Washing Feather Pillows

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Tis_Bearself

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I didn’t think it was possible to wash a feather pillow, but I have one that was quite old and I thought it must have an entire San Diego Zoo of allergens in it. I have also been waking up with some symptoms of icky allergen-containing pillows. I looked on line and it said I could wash it, so I tried that and the entire pillow disintegrated in my washer. Just scooped it out into a trash bag. Looks like I will be buying a new one at the Bed Bath and Beyond shortly.

Is it really possible to wash feather pillows? Is it just that this particular pillow may possibly date back several decades and not be as durable as pillows today? I honestly can’t remember the pillow’s provenance as it may have come from my mother’s or in-laws’ house originally, or not, because I did buy several feather pillows maybe 15-20 years ago.
 
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I don’t think it’s worth sewing a new cover given that the fill was likely all full of dust mites., and honestly doesn’t look appetizing once it’s out of the pillow. I see some of the new and improved feather pillows claim to have dust mite and allergen-proof covers that are also more sturdy, so I think I will invest in one or two of those. It’s something I use every day since I use the pillows to prop up on the couch and do work, not just to sleep on.
 
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I have no advice, but I am now thinking I want to go to IKEA and get a new set of pillows. 🤭
 
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For the best nights sleep in the whole wide world!
 
I’m thinking of getting one. My head his quite heavy and smash normal pillows flat.
 
I never have good results washing head pillows. This might sound wasteful and probably is…I replace pillows 1-2 times a year. I like super fresh.
 
As a kid we had feather eiderdown/continental quilt/comforter/doona - which caused asthma. So poor mother had to buy all new ones for myself and my brothers.

So whilst I like the thought of the softness of a feather pillow, I’m thinking my asthma would not approve of one.

I wonder if gentle hand washing in the laundry sink/tub instead of the washing machine would be better for feather pillows??
 
Washing by hand would certainly be gentler on the pillow than machine washing, but it may not be as thorough. If your goal is to rid the pillow of allergens, you probably want a thorough washing.

Anything feather-filled in our home goes to the dry cleaners. We don’t have a tumble dryer.
 
UpUpAndAway said:
If your goal is to rid the pillow of allergens, you probably want a thorough washing.
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Yes, that is true. But then again, handwashing is better than pegging it up on the line and belting it with a wooden spoon!! 😉 Or washing large blankets in the bathtub and treading up and down over it to wash it. (Fun activity for the kids).

Didn’t even think of dry cleaners - but a good option. 😃
 
do they work to cradle your neck and align it straight like it shows on his commercial?
 
Before I got allergy covers for my pillows I would occasionally put them in the freezer to keep the dust mite populations down. The covers are way better, though.
 
I’ve washed feather pillows and comforters. Each several times over too. I try not to over heat them in the dryer. So, they may need a little bit of babysitting in the dryer. The feathers tend to clump up when they’re wet. So, fluffing the feathers back out without overheating them can take longer. Most of the time when I take whatever it is out of the dryer, I manually unclump the feathers to make sure it dries completely. At some point, I’ll let it air dry the rest of the way, revisiting it periodically throughout the day to ‘unclump and fluff’ until it’s back to normal.

ETA: I just thought of something. My new dryer has an ‘air dry’ setting. I should be able to use that to air dry without overheating. 😃
 
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Bed pillows should be replaced every 1-2 years depending on the quality.
 
We don’t replace things that often in my family. Maybe if I had kids or serious allergies I would, but pillows are expected to last a number of years.
 
I remember my grandmother on my father’s side used to keep her pillows in plastic covers and then put the pillow case over that to keep the pillows from getting contaminated…
 
About seven or eight years ago I had back trouble. Nothing serious, not a slipped disc or anything of that kind, but for about a week the only way I could get any sleep at night was lying flat on my back without a pillow. I never had the back trouble again and I never needed to use a pillow again, either. Now I sleep better without one.
 
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