When to replace your Bed Pillows
Thinking about what might be hiding in your bed pillows will make you want to buy new ones more often!
16/06/2019
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When it comes to bedding, pillows don't often receive the spotlight. Greasy hair, dead skin and plenty of other contaminants, including bed bugs and dust mites, are not something you should be sleeping on. But in all honesty, how often do you replace or clean your bed pillows?
For quite a while now I have been unable to find comfortable bed pillows. I've shopped around and tried this and that, even splurging on expensive memory foam or latex pillows, but nothing seems to last these days. After a month or two the pillows become sloppy or the filling goes flat and you end up pumping up the pillows or scrunching them up just to have a decent pillow to sleep on.
If there is one good thing from this, I have come to realise that swapping out old pillows for new is not only about having a comfortable pillow to sleep on, but also one that is more hygienic. Did you know that you should swap your bed pillows every 3 months? Research shows that bed pillows are filled with dust mites and other allergens that accumulate over time. If you wake up in a sweat during the night, or can't help coughing or sneezing when in bed, could be that your pillows need to be changed.
owever, if you have found the perfect pillows and just couldn't bear to toss them out and buy new ones, the least you can do is have them dry cleaned regularly. Some pillows can be popped into the washing machine and tumble dryer, but most synthetic fillings have to be dry cleaned. And when you add up the cost of dry cleaning your pillows on a regular basis, you might as well just replace them.
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How to refresh bed pillows
Giving your favourite bed pillows a good wash every 3 months will restore the whiteness and keep them fresh and clean. Most synthetic padding in pillows can be hand washed, but it has to be done carefully to avoid destroying the filling.
YOU WILL NEED:
Hot water
Washing powder [1] cup
Vanish bleach [1] cup
Borax [1/2] cup
HERE'S HOW:
Fill a bucket or tub to about one-third full with hot water. Add all the ingredients and mix together until it is all dissolved.
Soak the pillows in the water for about 30 minutes, turning them over with your hands.
Empty out the dirty water and leave the pillows to drain away excess water.
Fill with clean water to rinse.
Place the pillows outdoors on a clean towel and leave them to dry, turning over occasionally until all sides are completely dry.