‘Now I lay me down to sleep.’ But on what?

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Published Date 11/17/2022

Most of us fancy ourselves pretty decent housekeepers. We dust, vacuum, scrub bathrooms, and (especially when we’re expecting guests) make sure there is little out of place, especially if someone stays over. But aside from clean sheets, what are both they — and we — sleeping on? Are the pillows underneath those clean pillowcases really clean too?

Brace yourself: Did you know that after two years, dead skin cells, bugs, dust mites, and their droppings make up one-third of your pillow’s weight? Ugh. Realtor.com's Stephanie Booth talks about how you should be washing your pillows every three months. How to wash a pillow without ruining it is indeed an education, however.

Many of us can agree that the pillow-washing process can be mystifying. Booth asks, “Should you stuff your high-end memory foam pillow into a washing machine? Do down pillows need to be dried on the highest setting? Can all pillows be cleaned together?” Evidently, the answers are no, no, and definitely not.

Down alternative and polyester pillows, while among the least expensive of pillow types, also have the least amount of staying power. “The lifespan of a cheap pillow is around 12 to 18 months. A pillow protector can help you get to the far end of that estimate, but two to four times a year, you should still clean it somehow, says Booth.

To check if your pillow can endure the washer, “fold it in half,” advises professional mattress and upholstery cleaner Dean Davies. “If it doesn’t come back to its original shape immediately, it’s very likely that the pillow won’t survive the cycle.” He goes on to advise that if it does snap back, roll it up, using the longer side as a base. Then place rubber bands on both ends and the middle. “Doing so will minimize the synthetic fibers from clumping in the washer,” Davies says. Then wash it with mild detergent and warm or cool water and tumble dry it on the lowest heat cycle.

It’s not unusual for many of us to have formed a love affair with our favorite down or feather pillow — to the point of even taking in on trips with us. To preserve the life span of your soft, squishy pillow, “cover it with a pillow protector that you wash frequently—at least biweekly,” says Michelle Fishberg, co-founder and CEO of Slumbr, a sleep wellness company that matches pillows to sleep styles. She recommends washing down or feather pillows only twice a year. But fight the urge to dry-clean them. Instead, run them through your washer on a delicate cycle using a mild detergent, but skip fabric softener and bleach. Afterward, dry them on a medium heat setting.

Keep drying your pillow past the point where it seemingly feels dry, as the down and feathers can clump up inside, she advises. To avoid scorching, remove the pillow from your dryer every half-hour. Fluff it (them) and allow to cool slightly, then pop them back in. Washing two at a time will keep balance in your dryer, by the way. You can also maximize fluffiness and prevent the down from sticking together by adding a few wool laundry balls or clean tennis balls to your dryer. Place them inside a clean, tied-up sock to keep the noise to a minimum. A great stop-gap habit is to pop them in the dryer on medium heat for about 15 minutes to help kill dust mites and keep them fluffy.

If your pillows are made of foam they usually come with a cover. Please note, however, that they need special (more labor-intensive) care. The cover should be washed and dried two to three times a month. The pillow itself, only once or twice a year, but definitely not in your washer, and the mechanical motion can destroy its shape. So Booth advises you to submerge your pillow in lukewarm water with a small amount of gentle (preferably unscented) detergent, gently squeezing out the water, then rinsing it several times until the water runs clear. “The same kid-glove treatment applies for drying your latex or foam pillow. Let it air-dry, a process that could take up to 24 hours. Set it in front of a fan to speed up the process.”

Even with a few tricks to keep your pillows fresh between washings, the day will come when you’ll notice your pillow’s taken on a yellow tinge or grown unmistakably lumpy. That’s when it’s past its bed life. Nothing will restore it. This is the time to opt for a new pillow, but don’t spare the expense in replacing it. That pillow has served you well, and if taken care of properly, the next one will too.

Realtor, TBWS

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