As time goes on, people are now more into washers than washing with their hands. And it is quite an old way to wash by hand. You can wash different types of cloth in a different type of washer.
But, when your cushiony pillow is here and it is dirty, can you wash it using your washer? Let’s find out.
Putting a pillow in the washer
There are different types of pillows for you. You can, most of the time, put your down or feather pillows in the washer. To see if your pillow can go inside the washer or not, check the care portion. If your pillow is made of feather, down, or fiberfill then you can wash your pillow.
Bear with us and find out different types and materials of pillow along with if they can go inside the washer or not –
Type:
Body pillow:
Some people love to have a soft pillow in between their legs. For that, a body pillow helps. Body pillows are long as a person, and they can easily cover the gap between your legs. Basically, some people sleep in poor sleeping positions, at that time it helps.
A body pillow is a little larger for you to push inside of the washer. But still, you can wash them in the washer.
Throw pillow:
To put a throw pillow inside of a washer, you just need to know the care segment of your pillow. Because some of the throw pillows are machine washable and some are not. It is ideal to keep the temperature of the water at room temperature.
Because highly heated water can ruin your pillow.
Boppy pillow:
You can wash your Boppy pillow as well. But you can not increase the temperature of the water by more than 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees Celsius.
Before washing your Boppy pillow, first, uncover the pillow and then wash the pillow and the pillow cover separately. Also, try to use a front load washing machine for washing the pillow gently.
Couch pillow:
The same instruction goes for couch pillows. You don’t want your pillow to get ruined by high-temperature water. Moreover, you don’t want to ruin the pillow shape as well.
To maintain all these things, you have to ensure that the washer is front-loading and use a mild detergent. And you don’t allow any hot water.
Pregnancy pillow:
Pregnancy pillows are just like other pillows. It is like a body pillow. Generally, a pregnancy pillow provides a shield to the pregnant mother. Use a gentle cycle while you wash and use cold to warm water along with a small amount of detergent.
Material:
Feather pillow:
Yes, you can wash feather pillows in a washer. Mainly, the feather pillow is highly likely to get inside of the washer without much hardship. Because the pillows are lightweight and not these pillows aren’t big to get inside the washer.
Like other pillows, you have to wash them gently, use mild detergent and the cycle should be gentle as well.
Memory foam pillow:
No, memory foam pillows are not suitable to get inside of the washer. Memory foam is made of a compound and the molecule is highly attached to one another. Though it still has some limits, or it can tear itself apart.
Memory foam is made to provide ultimate comfort for a certain limited period. If you put it inside the washer, it will lose the usual lifespan and the integrity of the molecule. So, you better not wash the memory foam pillow in the washer.
Polyester pillow:
Yes, you can wash your polyester pillow in a washing machine. Moreover, polyester pillows are easy to care for, and they are long-lasting.
However, these pillows can be washed in slightly warm water as well when other things remain the same as other pillows. You have the flexibility to dry your pillows on air or just put the pillow inside of the dryer on low heat.
It will not be ruined by any means.
Cotton pillow:
Yes, you can wash your cotton pillows inside of the washer. Many people find cotton pillows are naturally soft and also comfortable. Moreover, you can wash them in regular warm water on a gentle cycle of the washer.
You can take good care of these pillows easily.
Does washing a pillow ruin it?
The washer is not going to ruin your pillows, unless or until you put a memory foam pillow inside of the washer. Most of the pillows are washer safe. Almost all types of pillows can be washed using a washing machine.
The basic thing you need to remember or know is that for most of the pillows and pillow materials, you have to use cold water or slightly warm water.
Along with that, you should use mild detergent powder or liquid detergent and the cycle of the washing machine should be gentle as well.
Six things to consider while washing a pillow in the washer –
One should certainly consider the following things when washing a pillow in the washer –
Check your Pillow Cover:
The first thing you need to check is the pillow cover. You need to wash the cover separately. That’s how you can have the best result. You can use the pretreatment for laundry before you put your pillow inside the washer.
Wash Two Pillow at a time:
There is enough room for three regular-sized pillows to get inside the washer. But, if you put more than two pillows inside the washer, then your washer will not work. Or if you just put one pillow, then it will not be going to be efficient for you.
So, use two pillows at a time.
Mild and Small Detergent is what you need:
You are not getting rid of a strong stain from the pillow. What you need is to get away some of the dirt from regular usage. Along with some greasy material from the top cover and from the inside of the pillow.
So, the only thing that you need is to use mild detergent for a small amount.
Lukewarm Water is Good:
Not all pillow material requires warm water. Memory foam pillows are suitable for washers, and this cannot stand warm water as well. So, for other pillows, you should maintain at least lukewarm water, so that some greasy material can go away easily.
Gentle Cycle of Washing Machine:
If you don’t want to lose the shape of the pillow, then a gentle washing cycle is good. If you are in a rush and want to wash your pillows faster, then you are not going to get the same pillow you have bought. So, be gentle with your pillows.
Use Pillow Protector:
Using a pillow protector will cause your pillow not to get dirty faster. Use it properly, and you should wash the protector as well.
How do you wash a pillow in the washer?
The following steps will help you wash a pillow in the washer –
Don’t deprive your Pillow of the Sunlight:
Sun has some anti-biotic power, and it can get rid of bedbugs as well. So, a little sunlight will be enough for the pillow to be cleaner. If you cannot wash your pillow, then this is the way you can use the pillow, without washing it.
Because most of the germs such as bacteria, fungus, etc. will be diminished under the sunlight. And a little flow of air will help your pillow to be fluffy and comfortable.
Gentle Washing Cycle is a must:
It is not mandatory to wash your pillow every week or every day. Only two or three times a year is enough for your pillow to be fully cleaned.
This condition may change if you have a pet, you sweat a lot or you eat on your bed and accidentally something has fallen on the pillow. At that time, you only need a gentle wash of your pillow.
It is not hard to wash the pillow, you need quite less amount of detergent. One thing you should know about pillow washing is that different material inside the pillow requires different treatment.
So, for down or feather pillows, use cool water and ensure a gentle cycle. You cannot wash memory foam pillows one way or another, because the material inside may get ruined.
Dry Using a Dryer or Air dry:
Air dry is suitable because as you know, sunlight can deter different bugs, bacteria, and fungus perfectly. If that is not possible then a dryer is enough. But ensure a low heat for all sorts of pillows to dry perfectly. Don’t rush to do the stuff perfectly.
Final Thoughts
You can wash your pillow in a regular washer. You can even dry your pillow using a dryer. Though you must check the care segment of the pillow so that you can get a better insight into the materials used to produce the pillow. Don’t rush while you are washing your pillows, be gentle and wash gently.