Not to wash my pillows

[Pill0wTalk]

Just seen on ThisMorning that after 2 years, if unwashed, 10% of a pillow is made up of dust mites and dead skin etc.

Phil and a Holly looked disgusted at the thought of anyone not washing their pillows on a regular basis. I can honestly say, I've NEVER washed my pillows! Is it just me?

I've only ever washed pillows if one of the DC has vomited on them. Which is a very rare occurence. And once when DD had a wee accident whilst sleeping upside down in her bed so wee got on the pillow!

I don't wash them as they go funny after a wash. I replace them probably every 1-2 years. When I wash the pillow cases, I normally air them outside if that helps :/

I replace every 2 years or so. Dp has feather which he washes each summer

Dry cleaning bedding isn't recommended because of the chemical residue that is left behind. It's not a great idea to spend 8 hours a day with your face sandwiched between a duvet and pillow, breathing in carcinogenic fumes.

Only 10%? I chalk that up as a win.

I’ve never washed a pillow.

I’ve never suffered from an unclean pillow related illness either.

This is grim and I've just ordered new pillows for the whole house

I take them to a service wash at laundrette once a year along with duvets

Mine are feather and wash fine with a service wash and drying in a big tumble dryer

I use pillow protectors under pillow cases and replace when needed. I don't keep a record of such things.

I wash my pillows a couple of times throughout the year and sometimes just peg them out to air on hot days

My firm feather IKEA cushions survived a wash so I surmised that the pillows would too.

I change the beds every other week, hoover mattresses and pillows and wash duvets several times a year.

We have those adjustable duvets which are a spring 3.5 tog and an autumn 9 tog velcroed together. You switch from one to the other or use both depending on the temperature. And they all go in a 10kg washing machine because they're not as thick as a 12.5 duvet.

After finding the filling separates & goes lumpy when washed I use pillow protectors then buy new pillows when they're getting a bilat. Pillow protectors definitely stop sweat marks etc n

I wash them once a year, on a hot day in Summer so they can dry and air in the garden.

I don6 wash mine but I always hoover them and ince in few months freeze them if there is a space in a freezer

No never washed I replace yearly

You can wash them if down or feather filled. You just need to thoroughly dry them in a tumble dryer with tennis balls to get the clumps to loosen up. They come out great. You certainly don't need to throw them out. They wash really well.

I would totally dispute that claim of 10%.
If most people only use a pillowcase and wash it weekly, that's a preventive measure.
Lots of people use pillow protectors too.
Many pillows have antibacterial and anti-dustmite covers and filling. Mine does.

I've never washed pillows without them ending up out of shape and lumpy, so now I just replace them when they get grotty. And I use pillow protectors, which I wash regularly, so they don't get grotty that often.

Having said that, my current pillows (cheap as chips, from Sainsbury's) are holding their shape really well, so I may risk washing them and see how they fare. I hate the throwaway thing.

I dont understand what is so bad about dust mites and skin cells? Are people getting allergic reactions to their pillows or getting ill from it? If not why does it matter?

In my opinion the point of cleaning is to make sure you don't get ill and for aesthetics. Nobody sees the inside of my pillow and it's not making me unwell, so why would I clean it?

Dust mites are a common allergen. I was skin tested for allergies and the bit of my arm that they dropped the "essence of dust mite" on blew up into an enormous blister.

Apparently, people who think they they are allergic to dust usually aren't, it's nearly always the dust mites that get them.

I ruined the best pillow in the world by washing it (stupidly believing people who blithely said it would bouff up in the drier with a tennis ball. It did not.).

From now on I'm going to fester comfortably in my own dead skin cells thanks very much.

Me neither OP!
Some of my pillows are ancient. Never been washed. Not knowingly suffered from any dirty pillow related illnesses.

Replace mine every 6 months. Can't be faffing about washing them.

Replace duvets once a year, beds changed every week.

I wash mine a couple of times a year.
They go through the washing machine just fine, then I either put them out in the sun or in the tumble dryer.