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PILLOW CARE

Pillow Fight

08.14.2009

Submitted by tmeronek on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 11:00pm.
Sleeping
The Bite:
Does replacing your pillows knock out your bank reserves? Soften the blow: Make 'em last longer by cleaning them - which clobbers both cash waste and the unnecessary production of new pillows.
The Benefits: 
  • A fighting chance for the planet. Prolonging pillow life means ultimately needing fewer resources to make new ones, and less landfill space stuffed with the old.
  • Protection for your pocketbook. By extending the life of your pillows, you'll spend less on new ones (pillows at the department store cost anywhere from $20-$200).
  • Fewer hits to your health. Keeping pillows clean and covered is particularly important for people with allergies, since dust mites and bacteria often make themselves at home there.
Personally Speaking: 
Warning: Toshio washed and dried some of his old poly-filled pillows - but since he didn't bother to fluff them during the dry cycle, they came out kinda lumpy.
Wanna Try: 
Cleaning
  • Feathers and down: Make sure there are no rips in their covers (if there are, those feathers will fly), then wash on the delicate cycle. Press out excess water and tumble dry with dryer balls.
  • Foam: Wash 'em by hand or in the washing machine, then air-dry them.
  • Kapok: Machine wash and tumble dry with dryer balls, or take them to an eco-friendly dry cleaner.
  • Polyester: Wash them by hand or in the washing machine, then put them in the dryer, opening up the dryer to hand-fluff them every few minutes.
  • Wool: Eco dry clean them (avoid having to clean them often by tossing them in a dryer set to no heat/air fluff or airing them out seasonally).
  • BTW, to zap dust mites, tuck any pillow into a bag and stuff it in the freezer for a few hours.

Covering
  • Organic cotton pillow covers, such as the ones from Rawganique ($66 and up) and AllerSoft ($25), keep body oils off your pillow and protect against stains, mildew, and dust mites.

Replacing
  • If it's time to buy new ones, check out our sustainable pillow tip.
  • Animal shelters and vet clinics often accept gently used pillows for use as bedding (just always call ahead to confirm).

Cocktail Fact

The world's biggest pillow fight took place in 2006 at a Christian youth conference in Atlanta, GA, and involved about 10,000 teen pillow fighters.

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Biters clean a pillow (and therefore buy one less new one), we'll keep the weight of 133 Biters out of landfills.

9 comments
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Nancy  on August 14, 2009 at 03:39 AM 1
We live in S. Texas, so one hour in a hot dryer indoors, even vented properly = two or three hours hanging outside on my clotheslines. I've had clothelines everywhere I've lived for ummmm...a long time! In fact, we hang 80% or so of ALL our laundry out. For whites especially, you don't have to use bleach since the sun is a natural whitener. For colors, just get 'em in when they're dry - don't let them hang too long or they will fade. The only things we don't hang outside are undies and socks, although it's entirely up to you! And the smell of line laundry, especially linens and pillows cannot be matched with any laundry additives that I know of. Thanks for the great tip about washing pillows, it's just so important that they dry outside if at all possible. :) Peace ~ Nancy
Sherlyn  on August 14, 2009 at 03:50 AM 2
If you're going to dry your pillows in the dryer, throw in a clean pair of tennis shoes or some tennis balls, this will help with the fluffing process.
Brie  on August 14, 2009 at 04:05 AM 3
Appreciate the tip about organic cotton pillow covers. This "daily bite" tip would have been the perfect chance to provide tips on where to purchase organic pillows. Breathing in the outgassing of non-organic pillows (especially foam!!) for hours every night, so close-up - is toxic. Many websites offer organic pillows, and eco-certified pillows, and wool pillows.
Balynce  on August 14, 2009 at 05:06 AM 4
I have natural shredded rubber pillows with organic cotton cover. I don't know how to wash them!
kacey  on August 14, 2009 at 05:19 AM 5
What about buckwheat husk pillows, how do you clean those?
Mindy  on August 14, 2009 at 05:52 AM 6
And when the pillow is ready to be retired, donate them to the local animal shelter for bedding instead of throwing them away. My beagle loves taking the old pillows for her bed!
sherrym7@verizon.net  on August 14, 2009 at 04:09 PM 7
sherrywell, i have to say that i do wash my pillows and also if i get rid of them they go in the drop off for people who need them why throw them away when others are in nee to
Jackie Fisher  on August 18, 2009 at 02:32 PM 8
How can we clean memory foam pillows?
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