How to Wash Pillows Properly (Including Memory Foam)

Most people wash their pillowcases weekly and never wash their pillows. The pillowcase is the visible layer — it looks clean, it gets washed, and the thinking stops there.

But the pillow itself, inside the pillowcase, accumulates everything that passes through the pillowcase over months of use: dead skin cells (your head sheds approximately 3 grams of skin per hour during sleep), sweat (the average person loses up to 500ml of fluid during sleep, some of which transfers to the pillow), body oils, and the dust mites that feed on the skin cells.

Most pillows hold months or years of this accumulation. The average Australian pillow that has never been washed is, by any hygiene metric, one of the most contaminated objects in the home.

Here's how to address it — by pillow type.

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Why Pillows Need Washing (Not Just Pillowcases)

The pillowcase is a filter, not a barrier. Moisture from sweat, skin oils, and breath passes through the pillowcase and into the pillow fill over time. Dead skin cells that aren't caught by the pillowcase settle between fibres. Dust mites, which are too small to be stopped by pillowcase fabric, colonise the fill material directly.

The consequences:

• Dust mite allergen concentrations in unwashed pillows are significant — particularly relevant for the 1 in 5 Australians who have allergic rhinitis or asthma
• The yellow staining that develops on pillows (visible when the pillowcase is removed) is a combination of sweat proteins and body oils that have been absorbed over time
• Old, heavily used pillows can become a reservoir of skin bacteria that affect skin health

How often to wash pillows: Every 3–4 months for most households. Every 2–3 months for allergy sufferers, hot sleepers, or households with pets that sleep on beds.

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Checking Whether a Pillow Can Be Washed

Check the care label before anything else. The care label (sewn into the seam of the pillow) specifies whether the pillow is machine washable, hand washable, or dry clean only. Following the label prevents damage.

If there's no care label (common in older pillows), use the guide by pillow type below.

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Synthetic Fill Pillows (Polyester Fiberfill)

The most common pillow type in Australian households. Usually machine washable and the easiest to clean.

Machine washing:

1. Wash two pillows at a time — this balances the machine load and prevents imbalanced spinning that stresses the pillow seams.
2. Use a liquid detergent rather than powder — powder can leave residue in the fill material.
3. Use the gentle or delicate cycle with warm water (40°C is typically appropriate).
4. Add an extra rinse cycle — synthetic fill holds detergent and needs thorough rinsing to prevent residue that can cause odour.
5. Wash with the smallest possible amount of detergent — excess suds are difficult to rinse out of pillow fill.

Drying: Machine dry on low heat. Add two or three clean tennis balls or dryer balls to the dryer — these break up the fill material and prevent it from clumping as it dries. Stop the dryer periodically to pull the pillow out and manually fluff the fill to ensure even drying. Synthetic fill that is left in a clump during drying develops lumps that don't come out.

Ensure pillows are completely dry before returning to use. Partially damp synthetic fill develops mould quickly. If in doubt, run an extra drying cycle.

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Down and Feather Pillows

Down and feather pillows require more careful handling but are generally machine washable. The fill is delicate and can mat or clump if handled incorrectly.

Machine washing:

1. Use a dedicated down detergent (Nikwax Down Wash, or a purpose-formulated product) — standard detergents strip the natural oils from down and reduce its loft.
2. Gentle or delicate cycle, cold to warm water (30–40°C).
3. Low spin speed — high spin compresses down unevenly.
4. At least two rinse cycles — down holds detergent residue and thorough rinsing is essential.

Drying: This is the critical step for down. Down that isn't fully dried develops a permanent musty smell in your home and can develop mildew.

1. Machine dry on low heat with dryer balls or clean tennis balls.
2. Down drying takes significantly longer than synthetic — 2–3 drying cycles (45–60 minutes each) at low heat are often needed for a single pillow.
3. Between cycles, remove and hand-fluff the pillow to break up any wet clumps of down.
4. Continue until the pillow is completely dry with full loft restored — no cool or damp patches when squeezed.

Down pillows can also be dried flat in direct sunlight — Adelaide's sunny conditions make this an effective option. This also provides UV exposure that kills dust mites.

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Latex Pillows

Latex pillows — both natural and synthetic — should generally not be machine washed. The agitation cycle can damage the latex structure, causing tearing or crumbling.

Cleaning method:

1. Spot clean surface stains with a cloth dampened in mild soapy water.
2. For a more thorough clean, fill a bathtub with warm water and a small amount of gentle detergent.
3. Submerge the pillow and gently squeeze (don't wring or twist — this tears the latex cell structure).
4. Drain and refill with clean water to rinse. Repeat until water runs clear.

Drying: Latex pillows cannot go in the dryer — heat degrades latex. Air dry flat, ideally in sunlight, flipping regularly. Latex pillows hold moisture and can take 24–48 hours to fully dry. Do not return to use until completely dry.

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Memory Foam Pillows

Memory foam is the most care-intensive pillow type. Memory foam cannot be machine washed — the agitation cycle shreds the foam structure. Submerging in water is also problematic — memory foam absorbs water and can take days to dry completely, with mould risk in the interim.

Cleaning memory foam:

1. Remove the cover (most memory foam pillows have a removable, washable cover — wash this normally).
2. Spot clean the foam surface with a cloth dampened with a mild cleaning solution (one part white vinegar to two parts water, or a tiny amount of dish soap in water).
3. Blot — don't rub — any stained areas.
4. Wipe the entire surface with a cloth slightly dampened with plain water to remove cleaning product residue.
5. Allow to air dry completely before replacing the cover — this can take several hours in Adelaide's dry climate.

Odour management: Sprinkle baking soda over the foam surface, leave for several hours (or overnight), then vacuum off. This absorbs odour compounds without introducing moisture.

Airing: Memory foam pillows benefit significantly from regular airing. Lean the pillow against a wall or window in direct sunlight for a few hours monthly. UV exposure reduces dust mite populations and helps dissipate accumulated odour.

When to replace: Memory foam pillows that have yellowed, lost their shape, or have a persistent smell that doesn't respond to cleaning should be replaced. Memory foam typically lasts 2–3 years with regular care.

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Bamboo and Specialty Fill Pillows

Bamboo-covered pillows with synthetic fill: wash the bamboo cover (follow care label — most are machine washable on cold/gentle) and treat the fill as per synthetic fill guidance above.

Buckwheat and millet fill pillows: the hull fill cannot be washed. Remove the fill into a clean container, wash the cotton pillow cover separately, dry both completely, and reassemble. The hulls can be aired in sunlight to reduce odour and mite load.

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Post-Wash Pillow Assessment

After washing, assess whether the pillow is worth keeping:

Worth keeping:

• Full loft restored after washing
• No persistent musty smell
• Structurally intact (fill evenly distributed, no lumps)

Replace if:

• Persistent yellow staining that doesn't come out (staining has penetrated the fill)
• Musty smell after washing (mildew established in the fill)
• Lumpy, flat or misshapen after washing and drying
• More than 3–4 years old and heavily used

A pillow that has yellowed, flattened or smells musty is best replaced — no amount of washing restores heavily deteriorated fill to a hygienically clean and comfortable state.

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For bedroom deep cleaning including mattress treatment and linen management as part of an Adelaide home clean, contact PF Cleaning Adelaide.

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Written by Victor Jacon — Master Cleaner & Home Detailing Specialist, Founder of PF Cleaning Adelaide.