What’s the number-one most important item to bring to a pillow fight? A clean, fluffy pillow of course! Many people forget to wash their pillows regularly or don’t even realize that they can wash pillows. In this article, we’ll cover how to wash and dry pillows properly for guaranteed pillow fight success.
How To Wash and Dry Pillows Properly
Level 1 Pillow Cleaning – Basic Machine Wash and Dry
This method for how to wash and dry pillows is perfect for regular routine cleaning. Pillows should be washed about every six weeks or whenever they are visibly dirty or have an odor. Fortunately, the vast majority of pillows are machine washable!
Instructions:
1. Check the tags on your pillow. All pillows come with tags that tell you exactly how to wash them, including recommended washing frequency, which machine wash cycle to use, and how to dry your pillow.
2. Wash two pillows at a time. This will help get your pillows completely clean and ensure that you have a balanced load without overloading your machine. Use your favorite detergent and the longest, hottest wash cycle.
3. Do a second rinse cycle. Make sure that all of the detergent has been completely rinsed from your pillows by giving them a second rinse.
4. Dry your pillows on low heat until they are completely dry. Throw in two wool dryer balls to beat the excess moisture out your pillows. These dryer balls help speed the drying process and will keep your pillows fluffy. You can also use two new tennis balls in place of the wool dryer balls in a pinch.
Level 2 Cleaning – Pre-soak
Use this method if your pillows are visibly dirty or have an unpleasant smell. It is basically just a pre-soak that you will add to the Level 1 Pillow Cleaning outlined above.
Instructions:
1. Pre-soak your pillows. Place your pillows in the bottom of the washer and fill it with hot or boiling water until the pillows are completely submerged (but don’t fill the entire washer). Add some laundry detergent, and let your pillows soak for one hour.
2. Follow the Level 1 Pillow Cleaning instructions outlined above. This simple pre-soak step will help loosen up any dirt and grime and will leave your pillows exceptionally clean.
Other Notes About How To Wash and Dry Pillows Properly
- If your pillows come out of the dryer lumpy, limp, or flat, that means it’s time to replace them. A good way to test your pillow is to fold it in half, and if it doesn’t spring back to flat, you should replace it as soon as you can.
- Pillows can also turn yellow from sweat that we produce as we sleep. Although there are recipes out there on the internet that call for mixing bleach with various soaps and chemicals to restore your pillows to white, we never recommend mixing bleach with any other chemicals. That’s because mixing bleach with other chemicals can create dangerous fumes, which can even be fatal. If your pillows are yellow, it’s best to just replace them.
- If you really want to try to whiten your pillows at home, wash them in the machine with just water and bleach, but no other chemicals or soaps. Be sure to rinse your pillows extra thoroughly after using any bleach.
