Dirty bed pillows can harbor all kinds of nastiness, and this easy tutorial will show you just How to Clean Bed Pillows at home. After all, our pillows absorb our body and hair’s oils, dead skin cells and dust mites. Gross, right? That’s why they should be cleaned at least once every three months! It’s easy to clean bed pillows with a few steps, and it’s totally worth saving them too!
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Can you remember the last time you looked at your bed pillows? Maybe you glanced at them the last time you washed your bed sheets, but did you take a close look at them? Chances are, they have some yellowing, and they definitely are holding dust mites…you just can’t see them. No worries, though! You don’t need to throw out your pillows and go buy new ones, you just need to give them a good cleaning. It’s super easy to wash your bed pillows and sanitize them. You only need a few things to get those pillows germ, stain and dust mite free!
How Do You Clean Bed Pillows?
***NOTE*** This method works best on down and fiber filled pillows. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD TO WASH TEMPUR-PEDIC OR FOAM PILLOWS.
Start by setting your washing machine to the hottest temperature.
You should only clean two bed pillows at a time unless you are using an industrial sized washing machine.
Next, add your regular laundry detergent. For my pillows, I typically use Oxiclean Liquid Laundry Detergent. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Next, add ½ cup of washing soda to the washing machine. You can Make Your Own Washing Soda HERE. You can find washing soda in your grocery store’s cleaning section or Purchase HERE.
Then add 5 drops of Lavender Essential Oils ( Purchase HERE ) to the wash. The lavender is used for its added disinfectant properties, and it’s a great essential oil to help you relax. Win, win!
Let your washer do its thing!
To finish them, dry them in your dryer on low heat for a full cycle (30 – 60 minutes). This will help them retain their shape and any fibers left behind will go to the lint trap.
Your pillows will be so clean and ready to go back on your bed!
How Often Should Bed Pillows Be Cleaned?
You should wash your bed pillows at least once every few months to keep them from getting too dingy and dirty.
Looking for more easy cleaning tips? Be sure to check these out…
Freshen up your mattress while helping to deter dust mites by using my Homemade Mattress Spray that Repels Dust Mites!
Make your own Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Detergent with ease and never buy the store bought stuff again!
Use this easy trick to Remove Stickers and Labels in Seconds!
Looking for some more laundry tips and homemade laundry detergents and more? You can find them all on my Cleaning and Home Tips Page Here! There are tons of homemade cleaning recipes, how to clean just about everything (including the kitchen sink), home cleaning hacks and so much more!
Doesn’t it matter whether the pillows are down or fiberfill? Thanks!
Hi, Alix! This method works for all pillows, including down and fiber filled. Hope this helps!
I have Temperpedic Pillows, can this method be used on them?
Hi, Ida! This method is NOT for Tempur-Pedic pillows or foam pillows. I’ll be sharing another post on how to clean them in the coming weeks. Hope this helps!
Would appreciate, this method , Thank you in advance, Patricia
I am interested in your ideas about cleaning foam pillows.
I’ll be interested in your email on how to clean foam pillows. My foam pillow was made for me since I have some neck issues. It’s probably 7 or 8 years old but it serves my purpose. Thanks1
Jessica, I am not a fan of the smell of lavender, can you give me some alternatives for lavender, please?
My college age daughter was JUST asking me how to clean pillows this morning! Perfect timing!! :)
Thanks!
You can absolutely use a different scent. Lemon would be a great substitute since it still has disinfecting properties and it helps with whitening as well. Hope this helps and glad the timing was great! Hope your daughter is enjoying college!
I’ll do this…I like lavender anyway! I think your spell/grammar checker needs a little wakeup, though:
hen add 5 drops of Lavender Essential Oils ( Purchase HERE ) to the wash. The lavender is used for it’s (it is? NOPE – use its to signify possession) added disinfectant properties, and it’s (here it is correct) a great essential oil to help you relax. Win, win!
My spell check was offering other completely wrong “corrections” and when I initiated on-line chat with the software company, the tech there said it was because my software was out of date. I’m not sure how my software updates or lack thereof can corrupt a spell-checker, but I got my computer tech to investigate. I needed an update!
Thanks for the great household tips! Keep up the good work!
I tried this a while back in my front loader and the pillow went all out of shape. Is the dryer the solution to this? Thanks. Love your DIYs!
I am not able to use essential oils because my kitty has allergies and his dermatologist has asked that I keep all perfumed items to an absolute minimum. Can I use this cleaning method without the oils? Thanks!
Hi, linda! Just leave the essential oils out…they should still come out pretty clean :)
Every time I wash pillows they come out all bunched up and out of shape. I have always used the hot water, but not the other ingredients. is there something about this that keeps the fillings from knotting up?
Jessica:
You have inspired me to try washing my pillows instead of just replacing them. (to freshen them I would put outdoors on the clothes line which seemed o work) I always thoroughly clean and vacuum using your method!
Thank you
Yvonne