

Tips for cleaning memory foam pillows

Recently, memory foam pillows have become extremely popular and more and more of us are sleeping on exactly these types of pillows. Memory foam pillows are more delicate than other pillows, so it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure proper maintenance. However, it is not at all recommended to wash memory foam pillows in the washing machine, as this can damage the material and affect the quality of support and comfort. However, there is a way to wash memory foam pillows by hand:

Step 1: Fill a tub or large basin with cold water.

Step 2: Add a teaspoon of mild laundry soap.

Step 3: Squeeze the pillow after slowly dipping it into the soapy solution to help it absorb the liquid more easily. Repeat the technique after squeezing the water out of the pillow.

Step 4: Discard the dirty water and repeat the process until the water is clear.

Step 5: Gently squeeze the remaining water out of the pillow, then allow it to air dry. If you do not have the possibility to air dry the pillow, look for an area with sufficient air flow. Add a fan for increased drying.

Step 6: Before you put the pillow back on the bed, make sure it is completely dry.

We hope that we have taught you something new in this post. However, if you are still afraid to wash pillows at home because you are not entirely sure how to do each step correctly, you can bring all your bed linen, including pillows, to our laudromat. We will wash your pillows professionally and return them clean and fluffy, just the way they should be.