How to Safely Wash a Pillow

When you use your pillows for a long time, they can accumulate dirt, bugs, dead skin cells, and dust mites. So to keep them fresh and germ-free, you should wash them at least twice a year. In this article, 5-Minute Crafts will tell you how to do this properly.

❗ Always read the manufacturer’s instructions before washing your pillows.

Step 1. Spot clean the pillow.

✅ If you have foam pillows, take a cloth and dip it into a mild soap solution. Clean dirty areas on your pillows with this solution.

✅ For other types of pillows, use digestants (enzyme-containing detergents) to pre-treat the stains before washing them in the washing machine.

Step 2. Prepare the pillow.

✅ Place your pillow inside a pillowcase to prevent any snagging of the filling.

✅ Press out as much air as possible from the pillow before loading it into the washer.

Step 3. Put the pillow into the washing machine.

✅ If you have a top loader with an agitator, place your pillows in it vertically to prevent them from getting damaged.

✅ Make sure that your washing machine is large enough to fit your pillow.

✅ Place 2 pillows in the top-loading washing machine at the same time to balance the load. For front loaders, you can put 1 or 2 pillows inside per load.

✅ Use a small amount of gentle scent-free detergent and warm water. Choose the gentle wash cycle.

✅ For down pillows, choose the delicate setting and cool water.

⛔ Do not put foam pillows in the washing machine, choose professional dry cleaning instead. If the care label allows it, you can also carefully hand wash them.

Tip: If your pillow smells, add half a cup of baking soda into the washing machine.

Step 4. Dry the pillow.

✅ If the care label on your pillows allow it, place them in the tumble dryer on low heat.

✅ Toss a few tennis or dryer balls in the dryer along with the pillows to prevent them from clumping. You can also put the tennis balls in separate socks and tie them tightly to avoid their smell and color from transferring to your pillows.

✅ Run the dryer for several cycles to ensure that the pillows are completely dry.

✅ When drying, take your pillows out and fluff them from time to time.

✅ Once dry, smell your pillows to test and see if there’s still moisture in them.

⛔ Don’t put foam pillows in the dryer as they might catch fire when coming into contact with heat.

Tip: If your pillows can’t be tumble dried, let them air-dry in a well-ventilated room or outside in the sun.