How often do you replace pillows? I've read

[raccoon]

That you’re supposed to replace them every two years.

Oh, and what’s a good brand or kind of pillow?

I need to replace mine, because I think there are dust mites in them

[mollie8]

1. Try this

Just throw them in the washer. Mine do up fine that way.

[WhiteTara]

2. sometimes i just throw them in the dryer

on the high setting and let it run for a half hour.

[Wonder Why]

3. That works even for down pillows. Just have to dry them really dry.

[tanyev]

4. I stopped using a pillow.

I finally realized the contour neck pillow I’d invested in was not only not helping my neck issues, but it was giving me sleep apnea by levering my neck upwards. I tried several other types of pillows, but nothing was “just right”.

One thing I realized from all my experimentation is that I like a fairly firm pillow, but it can’t be too high. I finally settled on a small plushy velour throw, folded so it can be zipped into a case for a throw pillow, about 8 x 14. That gives it structure. Then I stick that into a regular pillowcase because the case for the throw pillow has a rough texture.

My neck is happy, my sleep apnea is gone and the really awesome thing about this system is that all three elements can go in the washer and dryer frquently.

[Niagara]

5. I replace pillows once they're flat or I feel that I need new pillows.

I invested in zipped pillow protectors. Sometimes I take the zipped protectors off the pillows and wash them along with the bedding but I don't do that on a regular basis.


I don't wash pillows as they end up all jacked up even though I have a front load washer.

[mntleo2]

6. My Mom

...used to wash her feather pillows, down comforters and old quilts with made with wool batting in cold water with some Fels Naptha soap. She used it for her delicates all the time. She hardly ever used the hottest setting, she liked a warm setting. It comes in a bar form and you shave a bit off with a sharp knife to put in a washer where it melts while the washer is filling. She said the reason she used it was that it was (for her) the best soap because it cleaned better than any detergent and it was gentle on her delicates.

My mom was always proud of her wash, because it made clothes last longer and they were always fresh and smelled amazing, like fresh air. Her whites were gleaming, lol.

As a side not of interest she could get 8 loads ready to hang in under 2 hours. I will say that while she learned her washing method with a wringer washer, she had an ingenious method of using the wringer to wash the clothes, then put them through the wringer once, then rinse in her automatic washer while the next load was washing. As most people do not have a wringer and you need an extra tub for rinse water, you can skip this method, the washer will also do fine. An automatic however, does wear out your clothes a lot sooner, plus it saves the hot water and soap to use for washing a lot of times. She would begin with the hottest water in the wringer, then wash her whites and on down to the darkest colors last in the coolest the water got. I wish at the very least most automatics had what they called a "suds saver" which used the same wash water over a few times. Saves electricity and your wash is cleaner, even using the soapy water more than once. Much more ecological and economical IMO.

The quilts and pillows she laid out in her grass yard in the sun as she said sunshine is also the best cleaner for germs and mites. It might stay out there for days because it took that long to dry (mostly the pillows).

Here is where you can fine Fels Naptha at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fels-Naptha-Laundry-Soap-Bar/dp/B01N1ZHU12/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3OR1JZMC5YDGL&keywords=fels%2Bnaptha%2Bsoap&qid=1698590065&sprefix=fels%2Bnap%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-2&th=1

(brushing hands together). Whelp, that is my story and I am sticking to it!

Love, Cat in Seattle

[mntleo2]

7. Depending on the type, I wash them and

dry them in the dryer if they are foam types. You can also wash feather pillow this way, but it takes hours for them to dry.
My mom used to wash them in the machine and then lay the feather pillows out in the sun in her yard right on the grass and they stayed there until they dried. If it is a hot sun they may lay there for about 2 days and she would turn them over every once-in-a-while. She may have finished the damp ones in the dryer too. But usually she did not have to do that and the pillows came out clean, and fluffy like new. The foam types can get misshapen after being in the dryer but you can kind of reform them and eventually they will go back to their shape once you have used them.

Hope this helps, Cat

[Katnip.]

8. I use pillowcase protectors

The same concept as mattress protectors. They have a zipper and the ones I got have a velcro strip over the zipper.

I replaced all of my pillows and put them all in protectors. If there's a spill, it's so helpful. I clean the pillow protectors at least once a month and pillowcases are changed daily or every other day.