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Can You Wash Feather Pillows & How To Wash Down Pillows

 

How to wash down pillows is not complicated and should be done on a regular basis.  Besides, nothing beats down pillows when it comes to buying the loftiest and fluffiest pillows. But, can you wash feather pillows?  Below are the best cleaning tips.

 

Not only do they let you sleep at the right temperature, they can be scrunched into any position you like.

 

Whether it’s simply putting under your head, or hugging the pillow as you sleep, down feather pillows ensure a cloud like sleep experience.

 

One problem, however, is that these are not hypoallergenic and may attract dust and mites, for which they need to be cleaned regularly.

 

A lot of users fear dislocating the feather inside and ultimately affecting the pillow quality during this process, which is why they avoid washing the pillows.

But following the instructions here on how to wash down pillows will take the fear out of cleaning your pillow on a regular basis.

How to Wash Down Feather Pillows

How To Wash Feather Pillows And Down Pillows

Say Goodbye to pale yellow pillows by following these simple tips.  This instruction will work on how to wash down pillows as well.

Check For Holes

Feather Pillows

Before you put the pillows in the washing machine, it is important that you check both the sides for any holes or torn sides.

To prevent the pillow from losing its stuffing, precautionary measures need to be taken. Stitch any torn sides or use a cover on top of it.

Doing either of this will keep your filling safe throughout the entire washing process.

Giving the pillows for dry cleaning also doesn’t ensure that your filling will remain intact and safe from any loss which is why it is always better to wash the pillows at home.

Use Enzymatic Cleaners

can you wash feather pill

How to wash down pillows successfully will require you using the proper cleaning solution.

Enzymatic cleaners are organic cleaners that are made up from a combination of enzymes, which makes them very effective at cleaning protein based molecules such as blood, urine and food stains, as well as lipases based molecules, which include oil and grease stains.

Using a small quantity of these cleaners can ensure perfectly clean pillows with zero stains.

Put Side Fillers With The Pillows

can you wash a feather pillow in washing machine

For both washing and drying purposes, add tough and washable material like canvas shoes and tennis balls with the pillows.

What difference does it make?

During every round of washing and spinning in the machine, down pillows are at the risk of getting their feathers clumped.

Putting canvas shoes /tennis balls prevent the pillows from bunching and you get your pillows exactly the way they were earlier.

Set The Washing Cycle At A Gentle Speed

washing a feather pillow

One precaution that goes without saying is that the washing machine needs to be set at a gentle speed when instructing users on how to wash down pillows.

Always remember that fast washing and drying would only lead to damaged pillows.

Only slow and repeated washing works for down pillows.

Patience is key when it comes to washing down feather pillows.

Use A Front Loading Washer

can you wash a feather pillow

Another key tip to remember when washing down pillows is that you use front loader machines instead of top loading machines.

This is because pillows float and remain dry at certain points when washed in a top loading machine.

This ultimately wastes your entire effort, so it is always a better option to avail laundry services if you don’t have a top loading washing machine.

Fluff Pillows By Hand During Drying

Your down pillows are prone to getting clumped and bunched while being washed.

Although putting in canvas shoes and tennis balls does work, you will also need to fluff them by hand, every now and then to ensure there are no clumps in the pillows when you dry them out.

Use Towels And Absorbing Materials

Drying Pillows

Another trouble you might face while drying down pillows is removing water completely.

What if we told you that wringing pillows ruins the pillows completely?

Yes, this does make the entire drying task all the more difficult but adding in towels or other absorbent materials in the spinner, such as sponges, helps a great deal in absorbing water out from the pillows.

This eliminates the need to wring pillows and also completely dries your pillows.

The Best Down and Feather Pillow Cleaners:

Brand

Rating

Amazon

  • Great for elminating odors

  • Excellent cleaner

  • 64 oz. bottle

  • 100% biodegradable

  • Money back guarantee

Amazon

  • Great for elminating odors

  • Excellent cleaner

  • Dryer balls included

  • Free returns

Grangers Down Wash Kit: How To Wash Down Pillows

We highly recommend the Grangers Down Wash kit for all down and feather items including, pillows, clothing, bedding and blankets.

The full review is below, but a quick summary for those who don’t have the time to read, this product does a great job of removing deep down odors. 

The kit comes with dryer balls which improves the drying process.

Advertised Features:

  • Cleans all down comforters, sleeping bags and down outerwear / Granger’s Made in England Since 1937
  • CLEANS, Restores loft and removes deep down odors
  • Dryer balls help Dry faster and Restore Loft / Just as important as washing down correctly is ensuring that it is dried correctly
  • MONEY BACK GUARANTEE- If you don’t absolutely love your Granger’s product, please send it back for a full refund.
  • Water-based, Fluorocarbon / VOC free and Bluesign Certified Environmentally Friendly

 

Our Expert Review: How To Wash Down Pillows

We put this product through the ringer (pun intended) as we thoroughly tested this product on a variety of items, including pillows, coats, and blankets.

First of all Granger has been around for 80 years and offers a variety of cleaning products that are known world-wide. 

This down cleaning kit comes with the cleaning solution and dryer balls which makes this a complete cleaning kit.  One you buy the kit and have the ball you can buy just the cleaning solution from then on or if you have the dryer balls already.

Our Cleaning Results: How To Wash Feather Pillows

Though some digging around at garage sales and second hand stores we were able to find a few older feathers and down pillows that did have odors.

We followed the wash and dry instruction provided by Granger and put these pillows to the test.

The amazing results of this product came through in the cleaning results that we achieved with these old pillows.  

The pillows were clean and odors were removed and the pillows even were more fluffy when we were finished.

We also washed down comforters and down jackets and great results as well, making this a product that stands up to the advertised features.

Risk Free:

This is a case where you are fully protected as Granger offer a solid money back guarantee and free returns.

So this is a risk free opportunity to try this great product for yourself, this is a much cheaper route to try first before going to buy a new pillow , coat, or blanket.   See for yourself you won’t be disappointed.

Pros:

  • Great at removing deep down odors
  • Cleans soiled items
  • Kit comes with dryer balls
  • Works on pillows, clothing, and blankets
  • Low cost alternative to buying new pillow
  • Money back guarantee

How To Wash Down Pillows Buying Advice:

This is a great product that works we are recommending it to our family, friends and our readers.

There is a money back guarantee so this is a no risk opportunity to try this product.

Le Blanc® Green Meadows Downwash® – How To Wash Down Pillows

Another great product for cleaning and removing odors is the Le Blanc Green Meadows Downwash, this product is simply amazing.

The full review is below but those who want the quick version, this product is awesome at removing odors and cleaning.   The company offer free returns so there is no risk in trying.

Advertised Features:

  • Original product, made by Le Blanc for the care of down-filled comforters, duvets, quilts and more
  • Protects the naturally resilient oils in down from drying out & preserves loft
  • No bleach, caustics, phosphates, sulfates, or enzymes
  • 100% biodegradable, environmentally safe, eco-friendly, Made in the USA
  • Green Meadows Fragrance: soft flowers, heady herbs, and woody base

Our Expert Review:

As with our other testing mentioned above we took to the yard sales and second hand stores looking for down pillows, blankets, and clothing to run some test on this product.

Results:

Wow, we were simply amazed at the cleaning power and the ability of this product to remove odors.  This performs as advertised and did a great job of restoring old items to their former beauty.

This cleaning product really gets those deep down odors out of the down and leaves the pillows smelling clean and fresh.

It also did a great job of getting soiled areas clean, although there were a few tough stains that had probably been there for years that were reduced but still there.

Overall we rated this product with high marks for odor removal and cleaning ability.  We are recommending this to our family and friends.  This product answer the question “how to wash down pillows” perfectly.

Pros:

  • Great at removing deep down odors & dirt
  • 64 oz. bottle
  • 100% biodegradable, environmentally safe, eco-friendly
  • Works on pillows, clothing, and blankets
  • Low cost alternative to buying new pillow
  • Money back guarantee

Buying Advice For Cleaning Products On How To Wash A Down Pillow:

This product does an excellent job at removing deep down odors and cleaning down pillow.

There is a money back guarantee so this is a risk free opportunity, so give it a try and restore your old down pillow to it’s former glory.

FAQ’s

How to deodorize a feather pillow?

The best way to deodorize a feather or down pillow is through proper washing and drying of the pillow.  Follow the washing instructions on the label of the pillow if there are not instructions follow the instructions in this article – on how to wash down pillows.

Also we recommend this cleaner.    Le Blanc Down Cleaner

What is the difference between a down and feather pillow?

Great question and there is a misconception that these two pillows are the same, but they are not and here are differences.

Down comes from the softer grouping of feathers that make up the undercoating of the bird.  These are the feather that are closest to the body of the bird and trap heat.[1]

Now you can see why down is so effect in keeping us warm with down blankets and jackets.

These down feathers are light and fluffy by design to trap air making them perfect for pillows, comforters and clothing due to their insulating factors.

Feathers Pillows are filed with the feathers that comes from the wing and back of bird.  These feathers are heavy and much flatter than the fluffy down because they are used for flight.[2]

They also tend to lose their shape easier and no good for retaining heat.

Can You Clean Feather Pillows?

Yes you can and it is the same process we recommend for down pillows.  Please follow this link to the top of the page with instructions on how to wash down pillows.

Also we recommend using the cleaner listed on this page as well as they are awesome at getting rid of those odors that older down and feather pillows can gather.

How To Dry A Down Pillow?

You have a couple of choices when it comes to drying a down pillow.  The first method is to wrap on in dry towels and absorb as much as the water as possible.

The next step is to hang to dry which depending on the relative humidity of the area in which you leave can take a while unless you live in the desert.

The best option is to put in the dry with dryer balls and set to a very low heat setting.

Check the dryer every 30 minutes until it feels dry.

It won’t hurt to turn the dryer to air only with no heat after you think it is good and dry and run for an hour to ensure all moisture is removed.

How To Deodorize Feather Pillows?

Feather and down pillows can hold odors.  The best way to avoid this is to establish a regular pillow washing frequency and follow the instruction in this article on how to wash down pillows.

Experts recommend every 3 months for pillows and 3 weeks for pillow cases.[3]

By washing the pillow on a regular basis you will keep things from starting to grow in your pillow.

Now if you haven’t washed in a long time don’t worry follow the instructions above and I would recommend the Le Blanc Down Cleaner listed in this article.

It does the best job of removing deep down odors from down pillow, coats, jackets, and comforters.

After the initial cleaning set a reminder in your smart phone to wash your pillow case every 3 weeks, having spares will make this easier.

Also, set a reminder in your phone to wash your pillow every 3 months, or even more if you desire.

 
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Robert Frontier

Robert Frontier

Getting quality sleep is important to people of all ages and is just one of many areas of our health we need to be maintaining. When I was younger, I didn’t understand that my health was my greatest asset and took it for granted. I have spent the last twenty years of my life in the pursuit of a healthier life style. I am a parent, grandparent, author, and entrepreneur. My desire is for you and your family to get the best possible sleep and that starts with quality sleep products. Welcome to VJ Pillow.

References


↑1 Thompson, M. (2014). Everything You Need to Know About Feathers. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from Bird Academy: 


↑2 Celine. (2017, July 6). Difference Between Down and Feathers. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from Difference Between.net:

↑3 Strutner, S. K. (2017, December 6). The Gross Truth About How Often You Should Clean Your Pillow. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from HuffPost: 

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