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Some people in this house (I’m not naming names, but they are all boys) go through pillows like I go through a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Quickly. They get lumpy, smashed down in the middle, smelly and YELLOW. Ick. I don’t know why, but my boys sweat buckets all night long-like sleeping is a contact sport! Until now, I’ve just thrown them away and gone to buy more cheap pillows for them to destroy. I did try just tossing them in the wash once, but I wasn’t happy with the results. This time, I tried a new “magic” cleaning solution from One Good Thing. Success! THIS is how to wash and whiten pillows!
This is what I started with-a pile of yucky pillows. Honestly, you really can’t see the full extent of the staining in this photo. And trust me, you are lucky you can’t smell them! Especially the top pillow that belongs to Bryce. I’m an really not looking forward to the time when I have three teenagers in my house.
How to Wash and Whiten Pillows
Magic Cleaning Solution to wash and whiten pillows (and other stuff, too!)
- HOT water
- 1 cup laundry detergent
- 1 cup powdered dishwashing detergent
- 1 cup bleach
- 1/2 cup Borax
Before you wash your pillows, make sure the tag says they are washable. 😉 Most synthetic pillows are. Fill the machine about 1/3 of the way with hot water. I added a tea kettle full of boiling water to bring the temperature up even more. Then add all the ingredients of the “magic wash” and turn the washer on agitate for a few minutes to mix and dissolve the soap completely.
Then add your pillows (do two at a time to keep the machine balanced) to the water and finish filling. Let the cycle run (agitating) halfway and then turn the pillows over so each side gets a chance to be fully immersed in the soap solution. Run through the rest of a normal cycle, rinsing twice if you’d like.
The next step is to dry and fluff your pillows back to life! Take a tennis ball and shove it down into the toe of a clean sock. Put the two pillows into the dryer with 2-3 of the “dryer balls” and set on low heat for synthetic materials.
Ta Da! Nice, clean WHITE pillows again. And they smell so fresh, too. Hurray for another Pinterest success! Check out this post for my Top Ten (tested) Pinterest Cleaning Tips. I love it when things actually live up to the hype. 🙂
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Kay says
I have a front load he washer. I wash my pillows and even my queen sized down comforter. I wash them before they get real grungy. I have Never stopped the machine during washing but I know it is possible. Because I have needed to add something to other type loads. But once in a while I might have one that is pretty dirty.. I have never used this combo but think I will try it next time to see how it works. I think I will try using the recommended small amount of liquid detergent maybe with some of that expense real good smelling detergent (lavender). I think I can get about a cop in the bleach dispenser. So for the dry dish soap and borax I think I’ll sprinkle that in the washer before I load it. I love my front loader and find it is easier on our clothes. Used a top loader for years and they have their advantages too.
Pat W. says
When you use a high efficiency machine isn’t the cup of laundry detergent a little much??? I noticed in your picture that your detergent is he.
Nicole Burkholder says
My washer was anything but a HE machine 🙂 I guess I just accidentally picked up the wrong detergent. I’ve done this several times with different brands of detergent and different washers-it’s worked well for us either way. 😉
Pat W. says
What I was getting at is that my machine is he and if I put a cup of laundry liquid in it might I not be asking for trouble with to much soap?
Nicole Burkholder says
Oh, sorry! I honestly don’t know that much about HE washers. If your washer calls for a certain amount of soap, I would follow that. You’ll still get the benefits from the other cleaning agents as well. (They shouldn’t affect the HE washer)
Marilyn Vandekieft says
I tried washing bed pillows in the washing machine and had an overflow of water. Now I take them to the laundromat where the machines are larger (my machine was a large, heavy-duty one).
Nicole Burkholder says
Wow, I’ve never heard of that happening before!
Hosannah says
Would you be so kind as to tell me what you did at the laundromat? I have to take my laundry there and want to do my pillows, but I am concerned that ingredient amounts might cause a problem and this could get me banned from the laundromat.
Thank you
Nicole Burkholder says
I didn’t wash my pillows at the laundromat, sorry. I washed them at my home.