How Often Should You Wash Your Pillow?

The pillows we sleep on can collect grime aplenty, but they can't all be washed the same way. Learn what the experts recommend in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio. Hey
brain Stuff Lauren Bogle bam here. Although most pillows have
a tag giving laundering instructions, not everybody bothers to wash them.
We may think they're shielded from the day to day
grit and grime of life thanks to the pillow case

(00:22):
or else that washing them may ruin them. But the
standard pillow case is typically only made of cotton or
of some other easily permeated fabric, rendering the pillows susceptible
to the grit and grime of life. But we spoke
by email with Mary Marlowe Laverette, a housekeeping and laundry
expert with the Spruce. She said, even with a protective

(00:44):
pillow case, your pillow can be filled with dust mites,
body oils, and bacteria from your saliva. All of that
is next to your face and no one wants any
of that. And it's no small amount of junk either.
After a couple of years, some ted percent of the
total weight of your pillow could be due to dead
dust mites and their waste. And yeah, that's kind of

(01:07):
gross to think about, but more scientifically speaking, a regular
close proximity exposure to Any of these contaminants or others
like pet dander can cause conditions like allergies and asthma
to flare up. The good news is that laundering pillows
is a surprisingly easy task and you don't need to
do it all that often. If you use a zippered

(01:29):
pillow protector, you'll only need to wash the pillows twice
a year, although the protectors themselves will require monthly laundering.
If you don't use a protector every other month ish
or whenever the pillow looks or smells like it needs it,
is advisable. There could be times when you need to
launder your pillows more frequently, but we also spoke by

(01:49):
email with Mary Zeitler, consumer scientist with Whirlpool Corporations Institute
of Home Science. She explained if the user applies face
lotions before going to bed, or if the user has
oily skin or scalp, washing more often may be needed
to keep it fresh. We'll add ditto that if you
sleep with a pet, or have recently had a cold

(02:10):
or other contagious illness, or if the pillow looks or
smells musty, So how do you clean your pillow? It's
vital to check the care directions on the tag. Many
are machine washable, but some, like those made of memory foam,
are not. In general, Zeler recommends washing down feather and
synthetic material pillows in the warmest water considered safe for

(02:33):
the material, and it can help, especially with top litted washers,
to do too per load. To help keep the machine
balanced while it's spinning, use a mild liquid detergent, or
make sure you dissolve your powder detergent well before adding
the load, and set your machine on the gentle cycle.
An extra reincycle can help make sure that all the
soap is gone when it's time to dry. Use a

(02:56):
low heat or air cycle setting for as long as
is an necessary to get all the moisture out of
your pillows. Any dampness left behind will encourage mold growth,
but foam pillows are sometimes a completely different animal. They
can't get excessively wet unless otherwise stated on the care tag,
so rather than using a washing machine, you can use

(03:17):
a vacuum cleaner to do most of the work, then
toss them in the dryer on a no heat cycle
to shake any additional dirt and grime loose. If any
spots or other grime are visible, sparingly spot clean with
water and a mild soap. Today's episode was written by
Aliya Hoyt and produced by Tyler Clay. For more on

(03:39):
this and lots of other everyday topics, visit how stuffworks
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