Tips to Restore Yellowed Pillow Inserts to Their ‘Pristine White’ State
After a period of use, pillow inserts often develop yellow stains, mildew, and even unpleasant odors. Therefore, cleaning your pillow and keeping it fresh is essential for a restful night’s sleep.
Causes of Yellowing Pillow Inserts
The primary cause of yellowing is the sweat from your head and face, dirt, and other impurities that pass through the pillowcase and absorb into the pillow’s surface. Using a pillowcase only delays the yellowing process, but it cannot completely prevent it.
Risks of Using Yellowed Pillow Inserts
The foul odor and discomfort from dirty pillow inserts will prevent you from sleeping well, leaving you feeling tired and sluggish upon waking. Furthermore, yellowing pillow inserts indicate a buildup of dirt and bacteria, which could lead to skin conditions like irritation, acne, or fungal infections, as well as more serious health issues like asthma, allergies, or pneumonia from inhaling bacteria.
How to Wash Yellowed Pillow Inserts
Using Laundry Detergent
Soak the pillow insert in hot water in the washing machine. Add 1 cup of laundry detergent, 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, and half a cup of borax. Let it soak for 30 minutes, then start the washing cycle as usual. Before drying, place two tennis balls in the dryer. Continue drying until the yellow stains are gone.
Using Baking Soda
To clean pillow inserts with baking soda, you’ll need: 100g of baking soda, 500ml of warm water (not too hot), laundry detergent, 1 lemon, or 100ml of white vinegar. First, dilute the baking soda in warm water, then add the detergent and lemon juice (or vinegar). Soak the pillow insert in this mixture for 15-20 minutes, then gently squeeze and rinse with warm water. You can repeat this process several times to fully clean the pillow insert.
Using Borax Solution and Bleach
For yellowed pillow inserts, you can mix borax and bleach. The ingredients you’ll need are 1 cap of laundry detergent, 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1 cup of bleach, ½ cup of borax, and hot water. Mix the ingredients and soak the pillow insert for about 10 minutes. Gently squeeze to remove the stains, and rinse with water.
Using Vinegar
Vinegar is also an excellent ingredient for removing yellow stains from pillow inserts. To wash with vinegar, you’ll need half a cup of vinegar, 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide (a natural bleach), laundry detergent, and bleach. First, dissolve the detergent in water and soak the pillow insert for about 10 minutes. Then, add the hydrogen peroxide and vinegar and soak for another 5 minutes before starting the washing cycle.
Tips for Cleaning Yellowed Pillow Inserts
To make cleaning easier and extend the life of your pillow inserts, here are some important tips:
Avoid using harsh cleaning products that could damage the pillow insert. Wash and dry the pillow on sunny days, but don’t expose the pillow directly to sunlight. Instead, dry it in the shade to prevent color fading and preserve its quality. Do not tumble dry pillow inserts at too high a temperature. When using a dryer, you can place a few tennis balls in clean socks and dry them together with the pillow to absorb moisture and speed up drying. Make sure the pillow insert is thoroughly dry before use. Using damp pillows can cause mildew, dark spots, and unpleasant odors.
With these tips, you can restore your pillow inserts to their fresh, clean state and enjoy a better night’s sleep!
