How Do You Clean A Shredded Memory Foam Pillow?

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Have you always stopped to call up most how long it has been since yous cleaned your pillow? Have yousalways cleaned your pillow?

If you're reading this mail and watching our video, chances are it'southward been a while. Fear not, we've got you covered.

And then, how do I make clean my pillow? In that location is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It will depend a lot on what materials are used to brand your pillow. In some cases, yous'll be able to remove and wash simply the cover; in other cases, you can launder the whole pillow (filling and encompass). Don't worry, we've broken it all down below.

If you have whatsoever specific questions,don't hesitate to comment and nosotros'll do our best to help you effigy out how to clean your pillow equally well!

How Often Should I Wash My Pillow?

If you become your pillow dingy, wash information technology correct away. If zip particularly gross happens to it, try to wash it at least every 4 to 6 months. I like to wash my pillows once a quarter (so approximately once every three months) when I rotate my mattress.

It'southward always a good thought to air out or fluff your pillow occasionally, as well. That might hateful throwing it in the dryer for a few minutes to help it maintain its loft or leaving it outside in the fresh air overnight.

Check out our list of Best Pillows for 2022.

Washing Your Pillow in the Washing Machine

Basic Instructions

Great news: Many types of pillows and pillow fillings are washing machine-friendly. This includes most down or down alternative options and fifty-fifty some cream pillows. We've broken downwards the instructions for different fillings a picayune farther down; however, if you lot just want the nuts, check out our step-by-stride guide beneath:

Pour Fragile Detergent into the Washer

Add a mild detergent to your washing car. If you're washing the pillow by itself, utilise only a small corporeality of detergent. If you're using a top-loading washer, consider adding something else into the load to balance it and avert potentially damaging your pillow.

pouring detergent into washing machine

Turn the Washer on a Gentle Cycle

If your pillow has a removable encompass, unzip it and take it off before washing to help both the cover and filling go as clean as possible.

More probable than not, the care instructions on your pillow will say to exercise a gentle launder and dry, so use a delicate washer setting whenever possible.

The h2o temperature should be either cool or warm.

washing machine set to delicate cycle

Employ "Drain & Spin" Bike

Once the gentle cycle is complete, put the pillow on a "bleed and spin" cycle. This will aid pull water out of the pillow afterwards information technology's been cleaned. The more moisture you lot tin can get out of your pillow in the washer, the faster it will dry when you transfer it to the dryer.

washing machine set to drain and spin cycle

Dry the Pillow

When the pillow cover and filling are fix to go into the dryer, place a tennis brawl in a tube sock and add this to the dryer along with the pillow.

The tennis ball in the tube sock will bounciness around inside the dryer and gently push on the pillow, breaking upward any filling and helping it to dry out as efficiently equally possible.

Fix the estrus on a lower heat setting so you don't potentially burn the pillow.

Depending on the filling fabric, it may have several cycles to get your pillow fully dry.

woman holding tennis ball in sock

Cleaning Dissimilar Types of Pillows

Polyester

Most downward alternative or microfiber filling pillows are made of polyester. This is one of the easier materials to clean, so congratulations! More likely than not, you lot tin put your pillow in the washing machine (make certain to keep the load balanced) and put it on a cool or warm delicate wash. In one case information technology'south clean, toss it into the dryer on a low tumble dry.

Pro Tip: Adding ane or two tennis balls housed in socks (so the greenish dye doesn't transfer) will aid interruption upwards the filling in your pillow and allow it to dry faster.

Down/Plumage

Downwardly pillows (in general) tin be motorcar washed and dried just like their down alternative counterparts. The key is to be gentle with it; this means using detergents that aren't harsh (no bleach!) and washing on a delicate cycle and air drying or doing a low tumble dry.

If your pillow smells funky after you pull it out of the dryer, that means it's not fully dry yet. Try mitt fluffing it before throwing it back in, and don't be alarmed if information technology takes a few cycles.

Shredded Foam

The best style to clean your foam pillow will vary depending on whether it's a solid piece of foam or shredded pieces. Shredded cream pillows can often be washed in the washing machine (in most cases). Yous'll want to wring out the foam pieces before throwing the pillow in the dryer to help lower the drying time, and make sure to add the lawn tennis assurance in socks that I mentioned earlier. Ittin can have many cyclesin the dryer for a shredded foam pillow to dry out completely.

Microbeads

Microbeads tin can exist machine washed in about cases, only they crave an extra footstep. You volition want to wrap the pillow in a large pillowcase and tie it upwards so the beads don't accidentally spill out in your laundry machine.

How to Spot-Make clean Your Pillow

Basic Instructions

Typically, it's non advisable for yous to do anything but spot-clean a pillow that features a solid piece of foam, including memory foam and latex pillows. Bank check out our step-by-step guide beneath on how to spot-clean a pillow.

Grab Your Supplies

The iii chief things you'll need when spot-cleaning your pillow are a clean cloth, mild detergent, and some h2o.

If you lot have some particularly bad stains, you lot may need a stain remover equally well.

woman holding cloth and detergent

Wet the Surface area with a Damp Material

Accept your damp cloth and gently rub the dingy surface area of your pillow. This should loosen upwards some of the dirt and get information technology ready for the detergent.

rubbing dirty pillow with damp cloth

Add Mild Detergent to the Cloth

Dip your cloth into a pocket-sized corporeality of mild detergent and utilise the cloth to gently rub the dingy expanse and clean it as all-time as possible.

pouring detergent into cap

Use Your Stain Remover

If you aren't seeing whatsoever changes to your pillow, consider adding a little bit of stain remover and go out information technology to practice its magic earlier coming back with a damp cloth.

spraying stain remover on pillow

Remove the Excess Detergent

Take another section of dampened cloth and rub the cleaned area again to remove any excess detergent or stain remover.

removing detergent from pillow with cloth

Let the Pillow Air Dry out

In one case the pillow has been spot-cleaned by mitt, identify it by an open window or a well-ventilated area where it can dry fully. Be certain to avoid putting your retentivity foam or latex pillow in the dryer, every bit this could potentially melt the cream.

pillow air drying near window

Pillows That Should Not be Washed

There are some fillings that are special and cannot exist washed. But don't worry; in many cases, you tin can remove the filling and yet launder the outer comprehend to keep it somewhat make clean.

Buckwheat hulls. Don't launder the buckwheat hulls in a buckwheat pillow; instead, just launder the cover. If the hulls get damp or soggy, they won't work equally a filling. You can put the hulls in a plastic pocketbook while yous wash and dry the cover. Information technology will make a mess, simply it'due south worth it for a clean pillow.
Kapok fibers. These eco-friendly fibers, which are the seed pod fluff from a rainforest tree, cannot be cleaned. Pillows with Kapok fibers are often spot-cleaned only or accept removable covers that tin can exist cleaned separately.

How to Use Bleach to Remove Tough Stains

Grab Your Bleach

You tin can requite your pillowcase a quick bleach soak using a bucket or tub, a measuring spoon, h2o, and (apparently) some bleach.

woman holding bleach and pillow

Add Bleach to a Saucepan of Cool Water

You lot'll want to use 1/4 of a cup of Clorox® (or bleach of your choice) and 1 gallon of cool water.

pouring bleach into bowl of water

Soak Your Pillowcase for 5 – x Minutes

Let the pillowcase soak submerged in the bucket for around x minutes.

pillowcase soaking in bleach and water

Squeeze Out Water

In one case the soak is done, rinse the pillowcase out with absurd water from the sink. And then squeeze or ring out the pillowcase so it's as dry as possible and then throw information technology in the dryer to terminate it off.

woman squeezing water out of pillow case

Enjoy Your Sparkling Clean Pillow

It's make clean!

woman holding clean pillow

Overall

Because there's so much variation among pillows, the best way to be certain that you're cleaning your pillow correctly is to read the care tag on your own pillow. If you no longer have the tag, get online and await up the pillow via its website; most companies mail their intendance instructions online. These are going to be the best guide to cleaning your pillow.

But if y'all've lost your tag or don't feel similar going on a scavenger hunt, then follow the basic instructions above and either apply the washing machine or spot-clean it. Keeping your pillow clean is essential to expert sleep health (and merely a adept health practise in general!).

Don't forget to read nearly how to clean mattress stains. If you're already in cleaning mode, you lot can get ahead and work on your mattress as well!

RELATED: How to Wash a Comforter

I final annotation: If you really, really tin can't remember how long it'south been since you've cleaned your pillow and it looks actually yellow or feels damp and/or unnaturally heavy, it's time to trash it and get a new i.

Unlike pillows work better for unlike slumber types, so if you lot're in the market for a new pillow, make sure to check out my listing of best pillows.

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Katie manages the mean solar day to day operations of the Mattress Clarity news site and reviews sleep products in improver to writing and editing sleep news. She hails from Austin, where she lives with her growing family. She is a Certified Slumber Science Double-decker and has a principal'south degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and has a background in wellness and science content. Her work can be institute in print and online publications like Discover Magazine, United states Today and The Huffington Post.