Tools and Materials
Why You Need to Clean Your Pillow
You clean all of your other bed linens regularly to remove dirt, debris, oils from your skin and other materials that cling to fabrics. Your pillows come in contact with all of the same particles — and each time you put your head on the pillow, you're breathing them in.
How Often Should You Clean Your Pillow?
Whether you're washing pillows in a washing machine or hand washing them, cleaning them regularly is important. Your pillows should get a good wash at least every six months. If you tend to sweat, have pets or just want to be meticulous, consider washing them four times a year, or every three months. Replace your bed pillows every one to two years.
Considerations for Different Pillow Types
Most down, feather, cotton, fiberfill and polyester pillows can go in the washing machine, but that isn’t the case for memory foam or latex pillows. Washer agitation can break foam into pieces, so you’ll need to wash these types of pillows by hand.
Read and follow the care instructions on the label or tag of your pillow. Some pillows aren’t suitable for machine washing and require dry cleaning or washing by hand. The label should indicate if this is the case. You can use fabric softener or dryer sheets to freshen up some machine-washable pillows. Check the care label for details.