How To Wash Your Pillows (not just your pillow cases)

The new year always inspires us to reset, refresh, and clean a little deeper than usual. While we’re tackling closets, cabinets, and clutter, there’s one often-forgotten item that deserves some TLC too — your pillows! They quietly collect dust, oils, and allergens all year long, and January is the perfect time to give them a proper refresh. Your best night’s sleep might start in your washing machine.

(Results may vary, and always refer to the tag on your pillow for best results)

How to wash your pillows (not just the pillow case):

While you may be regularly washing your pillow cases, you may not realize all the oils, dirt, and maybe drool that collect in your pillow. So here’s how to help give your pillow a nice, deep clean.

#1 Tip before washing your pillows is to always check the tag, as not every pillow can be machine-washed.

If you have a foam pillow- NEVER wash it in a machine. It will end up ruining the foam interior. What you can do, depending on each pillow, it might have a foam cover that you can remove and wash. For the foam itself, it can be spot-treated by hand and then let it air dry.

For other pillows with yellow stains caused by sweat, drool, or other skin oils, we recommend pre-treating with hydrogen peroxide. Take a spray bottle and spray over any yellow areas on your pillow. Let it sit for 30 minutes before washing to really let the hydrogen peroxide soak up the stains.

Once the pre-treated area has had time to soak, you can throw it in the washing machine. We suggest a max of two regular-sized pillows so as not to overload your machines. Set the machine on the “Bulky” selection and follow the instructions on the tag on what water temperature is best for your pillow.

Always check your pillows and make sure all the stains are gone before throwing them in the dryer. Give your pillow a quick fluff by hand and maybe add some dryer balls, if you have any, to help add extra fluff to your pillows as they dry. Set them on a low heat temperature and the “bulky items” selection.

Got big pillows, or a lot of them? You can also wash them at any of our Laundromats using our large machines (feather pillows might be a no-go if not properly contained; they will clog our machines).