How To Clean A Body Pillow. Best Overall Guide

If you want to learn how to clean a body pillow properly, you must check its material. Remember that different body pillows in the market also vary in their materials. You have to wash each of them differently to prevent deforming the body pillow. 

This guide is comprehensive and will teach you the proper ways of cleaning every type of material used for body pillows. We must never overlook our pillow’s cleanliness to help them last longer and avoid health issues on our part. You don’t have to feel intimidated in cleaning the body pillow yourself because you only need to remember these guidelines. 

How To Clean A Body Pillow

 

How Do You Clean A Body Pillow

You want to keep your body pillow clean to prevent the buildup of pathogens and allergens. However, it’s crucial always to check the label instructions of your body pillow beforehand. The materials it uses might get damaged if you clean the pillow without checking. 

Below are general guidelines on different body pillow materials, but never overlook checking the pillow label first to keep it from getting deformed. More so, you don’t always have to wash your body pillow. Some manufacturers even recommend deep cleaning only every six months. 

Instead, use a body pillow cover that you can wash more often to protect the pillow from getting dirty. 

 

Foam

Perhaps the most common material for body pillows is foam. Whether it’s memory foam or latex foam, you should still check if the manufacturer discussed cleaning instructions for your pillow. This means you can use a washer for some body pillows, but some products will get damaged if you use a machine. 

 

Hand washing

Your safest option in keeping a foam pillow clean is to hand wash it. Start by filling a tub with cold water and gentle detergent. Never use bleach or fabric softener because they can damage the foam. Submerge the pillow into the water and squeeze it to clean the inside of the pillow. 

Never crush your foam body pillow harshly, as this can deform its structure. You can also gently scrub the pillow surface to get rid of the dirt and stain. Then, replace the tub with clean water for rinsing. 

Submerge the pillow again until it’s free of soap residue. Then, you can squeeze out the excess water without wringing the foam. Hang the pillow outside for drying or place it indoors with a circulating fan, but make sure that it dries thoroughly. 

 

Feather, down, and polyester

If your body pillow uses feathers, down, or polyester, you can clean it using the washer. However, you should still check the pillow label if it allows machine washing, especially with down and feather body pillows. If you can’t use a washer, you can wash it using the same guide discussed above for hand washing foam body pillows.

 

Machine washing

Before anything else, you must check if the body pillow will have enough space inside the machine. If the pillow is too confided, it might not get cleaned thoroughly. However, it shouldn’t also be too spacious, which is why some people add some towels when washing their pillows in the machine. 

Use the gentle wash cycle and powdered laundry detergent to preserve the pillow’s form and prevent clumping. You also want to use cold or warm water to stop the fill from deteriorating. Afterward, do two rinse cycles to ensure that no soap residue remains. 

At this point, you must again check if you can use a dryer for your pillow. In particular, polyester benefits from using a low heat setting in the dryer because it fluffs the pillow and restores its loft. Otherwise, feel free to dry your feather, down, or polyester pillow naturally using the sun or any ventilated area. 

 

Spot Cleaning Body Pillows

Body pillows do not require frequent washing or deep cleaning. However, you can address dirty spots, spills, or stain by spot cleaning them. To do so, use a cloth soaked in soapy water and rub the stain off the pillow. 

Like handwashing, you must be gentle in handling the pillow and only use mild detergents. Once you’re done cleaning, use another damp cloth to remove the soap. It’s crucial that you also let the pillow area dry entirely afterward. 

For a more comfortable way of keeping body pillows clean, you can always aerate them outside on a clear, sunny day. This can deodorize them and kill any bacteria that might be on the pillow. You can also give your pillow a few shakes or vacuum it to eliminate dust and allergens.  

 

Conclusion

Keeping our body pillows clean is essential for sleep quality and overall health. However, you must know how to clean a body pillow properly to keep it from getting damaged. Furthermore, you don’t have to wash your body pillow often, and you can just use a body pillow cover that you replace frequently. 

If spot cleaning is no longer enough, you can check your body pillow label for washing instructions. The material will also dictate the ideal way to wash it. For example, it’s common to only handwash foam pillows and put feather, down, and polyester pillows in the machine. 

Regardless of the material, always use a mild detergent and never crush your pillow harshly or you risk getting the pillow deformed. Finally, let the pillow dry thoroughly to prevent mold growth.