Is it possible to clean a feather pillow by washing it?

We utilize a set of pillows for sleeping regularly, which means that every day your pillows are in contact with your body sweat, fluids, and other environmental contaminants like dust and dirt. While it is not feasible and smart to wash pillows daily, it is intelligent to consider different cleaning option after 4-6 months. This would help you stay away from build-up allergies and increase the life of your pillows.

The easiest method to take care and maintain your pillow properly is to carefully wash it, dry it, and fluff it. The natural fillings such as feathers are easier to wash as it will not develop dips and lumps after washing. However, for that, you need to wash and dry it correctly. Hence, we have explained the process of washing and maintaining a feather pillow below. Read more to know how you can do it.

How to Take Care of Feather Pillow?

1. Washing

• Prefer washing 2 or more pillows at one time to maintain a balance with the spin cycle of the washer. Use your discretion on this based on your machine, acceptable load, and spin feasibility.

• The temperature of the water should be selected according to the cloth of the feather pillow. Usually, you can use lukewarm or hot water for effective cleaning but if your cloth can shrink, use cold water to avoid that.

• Based on the type of soap you are using (which should be mild), you can rinse your feather pillows more than once to ensure that soap is washed away.

• Similarly, you can spin the pillows more than once to remove as much moisture as possible.

• It is not recommended to use fabric whitener or softener as it can impact the feathers of the pillow.

2. Drying

• It is possible to dry your pillows at any temperature but just remember that some clothes shrink. Also, it is best to sun dry pillow as this will also disinfect the pillow.

• Spinning and drying the pillow in the machine can take more than one or two cycles based on your washing machine. So, stay patient.

• To avoid odor and mold, you need to dry it completely. If after multiple spin cycles, your pillow is still moist, put it out and use a table fan to dry it.

• Fluff the pillows by pressing from both hands to check if it is still moist. It is better to over dry it than to keep it moist – exposing to mold, mildew, and dust.

How to Treat Stains On Your Feather Pillow?

To avoid staining the feather pillow, we utilize pillowcases or zip-up covers. However, these covers can only protect the pillow from slight spills. Major spills get quickly to your feather pillow, stain it, and moist it. Further, as we utilize this pillow daily, it absorbs our body sweat and fluids. These fluids can make the pillow yellowish or discolor the pillow.

To clean these stains, boil approximately 4 cups of water in a pan. Add laundry detergent, bleach, and dishwasher detergent (all approximately 1 cup) with a half cup of borax. Soak your pillow in this solution for not more than 30 minutes, take it out, rinse it, and dry it. However, after 15 minutes, flip or stir the pillow for effective cleaning.

Additional Tips

• Avoid washing your feather pillow on days with high-humidity. It would increase the time you need to dry the pillow. Additionally, high-humidity tends to leave a foul smell in washed clothes and pillows. Natural sunlight and low-humidity make this task easier.

• Utilize pillow covers or cases to keep the pillow clean for a longer duration. It is not feasible to wash pillows frequently. But it is hassle-free to wash pillowcases every week.

• Don’t place the damp glass on the pillow or never sleep while your hair is still wet. The moisture will set in, create room for mold/mildew, and spread a foul smell.

• If you absolutely have to wash your pillows on a day of high humidity, don’t put it out for drying. Dry it completely in the dryer and then use a table fan to remove the remaining moisture.

In How Much Time You Should Wash Your Pillow?

Although you should not wash your pillows every time you wash the pillowcases, you need to clean the feather pillows at least once in every 3 months. Longer than that would create a room for mold, allergens, foul smell, etc. To clean your pillow and remove oil, sweat, and dirt, wash it as instructed above.

Conclusion

Washing feather pillows is not a herculean task. You only have to remember some essential pointers mentioned above to carefully clean your pillows and still maintain its fluff. However, don’t over-wash your pillows as you would decrease the lifetime. Wash in every three months or when it is absolutely unavoidable.