Not only your pillowcases need regular washing but also your pillows themselves (although much rarely, for example, every six months or yearly). Hair, dead skin cells, as well as sweat, and drool build up on the pillow, which in turn allows dust mites to thrive & cause allergic reactions to the residents of the house. Of course, we’d be more than happy to assist you & offer this service, included in our signature residential cleaning, but if you want to DIY (do it yourself), you should know that it involves only 3 simple steps, which we’ll present to you next.
1. Air out the pillows. First of all, you should give your bed pillows a daily fluffing, in order for them to regain their shape & get rid of dust. Also, every two weeks or monthly, you should hang them outside, on a clothesline, for a few hours, on a clear day, to ventilate them & get rid of unpleasant smells, as much as possible. Another option, valid for foam & latex pillows, is to run them through the dryer, on the no-heat cycle;
2. Wash them gently. The second step involves the actual washing, which should be done more often than we mentioned before, if you sweat profusely, eat in bed, or if pets sleep with you. Although this is the most important step, it’s not the most time-consuming, because the drying process will follow, a long one. Until then, though, you should know that the pillows are better washed two at a time in the washing machine, in order to balance the load & allow the water and detergent to circulate more effectively & reach the entire surface of the pillows.
Our recommendation is to use the gentle cycle or the shortest possible setting because washing machines can be quite tough on bed pillows. Or, if you have the chance & time, take a trip to the local laundromat, in order to use its front-loaders. However, the best possible option, as we’ve already mentioned, is to hire us;
3. Dry them thoroughly. Last but not least, after the pillows are washed, they should be completely dry before being put in the pillowcases, otherwise, there is a risk of mildew. The auto-dry setting on the washing machine isn’t very helpful here, since it will only detect surface moisture, leaving you with a damp pillow. Instead, you should dry them on moderate heat, for at least an hour, adding a couple of dry towels & dryer balls to keep the filling from clumping.
Alternatively, if the weather is good, as in the example from point 1, you can hang them on the clothesline. However, before placing them back on the bed, don’t forget to check the inside for moisture. Of course, you should also change the pillow cover, using a new one to protect against sweat, body oils, and face cream. Unlike the pillow itself, the cover should be laundered once every week or so.