How to clean your down pillow

Pillows come with a variety of fillings down, buckwheat, wool, down, feathers and synthetic materials.

Pillows should be cleaned or replaced at least every six months or sooner. Always check the label of your pillow for its special care instructions. Pillows should be dried out completely after washing to prevent the growth of mould or mildew.

How to clean down filled pillows
Down pillows can be machine washed, hand washed or dry cleaned.

Hand washing – use a mild detergent and avoid using soap which can leave a residue.

Machine washing in a top loader.

Step 1 - Allow the machine to run for 30 seconds to allow the detergent to mix thoroughly with the water.

Step 2 - Stop the machine and add the pillow to the drum. Down is buoyant and thus needs to be pushed down and as much air as you can from the pillow needs to be expelled with your hands. If your machine has a pre-soak cycle let that run otherwise allow the pillows to soak for up to 2 hours. Then restart the machine and allow it to finish its cycle. You can add a clean tennis ball to the cycle to help the down not bunch up during the spin cycle.

Step 3 - Add ¼ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to help remove some of the detergent residue.

Step 4 – Drying the pillow: You can dry the pillows outdoors on a sunny day or in a hot cycle in your dryer. If you have chosen to use a dryer, place a tennis ball into the drum along with the pillow to help keep the pillow from bunching up. Monitor the drying process ever 1- to 15 minutes, shake the pillow vigorously to redistribute the down and place back into the dryer each time. Repeat until pillows are dry, light and fluffy. Remove immediately from dryer at this stage. Allowing your down pillow to sit in a dryer after its cycle is not good for the filling.