April 20, 2026
Greetings!
It's pretty common to wash your sheets once a week, and to throw in your pillowcases along with the sheets. But most of the time the pillow itself gets neglected. Most people don't know how to clean the actual pillow, they just toss them out and buy a new one.
You want to remember to wash your pillows at least twice a year. If you live in a warmer climate where you sweat more you will want to wash them more often.
Today's issue we will discuss how to clean the pillow itself, in case you don't know how.
Let's get thrifty!
Kris
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Using Your Washing Machine
First, take off any covers or cases and wash those separately.
You will want to balance the washing machine by putting two pillow in at the same time so they won't be thrown around too much. Add your regular amount of detergent and start the cycle. If you can, set the washing machine to bulky / large to accommodate the unusual load.
After the wash is completed, throw the pillows in the dryer. For feather pillows, use the dryer setting that accommodates air/fluff/no heat. For synthetic pillow, dry using the setting for low heat.
You will want to make sure that your pillows are dry all the way through. Dampness means that your pillows are not done, and it will become a hotbed for mold and bacteria. To speed up the drying time, you can put two tennis balls in clean, white dry socks (or dryer balls) in the dryer with the pillows.
Hand Washing
Remove any covers and cases as well. Fill a tub or sink with warm water, enough to submerge the pillow completely. Add a tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent per pillow and mix it around the water to make sure it is evenly spread.
Place pillow in the water and allow the detergent to seep in. Massage and squeeze pillows to dislodge dirt and let the water get through each layer.
When the pillow has been massaged thoroughly, take it out and rinse with fresh clean water. Go at this for a good 5 - 10 minutes to make sure you get out as much soap as possible. Check the runout water for suds before ending this rinse cycle.
You don't want to put sensitive pillows in the dryer, so towel off what you can and bring the pillow outside to let it dry in the sun. Before bringing the pillow back in and before using, make sure there is no water left and it doesn't feel damp.
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