Is a pillow that was once a sparkling white now suspiciously yellowish? Pull a sigh of relief: we are not on the scene of a CSI crime, but in front of a washing machine. And we have a solution. The pillow is that daily companion of your sleep that transports all your night sweats, tears, face creams and crumbs of “another piece of chocolate before going to bed”. Over the years, however, he loses his original magical candor and turns into a silent reminder that has come the time: the moment of a general purification.
Good news for your pillow? There is a very simple and natural way to return to your cushion freshness, softness and that sensation from “just disinfected five -star hotels”. Bad news? After this procedure, you may want to wash all the others. cushions at home.
Because a pillow needs more than a simple fresh lining
It does not matter how often the sheets often change, your pillow silently absorbs everything you offer: body fluids, make -up residues, sebum of the scalp and environmental particles. After a few months, it is more a biological archive than an object for hygiene. And if you ever happened to fall asleep with wet hair or with a serum (in) happy on the face, you unknowingly condemned your face to a slow aesthetic decline.
This is not just an aesthetic problem: it is a health problem. The pillow becomes fertile soil for dust mites, bacteria and potential allergies. If you feel sticky like a Monday morning, maybe it’s time to look in the direction of the fabric on which you sleep.
When can you ever put a pillow in the washing machine?
Most cushions, whether they are made of synthetic fibers, feathers or cotton, endure a washing in the washing machine without problems. But before starting the centrifuge, check the label. If it is written “wash only by hand” or “do not leave to soaking”, it is not a passive-aggressive request, but a warning.
Memory foam or latex cushions are another story. The water can destroy them or transform them into soft masses that not even their mother manages to recognize. Adopt a more delicate approach: pass the vacuum cleaner, clean the specific areas or gently washed your hands.
Another trick for your washing machine: if you have a charged model from above with agitator, place the pillow vertically and add a twin pillow to balance it. Front -loaded washing machines are more sophisticated: they allow you to elegantly wash two garments at the same time.
Golden recipe: a natural cocktail to find white
Forget the candidates who have a chemical smell and destroy the fabrics faster than a teen snapchat. What you are looking for is probably already present in your kitchen.
Necessary ingredients:
- 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide (the one found in the pharmacy, not what is used to make rockets)
- ½ cup of sodium bicarbonate
- 1 cup of white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of delicate natural detergent (Castile soap or equivalent)
- hot water from the tap
This mixture not only disinfects and refreshes, but also eliminates spots and smells that have invaded the fabrics, such as the snack of the evening before.
Steps for a perfectly clean pillow
- Remove the pillow until you stay naked. Wash the roofs and protections separately: it is a deep cleaning, not group therapy.
- Check the seams. If you are crumbling, perform a small surgical suture.
- Pour all the ingredients into the basket. No softener, no chlorine, no pity.
- Select the highest temperature, that the fabric can bear and use the program for delicate or bulky garments.
- Rinse again. The cushions are like sponges: they retain everything, even what we don’t need.
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Drying: in soft clouds or in a wet nightmare
Here there is no room for the shortcuts. If you do not completely dry the pillow, you risk release a stale smell that not even the smoke of incense will be able to eliminate.
- Use a low temperature or air drying program.
- Add two clean tennis balls (put them in socks if you are sensitive to sounds).
- Leave it to dry for at least two hours, or until it is dry like a desert in the south sun.
- Bonus points if you put it in the sun: the UV rays disinfect for free.
How many times? More often than you think.
For a common mortal, every 3-4 months it is sufficient. But if you suffer from allergies, sweaty as in the sauna or makeup makeup (we don’t judge you), then it is better to do it every two months. Roofs? Every week: this is your first line of defense.
And yes, the cushions do not last forever. If despite everything smells of wet, it is flattened like a pancake or every morning welcomes you with allergies, buy a new one. Replace the synthetic materials every 2 years and the feather ones every 3.
Bonus: how to prolong his life (and your dreams)
- Arieglie it and shake it regularly: the fresh air makes miracles.
- Use protective covers with zipper.
- Don’t sleep with wet hair. (Really. This is not a cushion balm.)
- And please eat in the kitchen. A pillow is not a snack for bread crumbs.
Final thinking
A pillow is more than a simple headrest: he is a daily companion of your rest, a custodian of your dreams and a silent witness of your night habits. If you dedicate a little care of him, he will return the favor with a better sleep, a cleaner skin and, let’s face it, a better mood.
So yes, maybe you’re not really in the hotel. But with a white pillow, fragrant, soft and shiny … who would notice the difference?
