How to Untangle Pillows

Messy pillows make a room seem disorderly.

Pillows lend color and softness to a bed, couch or chair and can serve both decorative and practical purposes. Some pillows have zippers on the cover. As members of the household tend to move pillows around frequently, there's a chance the zipper will catch on a loose thread of another pillow, causing them to become tangled. A zipper may also catch in the pillow fabric, causing another type of tangle. Untangle pillows carefully to preserve the fabric.

Instructions

1. If two pillows are involved in the tangle, grasp the zipper pull with your fingers on one hand and the tangled pillow threads with the fingers on your other hand. Gently work the caught thread out of the zipper. Cut the thread free with a small pair of scissors if necessary.

2. Untangle a zipper that's caught on the pillow cover's fabric by gently easing the zipper pulling upward and downward in an attempt to work out the fabric.

3. If moving the pull up and down wasn't successful, grasp the fabric at the spot where it's tangled with the zipper and tug lightly until it becomes free.

4. Rub a bar of white, unscented soap along the edge of the stuck zipper if no other methods work. The soap will provide lubrication to help the zipper move and shouldn't damage the fabric of your pillow.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid picking up two tangled pillows, as movement can cause the snag to get even larger.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Balky Zippers