Can you wash feather pillows in a normal washing machine?

[walkbesideme]

If it was on a cool wash, would it work? I'm sick of the stains. It's embarrassing when guests come to stay and they strip the bed sheets off. Horrible yellow stains. I'd love to chuck them in a washing machine. Do you think they'd cope?

Yes they would be fine, just put them in the wash and then put them in the drier with a tennis ball. You should wash all pillows on a regular basis as they absorb a lot of sweat and skin cells ( that is what the stains are) . Put an old pillow case underneath the top one to protect it in the future.

Have done this with mine and they were fine. 30 degree wash and tumble until completely dry.

I wash mine every now and again, and I write the date on the label in biro so that I know when they're due another wash. I don't do it often, you understand! It is well worth doing. They look like new.

Handy hints;

You'll only get one at a time in a standard machine.

They do take a long time to dry. The feathers clump together. Best done on long hot sunny day!

Mine didn't cope with it at all.

Came out all clumpy and even though I dried them thoroughly they were never the same again.

Thanks for the advice - I'm going to give it a go with the worst one on a hot day.
I'm sadly quite excited!

Sidge , how did you dry yours? how long for?

Oh crikey I can't remember exactly how long.

I know they were on the line for ages being turned around to get them to dry evenly, and then in the tumbler for ages.

I did not dry mine properly and the feathers went mouldy,

My John Lewis pillow says do not tumble dry. What will happen to it if I do? Surely it will take for ever to dry then?

I tumble dry mine from wet with a tennis ball to fluff the feathers up. They've always come out fine.

OMG was coming on this thread to shout no no no and now after reading all this am washing tomorrow......so excited!

thank you all

I checked my pillows last night and it says to tumble dry on hot!

I washed a king sized goose down duvet and it fluffed up just fine air dried. Last month, so not bright sunshine - I dried it over airers and an oil filled rad. But I've also done a pillow exactly the same way and it went mouldy and STUNK. I wouldn't attempt a pillow again without a tumbledrier (cool, tennis balls or eco balls to agitate).

I also double-case feather and down pillows so they keep cleaner for longer. Pillow protectors might be a plan?