How to Wash Your Feather Pillows

As we sleep at night our perspiration and dead skin can make our bedding all icky and smelly. Sheets and bed linens should be laundered on a regular basis, but don't forget the pillows. Pillows often get the most abuse, but many people only wash the pillow covers, and forget about the actual pillow stuffing that has absorbed sweat and bacteria. Before you clean you pillows read the manufacturer's clean and care instructions. There are more and more pillow types on the market, and what might be appropriate for one, may not be for another. If you have standard feather pillows, this cleaning and freshening method should work.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry Soap

Instructions

1. Place a clean zipper pillow cover on the feather pillow. Add a second zipper pillow cover. Double covering your pillows during the washing will help catch any feathers that may escape while washing.

2. Wash the feather pillows in cold water and mild soap, using your washing machine. If you hand wash, make sure to rinse out all the soap.

3. Dry outside, but don't overheat in the direct sun. If you dry in the dryer, the heat can cause oils in the feathers to be released, causing an unpleasant odor. Remove the pillow covers while drying.

4. Fluff the pillow frequently during the drying and rearrange the feathers.

5. Fluff the pillows in the dryer for a few minutes. Add a couple of clean, fresh tennis balls to the wash to help fluff the feathers. Before placing in the dryer, double cover the pillows again, in clean, dry zipper pillow covers.