Not long ago, my son’s eardrum ruptured while he was asleep. I’ll save you the gory details, but after we got home from the emergency room I stared at his pillow wondering if it needed to be tossed.  Whether you have a specific reason to clean your pillows, or have had them for a long, long time, there is a best way to handle washing these bulky items.

Even with both a pillowcase and a pillowcase liner, bed pillows do get soiled. Thankfully, they are easier to clean than you might imagine. After researching, I tested out the best methods on my son’s pillow… then decided most of the pillows in my house could use a cleanse! (And in case you were wondering, he’s fine and his eardrum healed after a few weeks. Phew!)

A quick guide to pillow cleaning:

Step 1: Check what kind of pillows you have. Synthetic and down pillows can usually be washed in a washing machine. Foam pillows cannot, and are best cleaned by vacuuming.

Step 2: Remove all coverings, pillowcases and liners, and double check the tag to ensure the pillow can indeed be put in the washing machine.

Step 3: Look for stains, and spot clean them with stain remover according to the manufacturer’s directions. 

Step 4: Wash at least two pillows at a time to keep the washing machine balanced. Note that the water needs to be at least 140 F to kill any dust mites, and adding an extra spin cycle is a good idea to get all the moisture out possible. 

Step 5: Use a low heat or gentle setting on your dryer, and be sure to check them every 20 minutes. Using a dryer ball is a great idea if you have one. It will help keep them fluffy.