Can pillows be washed? If not, now often should they be replaced?

Question

Just curious... I don't have dirty pillows.. lol!

Answer 1

Most of the time yes, except for the newfangled new ones that feel like sand or sawdust or seeds. You have to read the washing instructions on those. If you have a washable pillow, wash it every now and then. Heres the spiel.
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Depending on the age of your bed pillow or mattress pad, over 50% of its weight may be comprised of sloughed skin, mold, mildew, fungus, dust mites and dust mite feces. Washing and replacing them frequently helps keep them fresh and prolongs their useful life. Most manufacturers recommend you clean your pillows and overlays every 6 months.
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Now, wasnt that just fun to read.?
Theres more
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Double case your pillows and mattress overlays. Use two pillow cases on your pillows and double the sheet layers on your mattress pad. This will better resist the accumulation of microscopic dust mites, mold, mildew and other bacteria - as well as sweat, body oils and drool - which tends to permeate bed linens and settle into the pillows and pads beneath.

Change your pillow cases often. At least once each week. Body oils and bacteria will build up in the pillow cases, and eventually make their way to the pillow itself, unless replaced frequently. If you suffer from acne, you should change your pillow case daily to reduce skin contact with bacteria. Parasites such as lice cannot reproduce in less than a week's time, so if you change your linens weekly, you'll never have a problem with them.

Clean your pillows at least every 6 months. Clean your pillows at least every 6 months. They'll last longer. Check the labels on your pillows for special instructions.

Dry your pillows COMPLETELY after washing. If a pillow doesn't dry completely before being put in its case, it will breed mold or mildew and be ruined forever.

Down pillows can be dry cleaned, machine washed or hand washed using mild detergent, NOT soap. Soap is harder to remove and can leave a residue. We prefer washing and believe the results are better. Permit the machine to run 30 seconds to thoroughly mix detergent and water. Stop the machine. Place pillows into the water and push under and squeeze out as much air as you can. Down is very buoyant and floats high on top of water - it doesn't want to get wet so it may take a little work. Soak pillows about two hours, then squeeze out the air again, or if you have a pre-soak cycle on your machine use that instead. Start the machine and complete the washing cycle. Wash the pillow with a tennis ball or sneaker to keep the down from bunching-up into a corner during the spin cycle. Use 1/4 cup of vinegar in the rinse to help remove detergent residue. Dry using the "hot" cycle, again with the sneaker, or dry in the sun, turning and fluffing the pillow periodically to redistribute the down. Monitor the drying by checking on your item about every 15 to 20 minutes. Shake vigorously all direction and place back in dryer. Repeat this process until its light and fluffy. Monitor your dryer often, as you will want to take the item out of the dryer immediately when dry. Some dryer drums get hot and may not be good for your Down item if left after your dryer stops.

Feather pillows can be hand washed or dry cleaned. Feathers repel water: that is why they keep the goose dry. so they are harder to wash than down. Hand wash using mild detergent, NOT soap. Soap is harder to remove and can leave a residue. Use 1/4 cup of vinegar in the rinse to help remove detergent residue. Machine dry using the "hot" cycle, with the sneaker, or dry in the sun, turning and fluffing the pillow periodically to redistribute the feathers. Monitor the drying by checking on your item about every 15 to 20 minutes. Shake vigorously all direction and place back in dryer. Repeat this process until its light and fluffy. Monitor your dryer often, as you will want to take the item out of the dryer immediately when dry. Some dryer drums get hot and may not be good for your feather item if left after your dryer stops.

Sythetic fiber pillows can be machine washed using mild detergent, NOT soap. Soap is harder to remove and can leave a residue. Front loaders are more gentle than agitator machines. Use 1/4 cup of vinegar in the rinse to help remove detergent residue. Machine dry. Lower quality fiber pillow may bunch up after cleaning, and you'll need to pull out the fibers to redistribute them after drying.

Foam pillows can be hand washed in a tub or sink. Use mild detergent, NOT soap. Soap is harder to remove and can leave a residue. Gently squeeze the soapy water into the pillow by pressing on the pillow repeatedly. Do not wring or twist. Rinse well until clear, using 1/4 cup of vinegar in the rinse to help remove detergent residue. Gently press the rinse water out. Air dry, AWAY from sunlight. Sunlight will discolor the foam and cause breakdown.

Wool pillows must be dry cleaned.

Buckwheat hull pillows. Remove the buckwheat hulls from the zippered case, and wash the case only. The buckwheat hulls themselves should not be washed. However, if you want to be sure the hulls do not accumulate dust mites or other organisms, place your buckwheat hull pillow in the freezer overnight once every 1-2 years

Answer 2

Some can be washed.. I wouldn't wash decorative pillows.. But the standard pillows that you sleep on, you should check the tags on those.

If you find that they can't be washed, I would replace your sleeping pillows every 6-8 months. If you drull a lot, every 4 months.

Answer 3

1-2 years

Answer 4

depends on the fill
all can be washed but how you dry it will differ
pillows also retain large amounts of water

feather pillows
washed two at a time for balance
dried in the dryer for 3 to 5 hours with three clean tennis balls to fluff pillows

foam pillows
washed two at a time for balance
machine dryed for 1 hour then air dried for the rest of the time
or only air dried
this is because foam pillows are man made and will therefore be ruined or cause a fire when exposed to extreme heat.

Answer 5

I'll put any sleeping pillow in the wash, except for down, but then put a couple of tennis balls in the dryer to help fluff them. No more than two pillows at a time or they will take forever.

Answer 6

It really depends on the pillow. I know that my pillows just didn't seem as fresh and I thought there must be tons of sweat bateria in them, so I washed them. Well my feather pillow took days to dry. ( I dried it in the dryer for 2 hours and then air dried it in front of a fan ) and my other pillows that have the polyester batting turned out all lumpy and couldn't be fixed. I ended up buying 4 new pillows.

Answer 7

Hi they can be washed with a little bleach and detergent.I wash two pillows alone at a time,put them in the dryer on airfluff and they look like a million bucks!!

Answer 8

Some can be washed. Look at the tags...it should say. Buy pillow protectors and put them under the pillow case. You will never know they are there!

Answer 9

i was all my pillows. use tennis ball in the dryer for feather or if you can hang them out side is better.. but if fell if i can not wash them in the machine i don't want them around and that goes for stuff toys and all else. i also use a cover for them as well that keep the pillows cleaner longer that on top of the pillow case. other wise change out your pillows every year.

Answer 10

What kind of pillows? Feathered you cannot but you beat it and air it out. The others you can but you would do it on delicate, luke warm, oxi-clean, no dryer. Have you seen the new cool pillow? They claimit solves that issue with waking up and turning the pillow because it got warm. Best of luck. God Bless You and the Southern People.

Answer 11

Feathered down pillows can be dry cleaned..
Fiber filled pillows should be washed.
Foam pillows more difficult. Never dry clean. Soak in cold water with detergent, rinse and hang it out to dry.
Washed or Dry cleaned.. needs to be aired out to maintain their resiliency.