What can I do about blood on pillows?

[foxinsocks]

Unfortunately, dd, ds and dh get quite bad nosebleeds at night. The blood tends to go straight through the pillows and the pillow protectors (they are sort of thick, absorbent pillow covers) and into the actual pillow.

They all sleep on hypoallergenic pillows so when I wash the pillows, they often go a bit lumpy and no amount of shaking or bashing seems to make them go back to their original shape.

Am I missing a trick or am I destined to spend my life buying new pillows?!

cold water is meant to be best for blood stains. Hot water sort of 'fixes' the stain into the fabric.

I use Ace on clothes with bloodstains on them - it works a treat getting them out but I don't know about the pillows themselves - you would still have to wash them.

How about cutting up a towel and putting a couple of layers inside the pillowcase under the pillow protector? Might prevent the blood going right through to the pillow and shouldn't be too uncomfy to sleep on.

Have you got a tumble dryer or know someone who does? I find a quick turn in the dryer helps to get pillows back in shape

Thanks for replying.

I didn't know that about cold water/hot water. I might try a sort of cold handwash - the problem is that the blood seems to go right into the middle bits of the pillow but it's certainly worth a try.

I hadn't thought of towels. I suppose with towels, pillow protectors and the pillow case, I might stand some hope of protecting the pillow!

buy them a \link{http://www.sallysrockinghorses.co.uk/Accessories.htm\nosebag} each

yes, we have a tumble dryer but it seems that the make up of these hypoallergenic pillows isn't really conducive to being washed and dried without really mangling their shape.

I would try other pillows but as dh and dd both have asthma and seem to react to the other pillows, it's prob better to stict with what they find the most comfortable.

bin them and buy some more. sorry hun but life is too short......

weirdo - checked out your link - you've just given me the best laugh i've had in ages x

on a more constructive note, (foxinsocks, have had a long day and a glass of wine, sorry.) pillows are cheap enough to replace, unless, like me, you're a recycler and thats where the guilt sets in. they don't last long anyway, even without being washed. Has anyone actually found a pillow that doesn't go lumpy? i'd be interested to know because my kids tend to drool in their sleep and as you quite rightly point out, they're not exactly washable!

Ooh, I know this one. You need to wash your pillows one at a time in the washer (handwashing should be ok, I would think) but you absolutely have to dry them in a tumble dryer with clean tennis shoes (or the equivalent - a tennis ball won't cut it!). The very sad part is that I have an old and very clean pair of shoes for this express purpose. After much bumping about, the pillows will come out nice and fluffy. I put the shoes in the wash with the pillows as well - don't know if that's necessary or not, though.

For bloodstains, I've had good luck with the Vanish Oxi Action products and, as mentioned, do wash in cold water.

Does it matter? The blood is washed out, leaving the stain but you can't see it as it is covered by the pillow case. Or am I missing something? Or am I just a slut?

Foxinsocks, you can get pillow portectors like mattress protectors. I have them incase my children vomit on their pillows. They are towelling on the upper side and plastic inside. No blood would get through on to the pillow with those. John Lewis do them.

ALso, pillows can be dry cleaned.

thanks for all the advice

dumbledores, I didn't know about those pillow protectors. I've got some material ones but they don't do the job at all. I'll go and get those from John Lewis, thanks.

quanglewangle, firstly the blood just doesn't wash out properly (because there's so much of it and it's deep in the pillow) and even if it does, my pillows end up all lumpy!

yajorome, I never knew that about shoes in the tumble dryer, I shall have to try it out!!

katy, it's really because I'm a lazy sod and all our pillows look like they've been dragged through blood pools and then had someone screw up all the insides. They're so uncomfortable and prob v unhygienic! I have just been buying new ones but to be honest, it's a PITA to have to keep going out and getting more etc.etc. (I also noticed dh, the second worst culprit, swapping my nice non-bloodied pillow for one of his nasty ones!)

yes, I must admit I did snort when I saw the nosebag but didn't respond in case weirdo was a troublemaker (of course, I know now who it was!)

if the trainer thing works, let us know!