Washing Pillows? - Cincinnati,OH

Updated on December 16, 2010
J.G. asks from Cincinnati, OH
15 answers

i feel like this is a really stupid question, so id rather not ask anyone i know lol.

my pillows are getting gross, and i want to wash them but a little voice inside keeps telling me that's a bad idea. should i just buy new ones? I would much prefer to wash them (clean them somehow) than buy new ones.

Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Ok so I washed them. Everything went ok until the spin cycle...then they would spin for a couple seconds until a loud noise happened and then they stopped. So, I had to put them in the bath tub to drain, and after a couple hours I tried spin cycle again. It worked. Then, I dried them---a few times, lol, and now they are clean and fresh and wonderful. Good thing I didn't wait to see the response about the broken washer, though, or I'd still have gross pillows!

thanks, ladies---also wish I would've waited to see the tennis balls/shoes thing, because they're lumpy now.

Featured Answers

C.G.

answers from Denver on

Throw them in the washer two at a time warm water, a cup of bleach, detergent as usual. Put them in the dryer. If it were summer I'd say hang them in the sun.

2 moms found this helpful

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K.F.

answers from Dallas on

I've washed mine before with great success . . . hint, just wash one or two at a time or your washer could overflow (don't ask me how I know this!)

2 moms found this helpful
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J.W.

answers from Phoenix on

I too buy cheap pillows, $5-$10. I just change them every 1-2 years. If there are really gross, then pitch them and buy new ones. Kmart or Walmart usally have pillows on sale peroidically. I used to wash them but they got lumpy and then one time I ruined the washer machine. I put 1 pillow in and ruined the balancer spinner thing and had to buy a new washer machine. I guess you can put 2 pillows in to balance the washer drum and hang them out in the sun to dry if you wanted to. I also wanted to say that your question is NOT a stupid question. If someone told me that they ruined their washing machine too, I wouldn't have washed my pillows because they too were gross.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Personally, I wouldn't use bleach. Just wash on warm or hot then cold rinse & you can put two tennis balls in the dryer with them to keep them fluffy.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Its easy to wash pillows-- you just have to wash 2 at a time so the washer is evened out and doesn't make them lumpy. You can put them in like normal and same with dryer-dry 2 in the load. Dont wash with anything else just 2 pillows. Good luck!

Molly

1 mom found this helpful

C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

depends - i buy cheap pillows so i prefer to just get new ones. washing them is fine but they can get lumpy and misshapen. someone suggested once putting tennis balls in the dryer with them? maybe someone else can elaborate on that. haven't tried it myself.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.A.

answers from Madison on

I got the idea of washing pillows too ,by your question,Thanks ,but some one told me, to refresh them you can put the used bounce sheets inside the pillow case & it will give refreshing smell in pillows.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

I have to wash mine I hate not being able to throw something into the washing machine.Mine are feathered pillows after a good wash they go into the dryer they take alot longer to dry I usually have to run the dryer 3 times to make sure they are dry then take them outside for a few hours.

1 mom found this helpful

A.H.

answers from San Francisco on

I tried pillows in the washing machine once and it broke the washing machine! (The pillows were ok though grrrr....)

1 mom found this helpful
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M.F.

answers from Toledo on

make sure they are not too cheep. I noticed that when I tried to wash my last pillow it fell apart in the washer. Some pillows are not machine washable. 10$ and up usually will say machine washable. 5$ pillows are made much cheeper that the seam that holds them together can not stand up to machine washable. Make sure it says machine washable before you buy new ones!

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

You can use clean tennis shoes instead of tennis balls to help fluff up the pillows.

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D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

I'm a former teacher...........there ARE no stupid questions if you don't know the answer. You didn't mention what KIND of pillows these are. If you purchased them, it probably tells you on that tag if they are washable. I normally take my to the dry cleaner, just to be safe and make sure the washer doesn't "eat them".

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G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

When I wash pillows I wash 2 at a time. They are for a queen size bed so not small or too big. That way they balance each other out during spins. You cannot add anything else, not even a wash cloth or it will unbalance.

T.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

I wash mine but they aren't down.

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S.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

I wash mine all the time. I put two in, do a hot wash and cold rinse. I dry mine in the dryer with a tennis ball. I wash mine every couple of months. I do buy new pillow about every year or so.

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