How can I wash a pillow of feather and fluff at home?

Fresh linens, clean pillow contents - one of the conditions for a calm, deep sleep. Anyone who knows how to wash a feather pillow can get rid of microscopic dust mites that live in a contaminated filler and cause allergies.

Some people prefer to shift this troublesome job to dry cleaners. But washing at home has its advantages: saving the family budget, confidence in the use of safe means.

The best time for such an operation is spring or summer, when the hot, sunny weather will be your ally.

Using a washing machine: preparation and washing

How to wash the feather pillow: manually, or in a washing machine - you decide. Each of the two options is preceded by preparation. It is necessary to stock up in advance with covers or pouches so large that the feather and down from the pillow fit freely in them. Two or three bags are sewn from thin fabric (sometimes old pillowcases are suitable for this purpose), but not from gauze, as is sometimes recommended. The gauze will not hold the feather, and during the washing process it will clog the working drum of the washing machine, clog the filter and drain hose.

Next, the contents of the pillow, carefully stretching the corner of the breastplate, are carefully transferred into bag-covers, which are immediately tightly sewn up and placed in the car. Small pillows can be washed as a whole without opening the bed sheets. But you should consider how to evenly distribute them in the machine so as not to cause strong vibration.

Washing mode:

• minimum number of revolutions - 400;
• maximum spin;
• maximum number of rinses;
• water temperature 30–40 degrees;
• washing powder for delicate washing or for woolen products.

If laundry detergent causes allergies, it is better to use a soap solution. A few drops of fragrant oil - cypress or lavender - will not interfere - the smell, while it lasts, will scare away linen mites.

When you finish the wash, you will find that the fluff and feather are in one lump. Hands spread the filler evenly over the area of ​​the cover. Roll the covers into old towels and wring them out well, twisting them.

What is the best way to dry a washed feather?

The drying stage is very important, as the feather that is not completely dried out can become moldy, black spots will appear on the feather, and the pillow will spread an unpleasant odor. It is necessary to thoroughly straighten the contents of the bags that have stuck together during the washing process and to lay them out in the hot season on a sunny balcony, where they will receive additional ultraviolet radiation that sterilizes the feather mass, and in winter - on radiators. Drying at home will take a day or two, constantly turning over, shaking and whipping every 40–45 minutes. Semi-dry bags can be hung on clothespins in a room with free air flows. The pillows, which were washed intact, are also dried.

To speed up the process, you can resort to the help of a hot hair dryer.

Updated pillow

Absolutely dry feathers and fluff are transferred to a new bedcloth, sewn from dense cotton fabric - teak. The edge is sutured with a double stitch to avoid leakage of fluff. You can sew or buy a cover that closes with a zipper, which protects the pillow from contamination, and then washing it becomes a rare “pleasure”.

Tip

Before starting the “operation”, cover the floor with a large piece of cloth, such as an old sheet.No matter how you try to act carefully, the fluff will inevitably fly around the room, it will be easier to collect it with the help of such bedding. But at the final stage of cleaning, you still can’t do without a vacuum cleaner.

How to wash your hands?

For hand washing, you will need a large container - a basin or bathtub - filled with warm water with a soapy solution, with completely dissolved washing powder or liquid detergent. You can add a teaspoon (5 liters) of 10% ammonia to the water - the solution will become more active. The fluff and feather are laid out in the liquid gradually, in small portions, otherwise they will set free sail through your bathroom. The contents of the pillow, freely placed in the container, are soaked for one and a half to two hours. Squeezing the pen with your hands, transfer it to a new washing solution and proceed to the washing itself. Rinse in clean water, preferably in running water, using an ordinary colander, it is necessary twice. But to dry the washed feather, it will have to be transferred to prepared covers or bags. Dry further as recommended above.

Tips for careful

1. Using a colander during a hand wash, do not forget to cover the drain with a net so that the fluff does not clog it.
2. Using an automatic machine, try throwing any toys, tennis balls or Antistress balls into the drum, for example. They will whip feather-filled cases, not allowing it to stray into lumps.
3. Rub the new naprnik inside with laundry soap. It will become less polluted, respectively, and will have to be washed less frequently.