It’s nice to climb into a bed with freshly cleaned sheets. But have you considered your pillows? You may be putting those fresh pillowcases on pillows that contain all sorts of bad news.
You may also be wondering whether your pillows are even washable, or thinking that you might ruin their comfort level. But understand two things:
- Most pillows are washable and can come back to their original form easily.
- Unwashed pillows can be home to all kinds of things you don’t want to put your head on. These include bacteria, dust mites, loose hair, dead skin flakes, and more. So if there ever was a reason to clean your pillows, this is it.
Here are some tips from your favorite cleaning services company in Red Deer for cleaning your pillows so that you can keep their shape and make sure there are no unwanted nasties on them.
How to Wash Your Pillows
Just about any pillow, down-filled or synthetic material can be washed at home. Although any washing machine will do, the best will be in a high-capacity front load washer. If that’s not what you have, not to worry, your machine will almost certainly do the job.
Note that you don’t have to wash your pillows each week with your sheets, or even monthly with your pillow protectors. Aim for a pillow wash about every six months, or seasonally if you like.
Here are the steps involved:
- Wash- Before you place your bare pillows into the washing machine, make sure you use the gentlest liquid detergent available. You do not want harsh detergents that contain stain removers or scents. Use the gentle cycle and wash in warm water, allowing the machine to fill slightly before you add the pillows. Do not stuff the machine, as you can always put in another load, rather, stick to two or three average pillows at a time for a good cleaning. Washing in the bathroom sink just won’t do it (but check these under sink storage tips while you are thinking about it).
- Rinse- When the wash is complete, run it through an extra rinse cycle to ensure there is no residual detergent left on or in the pillows. You can also run them through a couple of extra spins cycles to remove excess water.
- Dry- After you’re satisfied that there is no soap or water left in the pillows, it’s time to dry them. You will need to know what kind of pillow stuffing you have to do this correctly. For foam pillows, hang them rather than risk melting them inside the dryer. Otherwise, for any other kind of synthetic, set the dryer to low or medium heat. Down pillows cannot take much heat, so set your dryer to Air Only and just let them tumble in there for a while. Every 30 minutes, turn the pillows in the dryer to make sure they dry evenly. And to fluff them back up while drying, throw in a couple of tennis balls in socks to agitate the fibres back to life.
It’s not difficult to clean your pillows, and you will be happy you did as soon as you go to bed for the night.
