Dreamy, soft, luxurious, cushion comfort… Yes we’re talking about your pillows, these soft head rest get used on average about 8 hours a night, that means exactly 2920 hours a year which equals 121 full 24 hours days. This leads to the question have you cleaned your pillows lately? would you ever wear your clothes for over a month let alone a week with out getting cleaned? yep.. didn’t think so.
In this post we go over exactly why and how you need to clean your pillows.. trust me this is for your own good.
– Germs & Bacteria
The longer you you leave your pillows unwashed the more dust, germs, and dead skin cells it collects and picks up from you’re head! Now a lot of people may have dandruff or other skin related problems on their scalp which means the more it gets stuck in your pillow the heavier it gets. This means your soft luxurious pillow now becomes stale almost like old bread..
Bounce Test
This is crucial to test even you’re cleaned pillows. Just because there clean it doesn’t mean there not old which might mean the support structure is no longer there. A great way is to fold you’re pillow in half, if they bounce back to the original shape there still good! However if they stay folded toss them regardless if there clean or dirty.
Tips For Pillow Talk
How do you know when you should get your pillows cleaned? It’s easy just make sure you get them cleaned 3 times a year or if you feel it’s not too bad then you can do it 2 times a year. In terms of ensuring the structure of the pillow is still there buy new ones every 2 years or so. I like to bulk buy them on sale and just store it when I need.
Depending on what the inside of the pillow material is made from as there are a few types I would recommend following the wash tag care label to ensure you don’t damage materials such as memory foam etc.
How To Clean Your Pillows
– I try to stay away from scented detergents but use something gentle and it’ll do the trick.
– Give your pillow a good fluff and and try to push some air our before getting it cleaned in the washing machine.
– You can normally do 1-2 pillows in either front load or top loading washing machines, Use a full cycle with the luke-warm water setting, and run a second cycle to remove further moisture which will help prevent any nasty fungi and mold.
– Gently remove moisture and run it through your dry cleaner, I like to wrap a few tennis balls in a cloth then tie em up – this will help push out excess moisture without damaging the pillow. It also helps to continually fluff yet dry the pillows at the same time.
There you have it, you’re quick guide on how to maintain clean pillows! I personally love the smell of anything that’s cleaned be it clothes or pillows, make sure you smell for any excess moisture and the smell of dampness. If you smell any moisture at all this maybe because you left it too long before putting it in the drier, or you have removed all the moisture then decided to dry it out in the open. If this is the case run it through another cycle and remember to start drying straight away.