How do you clean pillows?

[LCBMAX]

Our pillows are all feather, and they are mostly about 5 years old. Once a year or so, I either leave them in the blazing desert sun for a few days or throw them in a hot dryer for 45 minutes. Maybe I left them out in the rain, or went to bed with wet hair or something, because they are oddly stained, but I can't really explain it.

Just wondering - how do you take care of your feather pillows? What's the standard for when you get new ones?

Thanks! 

[pear-shaped]

I wash our feather pillows in the washing machine and then dry them in the sun. I wash them only in the summer. I don't know the washing temperature offhand, I'd have to check the care label. It's either 30C or 40C, though. Ours have had some stains too, most of them come out in the wash but a few are more resistant than others, I guess. Ours aren't that old, only four or five years, so we haven't thought about getting new ones yet, but I'm also curious as too how long people keep them.

[His Own]

My husband sleeps on down pillows.  I wash them in hot water and detergent in the washing machine, then dry the heck out of them on the hot setting in the dryer. (They take a very long time to dry.)  This works well for me.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by His Own 

My husband sleeps on down pillows.  I wash them in hot water and detergent in the washing machine, then dry the heck out of them on the hot setting in the dryer. (They take a very long time to dry.)  This works well for me.

Yep, I do this a couple of times a year to regular pillows. Or whenever the pillow starts to smell not so fresh anymore.

[skreader]

We  have mostly down pillow, except for my son's. don't wash them. We use pillow cases and covers and wash those instead.

Sometimes when we have a hot dry day, we take off the pillow covers and cases and have them sit in the hot sun.

? We get rid of them when they are so flat that we can't really enjoy them any more (maybe in 15 or 20 years).

[pear-shaped]

skreader, does washing them in water ruin them? What are the protective covers like? I think I'd rather make some covers (I've never seen them for sale here) than wash them if washing them ruins them.

[His Own]

I'm not skreader, but washing down pillows in hot water absolutely does not destroy them.  It cleans them nicely, and they come out great.

[pear-shaped]

Originally Posted by His Own 

I'm not skreader, but washing down pillows in hot water absolutely does not destroy them.  It cleans them nicely, and they come out great.

Thanks, that's a relief. I checked the care label on my pillows and it does say to wash them in the washing machine (at temps. up to 30C.) I also googled caring for down pillows, and found that washing them is in fact recommended, though not more than once a year, and at cool temps.  This site is representative of the all the advice I found. They also recommend protective pillow covers, which I will make for ours.