How to wash make pillows white.

One of he reasons pillows turn yellow is sweat.


When pillows start yellowing we usually toss the pillow and buy a new one. But do that when you can whiten a pillow that is still perfectly good. You may see an old article from Martha Stewart Living that suggested pillows should be WASHED at least twice a year.

This is the Miracle Laundry Whitening Solution” treatment. You can CLICK HERE to read all about it, but basically it involves the following ingredients:

• HOT HOT HOT water
• 1 cup of laundry detergent
• 1 cup powdered dishwasher detergent
• 1 cup bleach (you could try “A Natural Bleach Alternative if you are opposed to chlorine bleach)
• 1/2 cup borax

Not only did the whole pillow-washing process turn out to be much easier than I anticipated, it worked like a CHARM!  

WASHING and whitening your pillows:

• Check the care label to confirm that your pillow (down or synthetic) can be machine washed – most can be.
• Remove the pillow case and any pillow protector
• Fill the washing machine about 1/3 full with HOT water (I even added a couple of pans full of boiling water).
• Add all the ingredients in the Miracle Laundry Whitening Solution (or, if you’re just looking to wash your pillows, add your detergent now) then start the machine and allow it to agitate for a few minutes to makes sure all the detergent dissolves before adding the pillows.

• Once the detergent is dissolved, add the pillow(s), and then allow the washer to fill the rest of the way with HOT water. I washed two pillows at a time, which helped balance the load when it came time for the spin cycle.

• Agitate the pillows for several minutes, then turn the pillows OVER to allow the top side to get the full effect of agitating in the HOT water. Agitate for several minutes more.

• Put your machine on the 2nd rinse cycle or just run it through twice manually.

DRYING your pillows:

• For down and feathers, use the air cycle. For synthetics, use the low heat setting.

• Place the pillow(s) in the dryer, add a couple of tennis balls covered in clean socks or a few Homemade Dryer Balls to help FLUFF the pillows as they tumble dry. (If it’s a nice day you could also set them outside in the sun to dry!)   I dry on the clothesline.