Gently and carefully, or how to wash a down pillow at home

Down filling for pillows has remained popular for a long time. This product is characterized by lightness, elasticity, softness, and air tightness.

But down pillows need cleaning at least once a year. Otherwise, there is a high probability of ticks multiplying.

Read the article on how to wash a down pillow at home.

Is it possible in a washing machine?

Washing a down pillow in a machine has some nuances. Before starting the process, you should prepare for it:

1. Buy or sew special pillowcases yourself to prevent the fluff from getting into the washing machine drum. You can use regular pillowcases, closing them carefully and preventing them from opening during the washing process.
2. Before cleaning, beat the product thoroughly. During washing, only a small part of the dust will be removed, the rest will remain as stains on the cover.
3. Sort the filling into the cases in small portions. This will make it easier to wash and dry the down.
4. The small down pillow can be washed entirely, with an additional pillowcase.

Before washing, soak the filler in detergent for 4 hours. You can prepare a special solution from 3% ammonia and liquid washing powder: for 5 liters of water, take one cap of detergent and 4 tsp. ammonia. Then take it out and pack it into bags for washing.

Washing features

Machine washable features:

• set the washing machine to delicate mode;
• temperature not higher than 40 degrees;
• spin should not exceed 400 revolutions;
• do not use detergent with a strong fragrance;
• After finishing the main wash, use the additional rinse cycle.

When cleaning a down pillow in an automatic machine use gel or liquid detergent. It is characterized by a low dissolution temperature, which is important for washing on a delicate cycle.

Choose a low-foaming detergent. This will make the rinsing process easier and eliminate the possibility that some of the powder will remain in the filler. Do not use bleach or conditioner.

Hand wash

To prevent deformation of the pillow shape, sticking of the filler, change in color of the pillowcase during hand washing, It is important to adhere to the following simple rules:

• Pour warm water into a bathtub or large basin, dissolve a little washing powder, you can use soap shavings;
• carefully open the pillowcase, gradually putting fluff into the container, which should eventually float on the surface in a dense layer;
• do not fill the basin tightly with the filler, it will not wash off and will stick together;
• leave the fluff for 1.5 hours;
• put it in small portions in a colander, rinse thoroughly under running water;
• place the filler in new water with detergent, wash with your hands;
• repeat the procedure twice.

The most difficult process with the manual method is rinsing, which is produced in a large volume of water. This is necessary to remove any remaining detergent.

If the pillow had an unpleasant odor, then for soaking you can prepare a solution of gel powder or baby soap. Wash the pillowcase separately from the filling.

It is possible to clean the product without first removing lint. This procedure also occurs with the help of soaking, washing, and thorough rinsing, but it requires more mechanical effort.

Steam treatment

The least labor-intensive process is to treat a down pillow with a steam cleaner. If this equipment is not available at home, it can be replaced with an iron with a vertical steam function.

Steam cleaning occurs in several stages:

1. Hang the product in a vertical position. Let it hang for 30 minutes.
2. Steam the pillow on each side.
3. Repeat the procedure.
4. Carefully straighten the fluff with your hands.
5. Place to dry on a horizontal surface.

Steam cleaning does not give the same result as a full wash, but it gets rid of lint mites, unpleasant odor, refreshes the napkin. After cleaning with a steam cleaner, the product dries within a few hours.

Drying the product

Drying a down pillow is considered an important step, which allows you to avoid some errors:

• formation of rotting;
• the appearance of mold;
• churning the filler.

Down pillow Do not tumble dry.

Open

If the filling was removed from the pillowcase during washing, then each down bag should be wrapped in natural fabric, leaving for a few minutes to absorb excess moisture.

Open drying of fluff is carried out in the following way:

• spread paper on the table in several layers;
• lay cotton fabric on top;
• spread a little pre-whipped fluff on the fabric;
• cover with gauze on top to prevent fluff from spreading throughout the room;
• Turn the fluff every hour to prevent lumps from forming.

Then fill a new or washed old napkin with dried down, tightly sewing its edges with a double stitch.

In a bib

If the pillow was washed entirely, then it should be dried naturally in diffused sunlight and well-windowed areas. Intense heat damages the product.

If it doesn't dry

If the down pillow has not dried out in 2-3 days, then the filling begins to rot and mustiness appear.

Repeated rinsing saves the situation:

• take the fluff out of the pillowcase;
• rinse it in water and detergent;
• rinse under running water;
• spread the fluff horizontally in a well-ventilated area;
• You can dry the fluff in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 80 degrees;
• transfer the dry filler into a thoroughly dried and ironed bedsheet.

General recommendations

The following recommendations will extend the life of your down product:

1. In the morning, fluff up your pillow, shifting it in your hands.This process allows the down to fill with air. The pillow retains its original shape and elasticity for a long time.
2. Every two months, take the pillow out into the open air to ventilate. If you carry out this procedure during the winter months, you can get rid of many microorganisms.
3. Beat weekly with a clapper.
4. Do not store the product in plastic bags or in a damp place. For these purposes, use fabric covers that allow the filler to “breathe.”
5. To prevent contamination of the pillowcase, put an additional one made of chintz under the main pillowcase.
6. Vacuum the product periodically, at least once a month.

Conclusion

Cleaning a down pillow at home can be done in an automatic machine or manually.

When washing by hand, soak the fluff for 2 hours and wash it with beating movements.. You can use a steam cleaner to clean it.

For the final result, drying the down pillow, which is done in an open, well-ventilated area, is no less important. To speed up drying and prevent mold from forming, you can use additional sources of ventilation.

And if you are interested in the rules for washing pillows with other fillings, take a look at this section.