Down pillows get dusty and dirty over time. The filler clumps, acquires an unpleasant smell, ticks can start in it. Therefore, it must be periodically washed. Currently, the service of cleaning down pillows and blankets is very popular, it is done with the help of a vacuum, which not only cleans the filler well, but also does not spoil it. Is it possible to wash a pillow at home? It is possible, but it is difficult to do, so you should prepare for the process in advance.
Washing down pillows begins with preparation. It consists of the following:
- Sew a new pressure plate. There is no point in washing the old one, it is easier to sew a new one. Teak fabric is used for this, it is best suited for these purposes.
- Sew a pillowcase from light fabric. The washed fluff will dry in it.
- Powder, household soap or detergent for washing down products. Grate the household soap to make it easier to dissolve in water.
- Sieve or colander. We will put a filler on these things during washing, so that it is convenient to soak.
How to wash
To begin, spread the pillow. This should be done in a tightly closed room without drafts. Any breath and flow of air: fluff will fly all over the room. It will be very difficult to collect it, not one day, but maybe a month, you will find fluff here and there. Throw away the old pressure washer. Place the filler in a bowl, cover tightly with a cloth so that it does not fly out, and go to the bath, as it is convenient to wash a down pillow in a large container.
In general, the process of washing down pillows is somewhat similar to washing raw sheep’s wool, which you can read about in this article . But, of course, there are nuances. This is done manually:
- Take a bath of warm water up to 40 degrees. Dissolve the detergent. If you use powder, make sure that all the crystals have dissolved, otherwise it will be difficult to wash them later.
- Put a small amount of fluff on a sieve, soak. Do not soak everything at once, then it will be difficult to disassemble and dry it. To speed up the process, you can use gauze or nylon stockings, distributing the fluff over them in small parts.
- Leave to soak for one and a half to two hours. During this time, the smell will go away, the dirt will remain.
- Lift the sieve, stocking from the water. Let the water drain, wring it out. Rinse under running water. Drain the dirty soapy solution from the bathtub.
- Collect clean water, dilute the detergent. Now you can directly wash down pillows. Wash well, going through. Rinse, wring out with your hands.
- Put the next portion to soak, and put the washed part out to dry.
You can add a couple of drops of lavender, orange or cypress essential oil to the water. They will not only add a pleasant aroma, but also protect pillows from ticks.
A logical question arises: can a down pillow be washed in a washing machine? If you do it right, you can. The fluff must be placed in a pillowcase made of fabric that allows water to pass through well. Gauze or a net for washing will not work, as fluff will fall out of them, fall into the holes of the drum, which will break the machine. The main problem of washing in a washing machine is that the fluff can get lost, so it won’t wash well. To avoid this, put a pair of tennis balls in the drum, as is done when washing down jackets , or special balls for washing .
How to dry
Immediately after you managed to wash the down pillow, you need to place the still wet down in the previously prepared pillowcase, which was mentioned above. Sew the pillowcase or tie it tightly – there should not be any holes through which the fluff can escape.
If your washing machine has a drying mode, then place a pillowcase there. When it is finished, shake to break the lumps, you can additionally beat with a stick. If there is no such function, then we proceed immediately to the next stage, it will simply dry longer.
- Hang the down pillow to dry in a well-ventilated area or in the fresh air.
- Periodically beat, turn over, brake. This will speed up the drying and prevent the down from getting smelly. If you let the process take its course, the product will acquire the smell of dampness, and you can get rid of it only by throwing away the pillow.
Transfer the dry filler to a new stuffer, sew it up. Do it in a draft-free room