What It Means
Pillow washing is cleaning the pillow itself, the filled part under the case, on a schedule of its own. Cleveland Clinic's articles put pillows on a longer cycle than bedding: one says to clean them at least every few months, another every six months or as needed. The pillowcase goes in the wash far more often, with the weekly sheets.
Try It: Are Your Pillows Due for a Wash?
Slide to how many months it's been since the pillows themselves were washed. The range comes from Cleveland Clinic.
Recently washed. Keep the pillowcases on the weekly sheet day.
Inside Cleveland Clinic's range of every few months. Plan a wash day soon.
Six months or more, past the longest interval Cleveland Clinic gives. Wash them if the care label allows.
How It Sounds at Home
- "When did we last wash the actual pillows?"
- "Pillowcases go in with the sheets on Sunday."
- "Can this pillow even go in the washer?"
The Breakdown
How often, per Cleveland Clinic
| Item | How often |
|---|---|
| Pillowcases | Weekly, with the sheets, in hot water if the label allows |
| Pillows | At least every few months, and no longer than about every six months |
| Dust mite pillow cover | On the schedule its label gives |
Before you wash. Read the tag sewn into the pillow. It says whether the pillow can go in a machine, what temperature to use and how to dry it. Pillows differ in fill, so go by that tag rather than a general rule.
Make it last between washes
- Keep a pillowcase on at all times, and add a zip-on protector if you like.
- Change pillowcases weekly with the sheets.
- Cleveland Clinic suggests letting the bed air out in the morning before you pull the covers up, so moisture that dust mites and bacteria need can dry off.
Good to Know
For dust mite allergies, Cleveland Clinic explains that a dust mite cover over a pillow or mattress keeps mites from living on that surface and reaching you. It also advises hot water for bedding where the fabric allows. Follow the pillow's care label for washing and drying.
FAQ
How often should you wash your pillows?
Cleveland Clinic's articles give a range: at least every few months, and every six months or as needed. Pillowcases should be washed weekly with the sheets.
Can you put pillows in the washing machine?
Check first. The care tag on the pillow says whether it's machine washable, at what temperature, and how to dry it.
Do pillow covers help with allergies?
Cleveland Clinic says a dust mite cover on a pillow keeps mites from living on it and getting to you. Wash the cover the way its label directs.
Do It in Buhata
Tasks with a repeat and Reminders
Add "Wash the pillows" to Tasks with a repeat every three months in your Household Space, and set a Reminder the day before.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Sheet washing frequency
How often bed sheets should be washed. Cleveland Clinic advises at least once a week, with pillowcases in the same load.
- Mattress cleaning
Cleaning a mattress itself, not just its sheets, by spot treating spills and giving it a fuller clean about every six months, the timing Cleveland Clinic suggests.
- Duvet vs comforter
A duvet is a filled insert that lives inside a removable, washable cover; a comforter is a single filled piece used on its own.
- Line drying
Drying laundry by hanging it on a clothesline, rack or bar to air dry, indoors or outdoors, instead of using a tumble dryer.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic, "What's Hiding in Your Dirty Pillows and Upholstery? (And Can It Make You Sick?)"; Cleveland Clinic, "How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets?"; Cleveland Clinic, "Dust Mite Allergy"; Cleveland Clinic, "Bedroom Allergens: Does Hypoallergenic Bedding Work?"
- health.clevelandclinic.org/whats-hiding-in-your-dirty-pillows-and-upholstery-and-can-it-make-you-sick
- health.clevelandclinic.org/how-often-should-you-wash-your-bed-sheets
- my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17712-dust-mite-allergy
- health.clevelandclinic.org/do-hypoallergenic-pillow-and-mattress-covers-really-work
Last updated .