Whiten and Wash Pillows Yellowed by Sweat
Have your white pillows turned yellow? It's night sweat. Here is the miracle recipe to get them back white as snow.
Recommended Materials
- Soda crystals (or baking soda)
- White vinegar
- Detergent
- Very hot water
- Tennis balls
Steps to follow
Step 1
Put the pillows in the machine (two at a time to balance the drum, otherwise the machine will jump during spinning).
Step 2
In the detergent drawer, put your usual dose of detergent + a cup of soda crystals (more powerful than baking soda to whiten and degrease) + half a cup of white vinegar.
Step 3
Run a long cycle at 60°C (check the label, most synthetics support it, not feather/down which requires 40°C max). Heat helps kill dust mites.
Step 4
Add clean tennis balls to the drum to keep the fluffiness and beat the pillows during washing.
Step 5
If the stains are very embedded (dark yellow), soak the pillows in a bathtub of very hot water with soda crystals and sodium percarbonate (solid hydrogen peroxide) for 2 hours BEFORE machine washing.
Step 6
Dry imperatively in the dryer or in full sun. A pillow damp at the core will mold and smell bad.
Step 7
The sun trick: the sun is a natural whitening agent (thanks to UV). If you can, dry your pillows outside on a beautiful sunny day. This will help remove the last yellow traces and kill remaining dust mites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do they turn yellow ?
Sweat and saliva pass through the pillowcase and oxidize on the pillow fabric. Use quilted pillow protectors to delay this phenomenon.
When should a pillow be thrown away ?
Fold it in half. If it stays folded and does not return to its original shape quickly, it is dead (about every 2-3 years for synthetic).
Precautions
- Do not wash memory foam pillows in the machine (the foam tears).
- Rinse well to avoid allergies.
