How to wash pillows: washer, hand wash and drying

A clean pillowcase does not mean a clean pillow. Sweat, skin oils and hair products pass through the case into the fill, which is why most pillow makers publish washing instructions at all. The good news is that many polyester, down and feather pillows can go through a washer. The part people get wrong is drying: a pillow that feels dry on the outside can still be damp in the middle.

This guide works for most washable pillows. Your sewn-in label and the maker’s care page take priority wherever they differ from the general steps below.

Start with the label and the fill

Take off the pillowcase and any protector, then find the sewn-in care label. Note five things before you do anything else:

• Fill: polyester fiberfill (often sold as “down alternative”), down, feather, foam, latex, buckwheat or something else.
• Washing: machine, hand wash, spot clean only, or do not wash.
• Water temperature and cycle: for example, cold water on a gentle cycle.
• Drying: the dryer setting, or whether it should be air dried.
• Bleach: whether it is allowed.

Then inspect the shell. Pacific Coast, a down bedding maker, says to stop if a seam is open or fill is escaping. Repair the shell or contact the maker before you wash it.

If there is no label and you cannot identify the fill, do not guess. Spot clean the surface and ask the seller for care instructions.

Which pillows can you wash in a machine?

Fill	Machine washable?	What to check first
Polyester fiberfill / down alternative	Often, if the label allows	Water temperature, dryer setting and whether bleach is allowed
Down and feather	Often, on a gentle cycle	Cool or cold water and low or no dryer heat
Solid memory foam or latex	Usually not	Wash the removable cover only; see our memory foam cleaning guide
Shredded foam (adjustable)	Check the label	Whether the cover, the inner liner and the fill are washed separately
Buckwheat hulls	Check the label	The maker’s instructions for the hulls and for the case
Other cores (gel, TPE grid, specialty)	Follow the maker	Some cores are rinsed rather than machine washed

Solid foam is the most common mistake. Tempur-Pedic, for example, says its TEMPUR material should never be washed, while the covers on many of its pillows can be removed and washed. A washable cover does not make the core washable.

How to wash pillows in a washing machine

1. Balance the load. Wash two pillows with the same fill together so the drum stays balanced and can spin properly. Clorox and Sleep Foundation both recommend this. Clorox adds that many pillow makers recommend a large-capacity front-loading washer. In a top-loader with an agitator, Sleep Foundation suggests standing the pillows upright to reduce the risk of damage.
2. Leave room to move. Pacific Coast warns against forcing a pillow into a drum that compresses or sharply folds it. If it only fits when crammed, use a larger machine at a laundromat or a bedding care service.
3. Use less detergent than you think. A small amount of mild or low-sudsing detergent is enough. Sleep Foundation notes that too much leaves residue and can cause clumping.
4. Use the labeled water temperature. Advice varies. Pacific Coast’s general guidance for its washable pillows is cold water, Sleep Foundation says cool or warm water because hot water can damage down, and Clorox’s steps use warm water. If the label names a temperature, use it.
5. Choose the gentle or delicate cycle and add an extra rinse. An extra rinse and spin removes more detergent and water. If your washer has no extra rinse option, run a rinse cycle by itself afterward.
6. Lift it with both hands. Wet down is much heavier than dry down. Support the whole pillow, do not wring it, and move it straight to the dryer.

How to wash a pillow by hand

Hand washing suits pillows that are too large for your washer or labels that say “hand wash”. Sleep Foundation’s method for down and feather pillows works for most washable fills:

1. Fill a tub or large sink with water at the labeled temperature and add a small amount of mild detergent.
2. Submerge the pillow and squeeze it gently to work the water through the fill.
3. Drain the tub and rinse the pillow in clean water until the water runs clear.
4. Squeeze out water gently, or press the pillow between two clean towels. Do not wring or twist it.

Then dry it using the same steps as a machine-washed pillow.

How to dry pillows completely

Drying decides whether the wash worked. A pillow that goes back on the bed damp can smell musty, and Sleep Foundation warns that mold may grow if it is not completely dry.

• Use the dryer setting on the label. Here the sources disagree most. Clorox’s steps for polyester pillows use high heat. Sleep Foundation recommends low or no heat for down and feather, and Pacific Coast says to use low, air fluff or no heat as directed and not to raise the heat to finish sooner. When the label is unclear, low heat is the cautious choice.
• Add dryer balls or clean tennis balls. They help break up clumps. Clorox suggests three or four clean tennis balls.
• Stop and fluff. Take the pillow out periodically, pull apart damp clumps and fluff it from the sides and ends before putting it back.
• Expect several cycles. Pacific Coast says there is no universal number of minutes. Keep going until the checks below pass.

How to tell a pillow is dry

Pacific Coast’s check is simple. Take the pillow out and let the surface warmth fade, which can hide a cool, damp center. Press the center firmly between your palms and compare it with the edges. It is not dry if the center feels cooler, damper, denser or heavier, if you can feel compact clumps, or if it smells musty. If any of those remain, put it back on the same setting.

Can you air dry a pillow?

You can if the label calls for it, though it is slow. Sleep Foundation says air drying can take 24 to 48 hours. Lay the pillow on a rack in a well-ventilated room, turn and fluff it every few hours, use a fan or dehumidifier if the air is humid, and keep it out of direct sunlight. Clorox advises against air drying because wet clumps that dry slowly can develop a musty odor, so tumble drying is usually better where the label allows it.

How often should you wash pillows?

Sleep Foundation suggests washing pillows at least every six months. Wash them more often if you sweat at night, have regular allergy symptoms, or use heavy face and hair products. The pillowcase and any protector need washing much more often than the pillow itself.

There is a reason not to leave it for years. In a small study published in Allergy, researchers examined ten used pillows between 1.5 and more than 20 years old and found 4 to 16 fungal species in each, including Aspergillus fumigatus in all ten. Synthetic pillows had more species than feather pillows. The study did not test what this means for healthy sleepers, but it is a sensible argument for regular washing and eventual replacement.

A zippered pillow protector reduces how often the pillow needs a full wash. Wash the protector with your pillowcases.

How to whiten yellow pillows

Sleep Foundation notes that face and hair products can contain oils and chemicals that stain a pillow. A normal wash will lift some of the discoloration, but old stains may not come out completely.

Check the bleach instruction on the label before trying to whiten a pillow. Clorox, which makes bleach, says 100% polyester fill tolerates chlorine bleach, and that down needs a color-safe product instead of regular bleach. It also suggests testing the cover’s colorfastness on a hidden area first. Labels can be stricter than that: the Pacific Coast down pillow label shown in its care guide says not to bleach. If your label says no bleach, a gentle wash and complete drying are the safe limit.

When washing will not fix it

Some problems are signs of wear rather than dirt. Sleep Foundation notes that inexpensive synthetic fill sometimes clumps after washing. A smell that returns after a full wash and a completely dry center, lumps that will not break apart, a split seam or a pillow that no longer holds its height all point toward replacement. Use our pillow replacement checklist to decide. Calm Eden, which is owned by the same company as this site, also publishes a guide on how often to replace pillows if you want a second checklist.

Two care details on owned-store listings

Calm Eden shares PillowBrief’s owner. We have not tested these pillows, and the care and comfort claims on the listings are the seller’s. They are examples of how different care instructions can be:

• The Calm Eden Luxe Down Alternative Pillow is listed with adjustable down alternative fill and a removable cover. The listing does not give washer settings for the fill, so read the sewn-in label before washing the insert.
• The Calm Eden Grid Honeycomb Gel Support Pillow is listed with a single-piece TPE honeycomb core that the listing says can be rinsed clean and must dry completely before use. That is a different routine from a fiber pillow, and any cover has its own care label.

Before you start

Read the label, check the seams, and make sure you have time to dry the pillow fully the same day. Wash two at a time with a little detergent on a gentle cycle, then dry on the labeled setting until the center passes the press test. If the label says not to wash the core, clean the cover and follow the maker’s instructions for the rest.