Tips for washing down pillows at home

Any pillows over time need to be cleaned of dust and sweat. But how to wash a down pillow and still not ruin the product? In fact, washing does not take much effort and time. It is much more difficult to dry the fluff, and then break it down so that the pillow does not lose its volume and remains airy. Of course, you can entrust the cleaning to specialists, but it is much faster and easier to do it yourself at home.

Machine washable

Thanks to special programs, the pillow can be washed in a washing machine. There are two ways to wash at home. In the first case, the product is placed in the whole drum, and in the other only the filler is washed. Consider the second option, since it allows you to most effectively clean the pillow from dirt.

1. Prepare small laundry covers (you can use old pillowcases).
2. To open a breastplate at the seam, carefully take out the filler, sort it out, and then distribute it on the covers. It is better if there will be 6-7 of them.
3. As a detergent, it is better to use liquid powder. If there is only dry at home, then pour it a little less than indicated in the instructions on the back.
4. It is also advisable to put special balls in the drum for whipping fluff (tennis balls are perfect for the same purpose).
5. Next, you need to set the program on a washing machine: hand or delicate washing, heating temperature 30–40 degrees, spin up to 400 revolutions, additional rinsing.
6. After washing, the covers with feathers must be wrung out carefully. To do this, a well-absorbing fabric (for example, towels or sheets) spreads on the floor, a filler is laid out on top, and everything is folded into a tight roll.
7. Of course, feathers and fluff will inevitably fall into lumps, so you need to carefully level them with your fingers and only then proceed to drying.

Hand wash

When washing down pillows at home, the main task is to clean the filler. At the same time, it is better to completely replace the breastplate. However, you can use the old one, after washing it.

So, the procedure is as follows.

1. As with washing in a washing machine, the filler must be removed from the bed.
2. Next, in a large container (basin or bath) we collect warm water and dilute a small amount of liquid powder.
3. There, we carefully shift the fluff and leave it to soak for 2-3 hours.
4. After this, we drain the soapy water, and rinse the filler with running water.
5. Again we prepare the soap solution, fluff and feather thoroughly with my hands, rinse several times.
6. Squeeze the filler through a sieve or colander and spread to dry on a clean cotton cloth

Tip

So that the fluff does not clog the sink during washing, the drain hole must be covered with a fine metal mesh. And soapy water for convenience can be drained through a colander or sieve.

Steam cleaning

Steaming allows you to slightly refresh the pillow without changing a bed. And, although it is impossible to get rid of the mud in this way, the harmful bacteria will still kill the steam. For this kind of cleaning, a special steamer is better, but if it is not, you can use a regular iron with a steam function.

1. The pillow needs to be given an upright position by hanging it with clothespins.
2. Then a steamer is brought to the product and the surface is treated at a distance of 10-15 cm for 3-5 seconds.
3. The same procedure is performed on the reverse side.
4. Then the pillow is whipped with hands and left to dry in the sun.

Drying

Drying down at home should be approached with all responsibility.If you let things go by themselves, the filler can mold very quickly. To avoid this, follow simple rules.

1. Carefully wring out and knead the filler after washing.
2. Dry the pillow in the sun. If the weather is cloudy or it is winter outside, use a hairdryer or battery.
3. The room where the fluff is dried should be well ventilated, without excessive humidity. But if the filler is washed without a cover, it is important to avoid drafts, otherwise the feathers will fly apart.
4. Wet lumps of fluff are very difficult to break immediately completely, so the procedure should be repeated every 3-4 hours, until completely dry.
5. Remember that you need to dry the pillow for no more than two days, otherwise an unpleasant odor will appear.

After the filler is completely dry, you can start stuffing the pillows. For a new cupcake, it is better to purchase a dense natural fabric, such as calico. Sewing it at home is easy, just cut out two rectangles and fasten them together with a double linen line.

Important points

Experienced housewives always know a few little tricks, thanks to which washing down pillows is easy, fast and without unpleasant surprises.

• It’s better to start cleaning in the summer, when there are especially hot days.
• To make the fluff less polluted, 2 pillowcases should be put on the pillow.
• If you rub the inside of the breastplate with household soap, most of the dust will settle on the outside.
• Dry fluff can easily be smashed by a beater for the carpet.
• Thorough cleaning must be carried out every 6 months.

You can refresh a down pillow in various ways, including using an automatic machine in the washing machine. Thanks to modern technology, this is quite simple. However, if the pollution is too strong or there is no confidence in their abilities, you can always seek help from a dry cleaning specialist.