It’s hard to imagine sleeping time without a pillow. There are many fillers and materials available, but whichever option is used, pillows should be cleaned regularly. It is necessary to know certain rules of the procedure.
Pillow cleaning methods
To wash the pillow in the washing machine without disassembling it, you need to use a special cover. If the thimble breaks, then such a device reduces the likelihood that the filler will create a blockage in the washing machine. Experts advise washing the pillow in parts. Fluff is washed separately from the thimble, sewing it into a new strong bag. After washing, you must start an additional rinse, and then spin.
Hand washing is a safer, albeit troublesome, option. You can use various detergents (powders, soaps). Excellent for such needs is a mixture of 1 tbsp. l. ammonia and 1 bar of laundry soap. It is best to wash the filler in parts in a basin or use a large bathroom.
In addition, you can do without washing for a while, for example, pillows can be vacuumed, dust can be knocked out of them. You can also use ultraviolet lamps for disinfection. An iron with a steaming function is also suitable.
Tips for cleaning pillows
How to clean a pillow depends on many factors. In particular, this applies to the type of product, its filler. Below we will look at ways to clean feather, down, and sofa pillows.
How to clean a down pillow
Fluff is one of the warmest materials used to fill pillows, as a rule, waterfowl fluff is used, it reliably protects them from the cold. Down pillows and blankets perfectly retain heat and do not retain moisture.
Another advantage of such products is that they do not change shape for a long time, retain volume, do not stick together, and their service life reaches 20 years.
Cleaning pillows with down filling is quite difficult and troublesome. The procedure will take a long time.
Follow these steps:
- purchase or build a new thimble yourself;
- rip open the old pillow and unload the fluff from it;
- hold the filler in clean, slightly warm water. Leave to soak for several hours. This time is enough for the dirt to dissolve, the unpleasant aroma to go away, and so on.;
- drain all the water;
- put the filler in a new liquid – this time a soap solution (powder is best). Carefully wash the fluff in it, and then rinse in running water and squeeze out;
- wet fluff spread out on gauze bags, they need to be prepared in advance. The bags should be hung so that water drains from them, and the filler dries out efficiently. After that, the fluff should be spread out on a horizontal surface and covered with a cloth. It is best to choose a calico fabric. This is necessary so that the fluff does not fly apart, as it becomes very light when it dries. It must be turned over periodically so that lumps do not form in it.
In the end, it remains only to put the down filler in the new pillows, and then sew the split side of the thimble and the new pillow is ready. Previously, before sewing it up, you need to make sure that the fluff is well dried. Otherwise, mold will start to appear inside.
How to clean feather pillows
Feather pillows only have a service life of up to 6 years. After that, they need to be changed, but even with such a short period of use, the product must be cleaned regularly. This is primarily due to the fact that feather products are good at absorbing fats and moisture that are released from the human body during sleep.
Because of this, the fluff begins to gather in lumps, and the pillows lose their attractive appearance over time. They become uncomfortable and stiff. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the down pillow is gradually clogged with dust, which can cause an allergic reaction. You can remove such dirt with a vacuum cleaner, but this method is not the most effective, since dust will still remain on the surface.
In this regard, many people wash the pillow completely, but this is forbidden to do since the filler after washing will turn into lumps, and it is almost impossible to break them.
To clean a feather pillow, do the following:
- lay out in advance gauze or cotton cloth, a new thimble and powder (it is allowed to replace it with gel);
- put warm water in a basin or bath, but the temperature should not be more than 30C. You need to add a cleaning agent to the liquid;
- remove the old pillow and move the entire feather to soapy water;
- keep it for several hours in a cleaning solution to remove dirt and unpleasant aroma.;
- drain the soap solution and rinse the feathers in fresh water. Perform the procedure several times;
- arrange the feathers in bags of gauze or calico, and then wring them out. Hang the bags together with good ventilation. Leave to dry. Shake the bags periodically so that the feathers do not stick together in lumps.
In the end, it remains only to check whether the feathers are dry, and then put them in a new pillow and sew up the free side.
How to clean a sofa cushion
Sofa cushions get dirty most often. This is due to the fact that they use it more actively. Because of this, they need to be cleaned regularly. To do this, you will need a vacuum cleaner, a dust collector, and an iron with a steaming function.
To clean a sofa cushion, you must first carefully knock it out to remove dust. After that, you need to use a vacuum cleaner. Then you need to treat it with a steam cleaner iron. This finishing treatment allows you to destroy microscopic mites, microbes. In the end, it remains to vacuum again to remove harmful particles.
Pillows should be cleaned regularly. In addition, they need to be ventilated outside so that moisture does not accumulate. With proper care, pillows will not only be hygienic, but also safe for humans, and will also retain their shape for a long time.
