How to Wash Pillows (Down, Fiber and Foam)

How you wash a pillow depends on what’s inside it, so read the tag first. Most down, feather and polyester pillows can go in the machine on a gentle cycle with a little mild detergent, two at a time so the load stays balanced, with an extra rinse. Dry them on low heat until the middle is dry, not just the cover. Solid memory foam and latex should never go in the washing machine; spot-clean them, or hand-wash only if the maker allows it. Most pillows need washing at least twice a year.

Read the tag before anything else

The care tag decides more than any general advice. The Sleep Foundation’s guide to washing pillows sorts the common labels into four:

Dry clean only, or “Do not wash”: a dry cleaner’s job. “Submerging them in water may damage the fill or cover.”
Spot clean only: clean the surface, never the whole pillow.
Hand wash: it can go in water, but “the spin cycle of the washing machine may damage the pillow.”
Machine-washable: usually with conditions on the tag, such as a delicate cycle or no bleach.

No tag, and you don’t know the fill? Feel it. Down and fiber squash and shift; foam springs back in one piece; buckwheat crunches. If you’re still unsure, treat it as spot-clean only.

Pillow washing by fill

Fill	Machine wash?	How to dry	Source
Down or feather	Often, if the tag allows; some are dry clean only	Lowest heat, several cycles, fluff between	Sleep Foundation
Polyester or down alternative	Yes, gentle cycle, cold water, mild detergent	Dryer on low	Sleep Foundation
Solid memory foam	No. Spot clean	Air dry only	Sleep Foundation
Shredded memory foam	Often, but check the maker’s instructions	Air dry, as the maker directs	Sleep Foundation
Latex	No. Spot clean or hand wash	Lay flat to air out	Sleep Foundation
Buckwheat	Keep it dry; wash the removable cover	(n/a)	Sleep Foundation

Down, feather and polyester: the machine method

Strip it. Pillowcase and any protector come off and go in with the sheets.
Wash two at a time. The Sleep Foundation suggests washing in pairs “to balance out the weight, as they will become quite heavy with water.” Samsung’s bedding care page recommends only two pillows at a time in a large-capacity top loader, and loading them horizontally in a front loader, “to help keep a balanced load.”
Gentle cycle, mild detergent, and not much of it. For down and feather, the Sleep Foundation says to choose “a soap designed for feathers or down, or a mild detergent”, use “only a small amount of soap to prevent clumping or residue”, and use “cool or warm water, as hot water can damage feathers and down.” For polyester and down alternative, its other guide says a gentle cycle, mild detergent and cold water. Samsung says to use a Bedding cycle if your machine has one. Our dosing rule is in how much laundry detergent to use.
Add a rinse and a spin. An extra rinse removes “any remaining soap residue” and an extra spin removes “excess water,” per the Sleep Foundation. Squeeze out water if you need to, but “do not wring it out.”
Shake them out as soon as the cycle ends. Samsung says this helps the pillows “regain their shape.”

Drying: the step that ruins pillows

A pillow that feels dry on the outside can still be wet in the middle. The Sleep Foundation warns that “additional time may be needed to dry the interior fill, even if the cover feels dry”, and says “it’s important to allow your pillow to dry fully before using it.”

Down and feather: “use the lowest heat options over multiple cycles,” and fluff the pillows between cycles to break up clumps.
Polyester: low heat.
Dryer balls help keep the fill moving. The Sleep Foundation suggests “clean dryer balls or dry towels”; wool ones like Handy Laundry’s dryer balls are the usual kind.
Check the center. Squeeze the middle of the pillow hard and smell it. Any coolness or damp, musty smell means another cycle. A damp center is where a musty smell starts.

On a fine, breezy day, a down pillow can finish on the line after a cycle or two in the dryer, which is a line-drying job like any other.

Memory foam and latex: never in the machine

Solid memory foam is the pillow most often ruined in the wash. The Sleep Foundation is direct: solid memory foam pillows “should not be machine washed, as this can cause the foam to crack or degrade. They also should not be submerged in water.” Its separate guide to pillow care and replacement does allow a gentle hand wash every two months, so the two pages disagree on that. The safe reading is: never the machine, never the dryer, and follow the maker’s instructions if they allow a hand wash.

What does work on foam:

Spot-clean marks with a cloth and a little mild detergent solution, without soaking the foam.
Baking soda for odors. The Sleep Foundation’s method: sprinkle the pillow with baking soda, let it sit, then vacuum it off. It’s the same method as cleaning a mattress, on a smaller scale.
Wash the cover, which is usually removable and machine-washable; check its own label.

Shredded memory foam is different. The Sleep Foundation says those “can often be washed”, but to check the maker’s instructions first. Latex, per the replacement guide, should be spot-cleaned or gently hand-washed, never wrung, and laid flat to air out.

Grandma's Way

Feather pillows went out on the line every spring and fall to "air and beat." Washing them was a rare, all-day job, and the card warns, underlined, "dry right through or they'll sour."

Our Way

Twice a year in the machine, two at a time, on the dates the sheets get their seasonal strip. The underlined warning stays. A zippered protector under each pillowcase means the pillow itself gets dirty far more slowly.

How often, and when it’s past washing

How often: the Sleep Foundation says “most pillows should be washed at least twice a year”. Samsung says every 3 to 6 months, “or right after you have been sick.” Pillowcases are a separate, much shorter interval, covered in how often to wash sheets.

A protector stretches the interval. The Sleep Foundation notes that oils, sweat and drool “can also seep through pillowcases and get trapped in your pillows, causing yellow stains.” A zippered protector, such as the SafeRest pillow protector, sits under the pillowcase and catches most of that. It goes in the wash with the sheets.

When washing won’t save it:

The fold test, which the Sleep Foundation gives for down and feather pillows: if it “doesn’t spring back to its normal shape after you fold it in half,” replace it.
Lumps or sagging that fluffing doesn’t fix.
Heavy yellowing, or allergies acting up at night.
Age. The Sleep Foundation says “most experts recommend replacing pillows every 1 to 2 years”, with polyester at the short end and latex lasting longer.

FAQ: washing pillows

Can you put pillows in the washing machine?

Most down, feather and polyester pillows, yes, if the tag allows it: gentle cycle, mild detergent, two at a time, extra rinse. Solid memory foam and latex pillows should not go in the washing machine.

How do you dry pillows after washing?

On low heat, over several cycles, with dryer balls, fluffing between cycles. Keep going until the center is fully dry, not just the cover. Foam and latex pillows air dry only.

How often should you wash pillows?

At least twice a year, according to the Sleep Foundation, or every 3 to 6 months and after an illness, according to Samsung’s bedding guide. Pillowcases are washed far more often.

How do you clean a memory foam pillow?

Spot-clean marks with a little mild detergent solution, freshen it with baking soda and a vacuum, and wash the removable cover. Don’t machine wash or soak solid memory foam.