Don't rush to make your bed right after waking up. Although we were taught this way since childhood, many people simply don't know what kind of life is happening on bed linen. Dust mites live on it, which can cause allergic reactions, respiratory inflammation, and asthma. Feather pillows (or pillows with other filling) also need to be cleaned. A lot of microorganisms accumulate in it, and the remains of the epidermis are collected.
Washing pillows is not as difficult a job as many people think. For a positive result (so that the filling does not get knocked down), you need to follow several rules. Then the bed will always be fresh, and there will be no threat to health.
Content
The first step is to determine what the product consists of.
Washing will differ in the ease of the process depending on the contents inside. Thus, feather pillows are more difficult to process than modern silicone ones. The first stage of the procedure is to find out the type of filler (natural, artificial).
Housewives often do not understand how to wash feather or synthetic pillows. But in fact, you will only need your own strength or a properly set mode in the washing machine.
It is not forbidden to wash feathers in the machine. It is necessary to clearly understand the properties of this material. In the automatic mode, both natural and artificial contents can be processed. Moreover, this is necessary after the first 6 months of continuous use. Ordinary drying in the sun will not give the desired result.
There are a few exceptions: orthopedic type or analogues made from organic materials are not recommended to be processed in an automatic machine.
Preparatory stage
When it becomes clear whether pillows can be washed, you should proceed to their preparation. It is aimed at obtaining the expected result. Down and feathers need an additional cover. If you do not want to buy one specifically for this work, then you should take an unnecessary pillowcase and put the product in it (the free edge is secured with threads so that the contents do not come out).
If possible, it is better to divide the filler into several equal parts. Each of them is laid out in bags, and then put into the washing machine. You need to pour carefully, the fluff can fly around the room, and it is difficult to collect it. At the end of washing, all parts are combined. This approach will help to better process and dry the raw material.
Washing pillows is the main process, but before it, dust must be knocked out of the product. Of course, you can put dirty material in the washing machine, but then the dust will not go anywhere, and stains will appear on the cover (removing them takes a lot of time, effort, and sometimes is not at all realistic).
By hand or in a machine
When filling with organic type, it is allowed to wash the pillow in the washing machine. But organic does not have a long service life, so everyone must decide for themselves how appropriate it is to clean out the old raw material if you can buy a new product.
Here is the sequence of how to wash pillows in a washing machine correctly.
- The original pillowcase is opened to remove the insides.
- The fluff is placed in different bags (approximately 3-5 parts).
- The water temperature is a maximum of thirty degrees (organic matter is washed in cold water, since hot liquid has a negative effect on it).
- Mode selection. Each device has its own designation, so you should select a delicate one, such as manual or swan down mode.
- It may seem that it is better to take the maximum number of revolutions for spinning, but this is not so. Here you need slow drying, so four hundred revolutions will do. Sometimes it is worth not using this function at all.
An important criterion is the choice of detergent. The usual powder is not suitable for this purpose. On the shelves of stores you can find a special composition, the purpose of which is to clean down, feathers. If you can not find such, then take a gel, liquid powder or a composition in the form of a detergent with ammonia no more than three percent (approximate calculation: for five liters you should take a cap of soap and four teaspoons of ammonia).
If necessary, it is permissible to wash the product by hand. The fluff in such cleaning, on the contrary, will look better, due to the impossibility of getting into a lump. Several basic rules when choosing manual processing.
- Water is taken at room temperature (not hotter than thirty degrees).
- Choice of container – the best solution would be a bathtub. The filler is poured into it after the pillowcase is ripped out.
- Soaking is allowed for three to four hours. It should not be done longer.
- After a specified period of time, the contents of the bath are removed. It is best to do this using a colander.
- After the feathers are handed over, they are packaged into separate bags.
- The resulting number of bags are hung outside, where they begin to dry.
This method is used to treat not only feather pillows, but also anti-stress pillows or bamboo filling.
Washing holofiber is done by hand. It is better to take a gel-like detergent, add it to slightly warm liquid, soak the pillow in this composition (no longer than one hundred and twenty minutes). Squeeze without force, with light movements. Then rinse again in clean, barely warm water. Only now has come the period of hanging out to dry.
Synthetic padding versions of the product are cleaned in the same way as holofiber.
Bamboo bedding is not processed in hot liquid (about thirty degrees). Ordinary laundry soap is suitable as a detergent. All highly foaming agents are not suitable for high-quality processing. At the end, the pillow is rinsed in liquid at room temperature.
Period of use and washing
Depending on the material of production, the product is allocated an approximate number of times for processing. Here are all the types of possible filler and its dependence on washing.
- Synthetics - constant washing reduces the service life to a minimum, so it is better to replace it with a new product.
- Feather or down - processed no more than four times in twelve months, but there should be at least two processes.
- Bamboo - is durable and can withstand more than six washes per year. Ticks do not like such products.
- Anti-stress – it is recommended to carry out cleansing more than five times in twelve months.
Now that the washing process has been described point by point, it is time to understand how to dry it properly.
The final stage is drying the contents.
It became clear whether it is possible to wash a pillow made of feather, bamboo or organics. It is time to move on to drying the fillers, which will not lead to negative consequences.
Basic tips for this step.
- The process happens faster outdoors.
- When drying indoors, there must be good ventilation (artificial or natural).
- In order to speed up the process, many people try to use additional heat, but this should not be done.
- It is forbidden to place the bags in direct sunlight or under an open heat source. Such intensity spoils the filling.
- During drying, it is necessary to constantly turn the bags over.
Not everyone wants to suffer with the last stage, so they put a high value on the wringing. This approach will not lead to anything except the purchase of a new product, since the old analogue will be completely knocked down into one layer, which will not be possible to break.
To ensure this result, put tennis balls (2-3 pieces) inside the drum before washing. They will fluff up the feathers, so it is impossible for them to clump together.
Latex pillows
This version of the product is suitable for manual cleaning only. In this case, the total amount should be minimal, and the temperature from thirty to forty degrees Celsius. Rinse in slightly warm, cool water. Wringing - wrapping with a towel. It will absorb excess moisture.
Latex is a fragile material and should not be subjected to frequent wet treatment. If possible, the surface can be cleaned with steam. This is an alternative to conventional washing.
To implement it, you will need to take the following actions.
- The pillow should hang in an upright position.
- Primary steam treatment.
- Repeated.
- Leave to dry.
- After complete drying, the bedding is fluffed up.
- An additional pillowcase is put on at the end.
Care tips
It became clear whether it is possible to wash pillows by hand or in an automatic machine. But to extend their service life, it is worth taking proper care of the pillows.
There are several useful tips to help with care.
- Whisk regularly.
- Clean constantly.
- Keep pets away.
- If there are dents or an unpleasant smell, try to restore it or buy a new one.
Regular care of your bedding is the key to health and good sleep.