How to Dry a Feather Pillow
Most people choose to have feather pillows and other down bedding professionally dry cleaned, as these items are very easy to damage during at-home laundering. But down pillows that are washed at home--or those that accidentally get wet--can be dried in a dryer, as long as you take certain precautions. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Examine the wet pillow before you put it in the dryer. Good Housekeeping's Hints From Heloise says to make sure there are no tears in the pillow's ticking (the fabric cover) or along the seams.
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Dry the feather pillow on the lowest heat cycle. Good Housekeeping's Kathleen Huddy advises tossing in a new tennis ball or new canvas sneaker to help fluff the feathers as the pillow dries.
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Take the pillow out intermittently during the drying process. Break up any clumps of feathers with your fingers before you return the pillow to the dryer.
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Make sure the pillow is completely dry before you use it--a damp pillow can mildew, which causes the down filling to disintegrate.
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Tips & Warnings
If your feather pillow has a musty smell when you take it out of the dryer, try placing it in the sun for a few hours. If you're washing a down pillow, make sure to use a front-loading washing machine (one without a center agitator). Wash the pillow in gentle detergent on the delicate cycle.
Feather pillows take longer to dry than an average load of clothes. If you choose to wash and dry feather pillows yourself, do so no more than one or two times per year. If the ticking on your pillow is 100 percent cotton, the fabric can shrink in the dryer.
