how do you wash a pillow?

[Aussie Innkeeper]

I know I sound stupid, but how do you go about washing a pillow? I've never done that before. We keep pillow covers on them, and of course wash those. When the pillow starts looking too poorly, I just pitch the thing. I guess I didn't realize you could throw the thing in the wash. Doesn't it get all lumpy? How do you get them to dry??? Wouldn't that take forever?
Please advise. Thanks!

 

[Alibi Ike]

Top loader works best. Throw them in for a 'short' cycle but not one that leaves them soaking wet. You want them spun as dry as possible.
2 pillows at a time so they balance the load. Most pillows now that are not feather/down are washable. The old foam pillows definitely fall apart.
Pop in dryer for 20 minutes on high, check, repeat as necessary. If all of your pillows are the same, the first 2 are sacrificial. If it works, keep washing, if it doesn't stop there!
I haven't had any new pillows bunch up or fall apart. My dog's bed is an old pillow and I throw that in the wash a lot.
It's good to know if your pillows do wash well as we found out here when someone got a pillow soaking wet with sweat and I didn't have time to go buy a new king size pillow. In the wash, scrub a dub, out and back on the bed in an hour, smelling fresh and clean.

 

[EmptyNest]

Yes you can but some will wash better than others. It is hit and miss. I have had good luck washing some and others not.

 

[white pine]

Washed LOTS of pillows last year trying to see what I could make use of. Down ones came out well, some of the poly fill bunched up, some were fine. If you are going to toss them anyway, what do you have to lose?
I did mine in the top loader, two at a time. I filled it and let it soak, then did a delicate. I did two rinses, just because that's me. Tossed in the dryer, but keep checking, they can bunch up there.
I then hung them outside for a day, for that good outdoor air/sunshine, again, just cause that's me.

 

[Generic]

I wash mine in my front loader. I have even had a one pillow plump up even more after washing. Soap, oxy, 1oz of bleach and liquid fabric softener. Two at a time. In the dryer you must put tennis balls or dryer balls (two at least, more if you can.) That will bounce around and hit the fill. It's essentially on down, but works well on polyfill as well. All pillows need to go in the dryer on HIGH for 25 minutes.... even when a guest brings a pillow we put it through the dryer for 25 minutes. It's the time needed to bake a bb and ensure that the pillow gets to a high enough temp through the fill to kill them.

 

[Aussie Innkeeper]

Thanks, everybody!!! Especially for the drying time tips!

 

[aliceron]

I wash mine in my front loader. I have even had a one pillow plump up even more after washing. Soap, oxy, 1oz of bleach and liquid fabric softener. Two at a time. In the dryer you must put tennis balls or dryer balls (two at least, more if you can.) That will bounce around and hit the fill. It's essentially on down, but works well on polyfill as well. All pillows need to go in the dryer on HIGH for 25 minutes.... even when a guest brings a pillow we put it through the dryer for 25 minutes. It's the time needed to bake a bb and ensure that the pillow gets to a high enough temp through the fill to kill them..

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Modern pillows