There is no better feeling than laying your head on a soft, fluffy pillow after a long, stressful day. How they wrap around your head to provide maximum comfort is breathtaking.
Unfortunately, over time, laying your head on your favorite pillow will cause the inevitable loss of its signature fluffiness. Don’t worry because you can restore it.
How to Fluff Pillows in Dryer
Fluff your pillows in the dryer every other month.
- Sort the Pillows
Gather the pillows you want to fluff and separate them by fabric, type, and color. The process is lengthy, especially when there are plenty of pillows because only two can fit in the dryer for one fluffing session to allow room for spinning and fluffing.
Also, read the drying instructions on the pillow’s care label to see if it should enter the dryer, as some are not dryer safe and are air-dry only.
- Put the Correct Dryer Settings
Determining the correct dryer settings when fluffing the pillows in the dryer is another reason you should separate them by fabric type.
Some pillows will be able to have low heat settings; others can be medium heat, then there are the ones that will require no heat or the air fluff settings.
Follow the instructions on the care labels of each pillow to know the correct heat setting; although, most kinds will require no heat or air fluff settings.
Try not to over-dry your pillows as this can cause irreparable damage. Do not exceed 20 minutes when drying.
- Placing the Pillows in the Dryer
When you’ve sorted the pillows you want to fluff, place two in the dryer with two or three tennis balls or wool dryer balls.
Tennis balls are hard. Placing them as they are in the dryer can damage the dryer when they are banging around. Consequently, place the tennis balls in a sock and tie them before placing them in the dryer.
The tennis balls or wool dryer balls will bang or knead the pillows while the dryer is spinning, breaking up the clumped fillings and circulating air around and inside them, which will cause them to come out fluffy.
- In the Absence of Tennis Balls or Wool Dryer Balls
You might not have tennis or wool dryer balls in your house, but you will have flip-flops. Place a pair of flip-flops in the dryer in place of tennis balls. Ensure the flip-flops are spotless to avoid staining the pillows.
Another alternative to tennis balls is rolled-up shirts, preferably cotton shirts. Roll a cotton shirt into a round ball and secure it with a rope or ties; so it does not come apart in the dryer. Place the rolled-up shirt in the dryer to fluff the pillows.
Stuffed toys or sturdy teddy bears can also fluff pillows in the dryers. These items are perfect because they also need fluffing, which they can get during the drying cycle.
Whatever item you choose to replace tennis balls or wool dryer balls, ensure they are dryer safe and color-safe.
How to Maintain the Pillow’s Fluffiness
- Hand Fluffing
When you get out of bed every morning, take the time to fluff your pillow with your hands to readjust the appropriate structure.
Gently grab both ends and pull them apart, then massage, shake, and pound the pillow to aerate it and break up any clumps. Repeat the process for everyone on the bed.
- Refresh the Pillows’ Filling
Check the care label to see if your pillow supports this action. If it does, remove the filling, massage it, and put it back. It will reshape the pillow as if it is brand new.
Some pillow brands offer the option of replacing the filling completely.
- Put the Pillow in the Sun
Pillows absorb sweat, dust mites, body oil, humidity, etc., which imbues them with moisture. Excessive moisture deflates the fillings, causing them to lose their fluffiness.
Putting the pillows outside to get some air and sun will dry, deodorize, and freshen them, causing them to regain their fluffiness.
- Use Pillow Protectors
As the name suggests, pillow protectors protect the pillow from sweat, dust mites, skin oils, etc.
Always cover your pillows with a suitable pillowcase or pillow cover.
- Wash the Pillows and Pillowcases
Wash your pillows every four months to freshen and clean them. However, ensure to dry them properly, or the moisture content will destroy their filling. Place tennis balls or wool dryer balls when drying.
Washing the pillowcases will happen more frequently, every week.
Why Should You Fluff Your Pillows?
- Physical health
There are several reasons why fluffing pillows is necessary; the chief among them is to preserve your physical health.
The texture, shape, and size of your pillow affect how your body aligns when you sleep. A good one will enable you to sleep in a good position with your back and neck straightened and your spine relaxed.
After purchase, the new pillow is soft, fluffy, and capable of providing the best comfort to enable proper sleep alignment. However, with repeated use, the weight of your head flattens the pillow.
This lack of proper support will cause back and neck pains or even worse health conditions.
- Aesthetics
Part of what makes a room so inviting and captivating is the look of the bed, and the decoration of the pillows plays an enormous role.
Whether you stack your pillows or spread them out, their shape is the building block for the entire design and styling of the bed. They contribute to the overall look and feel of the room.
When the pillows become flat, they will take away from the aesthetics by making the positioning of the arrangement crooked. Fluffing the pillows will fix this problem and allow the decor to last very long.
- Extend the pillow’s lifespan
People choose pillows for the content and features that elevate the sleeping experience.
The various fabrics used to make pillows and the materials used to make the filling stuffed inside are the two components that give pillows the structure to last for years.
The materials deflate or become clumpy with repeated use over time, which can permanently damage the pillows. Luckily, regular fluffing can prevent the damage or revive them from temporary damage, which would extend their general lifespan.
When to Replace the Pillows
There are moments when you have to admit that your pillow is not salvageable despite your best efforts. When you reach this conclusion, it will be time to get a new one(s).
How to Know When to Replace the Pillows
- Your Pillows are old.
The average lifespan of pillows is four to six years, after which you should replace them. At this point, they may or may not have irreparable damage, but it is still advisable to replace them.
- Fluffing Won’t Revive it.
Your pillows may be so flat that fluffing won’t revive them to their structure, or you may find yourself fluffing them in the dryer more frequently than usual because they don’t maintain the fluffed position for a long time.
Replace the pillows if this is the case.
- The Fold Test
Fold your pillow in half; if it stays in the folded position without reverting to its original structure, you should replace the pillow.
- Mildew Smell Won’t Go Away.
Mildew forms on pillows when there is too much moisture.
If your pillow constantly smells of mildew even after thorough washing, that is a sign that you should replace it.
- There are Bumps and Dents
If your pillows have too many bumps, tears, and dents, you should replace them.