Pillow Cleaning for Healthy, Allergen Free Sleep
Do you think it is important for your family's hygiene to
regularly clean blankets and sheets, towels, bed and couch
covers? Of course! Pillows also need to be cleaned regularly, at
least every six months. That's because a pillow that hasn't been
cleaned recently contains high amounts of sloughed skin, mold
and mildew, fungus, dust mites and dust feces. Nobody wants to
sleep on that! Let's see how we can effectively clean our
pillows, depending on their material, and what tricks we can use
to keep them clean longer. Cotton and down pillows can be
cleaned in various ways. You can hand-wash, machine-wash, or
dry-clean them. If you choose hand-wash use a mild detergent
instead of soap, as soap may leave residues. Wash gently using
warm water, in maximum 40c. Rinse well in cold water squeezing
the pillow constantly to ensure that there is no residue left.
In machine-wash you should make sure that detergent is
completely diluted in water before placing the pillows inside.
You can do that by letting the machine run for a few minutes
with after adding the detergent and before adding the pillows.
Then stop it, squeeze the air out of the pillows and put them
inside the washing machine. Set your washer on a gentle wash
cycle. An extra rinse would be ideal but if your washing machine
doesn't have that button, simply put the pillow through the
final rinse cycle once or twice to fully rinse out any residue.
Do not use softener in the rinse. Instead choose vinegar to help
in the removal of the residue. Very little, two or three drops
is enough. Add a tennis ball to keep the down from bunching-up
into a corner during the spin cycle. Hit the spin dry feature
twice to ensure that most water has been removed. Synthetic
Fiber pillows can also be hand or machine-washed the same way as
before. Lower quality fiber pillows may bunch up after cleaning.
If that happens, pull out the fibers and redistribute them after
drying. In synthetic pillows use the spin dry feature only once,
so that the fibers bunch up as little as possible. Feather
pillows can be washed by hand or dry-cleaned. Hand-Wash them
exactly as you would with a down pillow but using less
detergent. Also keep in mind that feather pillows are harder to
get wet because feather tends to repel water. Don't forget to
use a little vinegar during the rinsing. Foam pillows can only
be hand-washed very gently with mild detergent. Mix water and
detergent first, then gently squeeze the soapy water into the
pillow by pressing smoothly on the pillow repeatedly. Don't
wring or twist them, they are very delicate. Rinse well using
vinegar during rinse. Wool pillows should be dry-cleaned because
of their material, which makes it very difficult and unsafe for
them to be cleaned in any other way. It is important that
before attempting to wash your pillows you should read the care
instructions on the package. Use some of these tricks to keep
your pillows clean longer. Use two pillowcases on your pillows
to resist the accumulation of dust and bacteria, sweat, and
other body fluids. Use a pillow protector as an additional
barrier against dirt. Change your pillowcases often as dirt
penetrates the fabric and will end up on your pillow. Now that
you know the steps, clean your pillows as often as they need to
be, to prolong their life and ensure a healthy sleeping
environment, free of skin irritations and allergies for you and
your family.