What is Inside a Pillow Anyway?
There are several types of pillows available, with down, also known as goose or duck feathers, being one of the most popular. But foam pillows or pillows filled with soft, spun silk polyester are also common.
How to Keep Pillows Fluffy:
Fluff Them Every Morning
A little maintenance goes a long way with your pillows, so it’s important to fluff pillows each morning to prevent them from getting misshapen or lumpy. Push a pillow’s sides from opposite ends and do so at the top and bottom, pushing the stuffing or down back to the middle of the pillow.
Dry Them With Tennis Balls
Once a month or so, throw your pillows in the dryer with tennis balls. The tennis balls will knock out the lumps and fluff up your pillows. The tennis ball trick is also great for comforters, too! On the flip side, these are the things you shouldn’t put in the dryer.
Try to Remove the Stuffing
You can always loosen the stitching on one side of a pillow, remove some of the stuff and rearrange it back in the pillow. Once you’re done fluffing the stuffing, replace it and sew up the pillow.
How Often Should You Wash Pillows?
Hint, you should be washing them way more often. To remove bacteria, germs and dust mites, throw your pillows in the wash every three months, and your pillowcases every three weeks.
With down pillows, it’s best to run them through two rinse cycles to remove any remaining soap and two spin cycles to remove as much water as possible. Dry them on a low heat setting and stop the dryer to fluff the pillows every 20 minutes.
How Long Should a Pillow Last?
Down pillows can last up to 20 years if properly cared for, which means keeping it in a zippered pillow protector and a pillowcase.
Recycling Pillows and Down Pillows
Pillows aren’t recyclable and most thrift stores won’t accept them for hygienic reasons. Instead, you can repurpose old pillows by using them as dog beds. Otherwise, you’ll have to toss old pillows in the trash.
The post How to Keep Your Pillows from Getting Misshapen appeared first on Taste of Home.
Nick Gerhardt