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Cleaning feather pillows. How to clean feather pillows at home How to clean feather pillows at home

The most common types of pillows are down and feather. They are found in almost every home. Such products are very comfortable and soft; the filler in them, unlike synthetic ones, does not “fall off” and does not form into clumps.

But products made from such material quickly accumulate dust, and bacteria easily multiply in them, which is harmful to human health. That is why you need to know how to wash a feather pillow at home.

What to do with old feather pillows

Unlike chicken feather pillows, a duck or goose feather pillow will last up to 50 years.

These days, the choice of pillows is very wide. You can purchase a down, feather or bamboo product. Each type of filler has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The most significant disadvantage of feather and down pillows is that in the absence of proper care, they become a breeding ground for mites, bacteria and dust. This is why feather fillers need to be cleaned regularly.

However, you should know that after a certain time you will have to get rid of the pillow, because it will be unusable. The shelf life of such products depends on whose feather they are filled with.

If it is a goose or duck feather, then you can use such a pillow for a very long time - up to 50 years. When the “filling” of a product contains chicken feathers, it is better to get rid of it after 5–7 years, since the filling will become unusable.

Where can you clean down pillows?

Due to the nature of the filler, cleaned down or feather pillows can be used for no more than six months. After this period has expired, they will have to be washed again.

You can clean a pillow with such a filling either at home or in a dry cleaner, laundry or a special salon where they restore pillows.

Tidying up a pillow at home is not as difficult as it seems, but doing it yourself will take a lot of time. In addition, after washing, the filler takes a long time to dry, and the cleaning process will take a long time.

If you have free time, you can do everything you need at home. For those who do not want to “stretch out” this process the best option there will be a trip to the dry cleaner.

How much does it cost to dry clean a feather pillow?

In specialized dry cleaners and laundries, you can be offered two types of washing - dry and wet.

Wet washing is carried out using organic detergents. The feather is removed from the pillow, placed in a reservoir and treated with a special solution. Thanks to this, all bacteria, microorganisms and foreign odors are destroyed in the filler. The feather is then washed and dried.
Dry cleaning (also called air cleaning) involves treating the filler with air or hot steam, as well as UV radiation. The feather is blown through, which restores the volume of the product and removes dust and debris. At the same time, ultraviolet treatment is carried out - this allows you to destroy all bacteria. After cleaning, new napkins are filled with cleaned feathers.

It is preferable to dry clean chicken feather pillows.

The cost of dry cleaning services directly depends on the size of the pillow. The larger it is, the higher the price will be. On average, the price varies between 400–500 rubles. Plus, you will have to throw away the old napkin, and you will additionally pay for a new cover.

How to clean down pillows at home

If you don’t trust dry cleaners, you can always do the work yourself, without extra money.

How to clean feather pillows? First you need to determine which birds' feathers and down the products are stuffed with. If it is a chicken feather, then it would be better to go to a dry cleaner, focusing the employees’ attention on the fact that it needs to be dry cleaned, without using steam. Otherwise, the feathers may simply crumble into fibers.

But if the feather is a goose or duck, feel free to get to work yourself. You can clean the filling of feather pillows using a hand or machine washable.

Handwash

Pillows made from goose or duck feathers can be cleaned using laundry soap and ammonia.

To clean your pillow effectively, you first need to decide what kind of detergent you will use.

This can be laundry soap with ammonia (half a piece of soap is grated, dissolved in one bucket of water and two teaspoons of ammonia are added there).

If you don’t want to bother with preparing such a solution, use a detergent for washing woolen fabrics. The work must be performed in the following sequence:

Spread the pillow and immerse the filling, distributed in bags, in parts into the prepared solution. This must be done carefully, tying the bags tightly, otherwise the light fluff will scatter throughout the room.
After all the fluff is immersed in the liquid, “stir” it a little with your hands and leave to soak for 4-6 hours.
Then remove the filler from the cleaning solution and rinse clean water. It is better to do this with a shower. If you want to add scent to your feathers, you can treat them with fabric softener before the final rinse.
To dry the feather stuffing, lay it out on a flat surface in a well-ventilated area and cover the top with gauze. The feather will take a long time to dry, usually taking several days.
Sew the dried clean fluff into a new bedspread.

Remember that you need to wait until the feather is completely dry, and only then lay it out on the pillowcases. Otherwise, excess moisture will ruin the filler, and it will be impossible to correct the situation.

Machine washable

It is recommended to wash the pillow in parts, after placing the feather in the covers.

Using a machine, you can wash the pillow without taking it apart. The main condition is that it must be in a special case. If this is not done, there is a high risk that the pillowcase will tear and the fluff will clog the working parts of the machine.

The quality of washing the entire pillow is not very high, and you can count on a good result only if the feather is not very dirty. If the filler has managed to “collect” a large number of dust, it is better to rip the pillow open and place the feathers in fabric bags while washing and drying.

It is necessary to wash pillows in a machine in the “delicate wash” mode and at a temperature not exceeding 40C.

When washing, adhere to the following rules:

use only special liquid products for woolen fabrics or down products;
wash in the “delicate” mode;
use the extra rinse and spin function;
After rinsing, leave the bags with filling in the drum for 30–40 minutes to drain excess moisture.

Machine washing is good because after it the filler dries much faster.

Sleeping on a clean, freshly washed pillow is very pleasant. And it doesn’t matter what you do for this - wash the product yourself, or entrust the work to professionals.

Not really

Good sleep and rest can no longer be comfortable if one of the most important elements of a sleeping set - a pillow - is in poor condition. Over time, it becomes dirty, becomes hard and begins to smell bad. From this article you will learn how to clean pillows at home and eliminate all the above problems that interfere with healthy sleep.

Why do you need to clean pillows?

Ideally, down and feather products should be “updated” annually. The reason for this is many factors:

A person sweats regularly, especially in the hot summer, and the pillow filler actively absorbs this very sweat, so after a certain period of time it appears bad smell and stains on the surface of the product;
Over time, the “filling” becomes compacted and becomes harder, so discomfort begins to appear during sleep and rest;
A pillow is an excellent environment for the accumulation of harmful microorganisms. They penetrate the structure of the feather especially intensely when a person is sick and is regularly in bed;
Dust accumulated in the filler becomes a home for dust mites, causing allergic reactions and various skin diseases.

That is why cleaning pillows is, although rarely performed, an essential part of an ideal order in the house.

Dry cleaning services

Many people do not know where to clean and “bring back to life” products made from feather or down. For those who do not want to spend a lot of time “reanimating” their favorite bedding item at home, a dry cleaner, laundry service or a special restoration salon will come to the rescue. In these institutions, the restoration process is carried out quite quickly and is relatively inexpensive.

According to specifics, such cleaning can be of two types:

Wet - the pad is opened, its contents are removed and placed in a reservoir with a special liquid solution that eliminates extraneous odors and also kills harmful microorganisms, insects and bacteria. Next, the feather is dried, then a new bedspread is filled with it;
Dry – the extracted pillow “filling” is treated with hot steam or air in a special unit. This procedure helps to get rid of dust and debris, as well as restore the volume of matted fluff. The device also has built-in ultraviolet lamps, which kill bacteria and other living creatures. The whole process takes about 20 minutes, after which the cleaned and enlarged feather is filled into a new feather bed.

The cost of the service directly depends on the volume of filler and the size of the pillow itself. The average price is about 500 rubles. In addition, you will need to add a surcharge for a new case, since you will have to get rid of the old one.

It will be difficult to evaluate the quality of the work performed, because the process is not carried out before your eyes. It is worth paying special attention to the fabric from which the new case is made. If it is satin, chintz or other soft material, then the new product will be short-lived and feathers will soon come out of it. A durable material like teak is best.

Homemade pillow cleaning

Procedures for restoring your favorite feather or down product can be carried out at home. There is nothing difficult about this, although you will have to tinker a little.

Before you start washing the “filling”, carefully read the information on the pillow label. If the carrier of the fluff was a waterfowl, then you can safely begin the process. Otherwise, the filler cannot be exposed to water, especially if it consists of feathers and down of chickens. This material practically does not dry, does not tolerate moisture at all, and when exposed to it begins to disintegrate into fibers.

It is better to dispose of such a pillow immediately or take it to the dry cleaner for dry cleaning only.

Wash completely

If the feather needs to be washed, you can choose whether to wash the entire pillow and its contents, or remove it and do it right. It is not recommended to wash entire items, because you may not achieve the desired effect, but there will be a huge chance of throwing away feather pillows. A washed pillow as a whole will only save you from small quantity dust, but there will be great difficulties in drying it, because the filler gets into heaps, which will be extremely difficult to knead. And it will take a lot of time to completely dry the product.

If you decide to start the washing process in washing machine, be sure to use a special cover, because the old lining of the product may not hold up and break - the washing machine drum has high speeds. You will lose your pillow, and the washing machine may burn out, because the filler will clog the pump and filter of the device.

We take out the “internals”

But it’s better to do everything right right away and clean the feathers in the pillows separately.

Actions at home to clean the insides are as follows:

First, prepare a detergent from laundry soap (72%) and ammonia. Take a bucket of water and rub half a bar of soap into it, add two teaspoons of ammonia. You can use detergent for woolen fabrics;
Next, we open the down pillows and drop the contents into the solution in small parts. You can’t pour everything at once, because the filler will scatter throughout the room;
Mix feathers and fluff thoroughly in the prepared solution and leave to infuse for about half a day. When the filler is thoroughly “marinated” in the soapy solution, take it out and rinse with clean water. It will be convenient to do this with the help of a shower. Before using clean water, you can rinse the pen in fabric softener to give it a gentle scent and remove odors from your pillows;
To wring out the feather in the washing machine, prepare gauze bags. Fold several layers of gauze fabric and sew it tightly into a bag, then fill it with feathers and sew it very tightly. Place the bags in a special case for washing pillows and place them in automatic washing machine, be sure to use the rinse and spin mode. After squeezing, the gauze bags need to be shaken and hung to dry, with additional shaking from time to time;
If you don’t want to sew gauze bags for use in a washing machine, you can dry the feather anyway, it will just take more time. Lay it out on a flat surface to allow access to natural heat and light, cover it with gauze and do not touch it for several days. Check for dryness from time to time and break up any stuck lumps;
When the feathers are dry, they are ready for direct use. Take a new bedstead made of good, durable material, fill it with “stuffing” and then sew it tightly. At this point, the procedure is completed, and a fresh pillow is ready to give you its former softness and pleasant smell.

If you need to clean sofa cushions, they don’t have to be ripped open. First of all, knock them out, then vacuum them. Next, steam with an iron or steam generator to kill all microorganisms. Additionally, use the vacuum cleaner again.

Cleaning pillows is a very useful procedure, because then you will be sure that your body is safe and not in danger, and your rest will become more pleasant and comfortable.

Video: How to wash a feather pillow at home

At the moment, you can purchase pillows with absolutely any filling. But like our mothers, fathers and grandmothers, the choice often falls on feathers. And in this article we will tell you about all the intricacies of caring for pillows with feather filling. Namely:

what methods exist for cleaning these pillows;
how to clean feather pillows at home;
how to wash them in the washing machine.

Let's get started.

Methods for cleaning pillows

How to clean down pillow? Basically, we all love feather pillows because of their long lifespan. But there is one important detail— a feather pillow will serve you for as long as possible if you clean it once every six months. You can take the item to a dry cleaner where professionals will take care of it, and here's how they do it:

To begin with, all feathers from the pillow will be removed and processed in an organic solvent, which will remove dirt, dust mites, germs and various odors. This, of course, is very good, but there is a downside to the coin - this solvent can easily ruin feathers.
After the feathers have been processed, they are dried and ventilated. This may also not have a very good effect on the feathers, because they can dry out and become smaller, which means that your pillow will lose its former softness and size. And this is undoubtedly a minus.

Important! You will also find a lot of useful information in the article, .

There are other ways to wash a pillow:

Dry cleaning of down products. This is a simple procedure in which, with the help of a strong air stream, the feathers are cleaned of dust, dirt, debris, while they still fluff up.
Also using ultraviolet lamp feathers are cleaned of dust mites.

Then the feathers are simply packaged into new napkins, and as a result, we get a product that is very soft and pleasant to the touch. Cool, right? But for this event we will have to pay a good amount of money - we won’t say exactly how much, it depends on the place where you are doing it, it’s different everywhere.

But, if you have a limited budget or you simply don’t want to pay for cleaning your pillow, then now we will share with you how to clean feather pillows at home yourself.

Cleaning a pillow at home

Yes, if you still decide to clean the pillow with your own hands, then you have chosen, perhaps, the most best way caring for such an important household item. Yes, of course, you will have to work hard, but the result is worth it, believe me.

The washing itself is not difficult, the most difficult thing is to dry everything, especially since this must be done as well as possible.

Important! It is worth considering that in the composition of such pillows you can find not only feathers but also bird down, therefore, cleaning should take place in several stages, between which we will make time intervals.

What type of feathers are washable?

Initially, you need to find out what kind of feather your old pillow is made of, which needs to be washed or even remade. This can be found on the product label.

Important! Only feathers and down of waterfowl can be washed! If it consists of chicken feathers, then you can safely dispose of it.

Do we erase the whole thing or remove the contents?

Many people wonder: is it possible to wash a pillow completely without removing the contents? It’s possible, but there is one “but”: during the washing process it will become so heavy that you can’t wash it by hand, you simply won’t have enough strength, and washing it in a machine is prohibited.

No, you, of course, can wash it in a machine, but this way you will not achieve the desired effect, but will only get rid of dirt and dust. And plus, when washed in a machine, all the feathers will stick together and form clumps that are simply impossible to get rid of. Because of this, the pillow will simply go to waste. But our task is to clean the product, not to get rid of it, right?

As a result, the answer to this question is that it is better to wash them separately. How? Now we will provide you step by step instructions handmade restoration of feather pillows.

Important! Washing the pillow should be done in the warm season.

Washing steps:

The first step towards a clean pillow is to create a soap solution. This solution includes:
- one bar of “Soviet-grade” laundry soap, grated on a coarse grater;
- one teaspoon of ammonia;
- water.

Important! The basin for the solution should be sufficiently voluminous.

Next comes the most “painful” procedure. We are ripping open the breastplate. And it doesn’t matter that your grandmother sewed it. Just imagine how much dirt there is in it.
After we have ripped open the napkin, we take and place the feathers in small portions into the solution we have prepared.

Important! You shouldn’t shove everything in at once, otherwise your bathtub will turn into a chicken coop.

Next, two to three hours of rest while the feathers are soaked in water.
After we have gained strength, we take our palms and simply rub the feathers between them, rinse them. A sieve, colander or running water can help with rinsing.
Place the washed feathers in small portions into gauze bags.
Closed tightly, or better yet, sewn gauze bags are placed in washing machine-machine and start the spin mode, preferably in a gentle mode. Of course, you can skip all this, and just let them lie there to dry, but this takes a long time, and you risk that the feathers may simply stink.
Final drying should be carried out in a well-ventilated place where there is sun. In this case, the bags must be shaken regularly and turned over at least three times a day.
Well, the last stage is washing the bedsheet. After the feathers have dried and the napkin itself has dried, we simply put the feathers back and sew the napkin very tightly.

That's it, congratulations, your pillow is perfectly clean, but has not lost its softness and size, and this is very important.

Important! All only useful information about manufacturing technology, cleaning, storage, and you will also find in our article about .

Washing the pillow in the washing machine

If you are scared by such a labor-intensive process, or you simply don’t have much free time, then you can wash the feathers in a machine. But to do this, you need to take into account a couple of very important factors that will protect the washing machine from failure and the pillow from the appearance of lumps:

The first is the presence of a special cover, without which everything will simply tear and fill your machine with feathers.
Secondly, the gauze bags in which we will put feathers in small portions should be made incredibly durable. This can be done by simply folding the gauze into four, or even five, or six layers, and sewing it very firmly.
After you have washed the feathers in gauze bags in an automatic washing machine, you simply lay them out on a flat surface that is ventilated and on which the sun falls. But at the same time, you will have to turn the bags over very often and make sure that there are no lumps in them, smoothing them out.
After everything has dried, fill the napkin and sew it tightly, with thick threads.

Important! If you are also thinking about changing traditional bed textiles, find out all about a successful alternative -

A pillow is one of the main elements of home bedding; it gives comfort, promotes rest, and allows the body to relax.

Any textile product requires care, and here we will look at how to clean feather pillows at home without resorting to expensive dry cleaners.

Despite the fact that today there are many other fillers, feather pillows remain in demand, because they have high wear resistance.

Features of cleaning feather pillows

At home, the pen cannot be cleaned except by washing. But under no circumstances should you completely wash a feather pillow, even if it fits comfortably in the drum of an automatic washing machine. The feather will gather in clumps, it will be impossible to dry it properly, and the pillow will not regain its former shape and will become completely unusable. To clean the product, you will have to rip it apart and remove the filler from it.

To prevent your apartment from turning into a chicken coop in a matter of minutes, it is better to rip open the cover and remove the feather in the bathroom. First you will need to sew several gauze bags. Any other light, thin fabric will also work. These bags will be needed for any washing, manual or machine. It is very important that they are sewn well, otherwise all the fluff will fly away and it will be impossible to collect it.

When the feather gets wet, it becomes several times heavier, so it is better to separate the filling of even one medium pillow into 3-4 bags.

The pillow cover can be washed separately in a machine or by hand.

How to wash a feather pillow

Feathers are an organic material and cannot be treated with aggressive detergents containing chlorine or bleaches. The most the best remedy There will be a special liquid washing solution for items made of delicate fabrics and wool. You can also wash your feather product in liquid soap or shampoo. It is better not to use regular washing powder.

Handwash

Let's look at how to wash feather pillows at home by hand.

Carefully spread the napkin, remove the feather and place it in bags prepared in advance.
Tie the bags carefully, or, better yet, sew them up.
Fill a basin with warm water (not higher than 40ºC), dilute the detergent in it.
Dip one bag at a time into the soapy solution and wash the feather thoroughly.
When you have washed all the bags, put them in a bathtub or other container. cold water and rinse all bags. To rinse the detergent thoroughly, you will have to replace the cold water several times.
Finally, rinse the feather in a fabric softener solution (optional, but recommended).
After rinsing, wring out the bags, but under no circumstances twist them.
Place the bags on a drying rack or hang them on a line.

On a note!In order for the feather to dry quickly and well, it is better to dry it in the air under the sun. Every hour during drying, you need to shake the feathers in the bags, this will dry them faster.

Machine washable

To clean feather pillows yourself in the washing machine, the filling is also placed in small bags, which must be securely sealed.

Load the feather bags into the machine drum.
Fill the detergent and conditioner containers.
Select a program for washing delicate fabrics or wool.
Set the spin speed to the lowest possible, otherwise the fluff may spoil.
It is recommended to set it to double rinse.
Start the machine and after the end of the cycle, hang the bags to dry.

On a note! Feathers take a long time to dry. You can dry bags heating devices, but not too close to them.

When the feathers are dry, carefully place them in a clean bedsheet and sew it up. Clean pillow ready for further use.

The tips below will help extend the life of your pillow and keep it clean longer.

Every day when you make your bed, lightly fluff your pillow, otherwise the feathers will clump.
Use a double bedstead.
Change your pillowcases every week.
Don't go to bed with a wet or even slightly damp head. Moisture is absorbed inside, otherwise mold may grow in the feathers.
In summer, periodically place the pillows in the sun, dry for 3-4 hours, then shake well.
In winter, dry the product near the radiator once every 2-3 weeks.
When putting the pillow away for storage, it must be packed in a waterproof case.

Now you know how to clean feather pillows at home and can do it yourself. It is better to wash the pen in the summer, when it is warm and sunny outside, so that the filler can breathe out quickly and well. If you follow the rules for caring for the product, then cleaning it once a year is enough. You can take your pillow to a dry cleaner, where specialists will do everything for you.

Many housewives do not dare to clean soft bedding themselves for fear of ruining them. It's actually not that scary. We will tell you about several simple options, how to wash a feather pillow at home. Do not miss an important stage - proper drying, on which the safety of the filler depends.

Wash by hand

You can wash pillows at home in an automatic machine, but the manual method has one significant advantage - the fluff is cleaned evenly, does not clump together and retains its shape. This rule especially applies to orthopedic pillows, each wash of which reduces medicinal properties this item.

In order to know how to clean a feather pillow at home, you need to follow the following technology:

Remove the filler and place it in a bowl with warm water, in which dilute the cleaning product (shavings of laundry soap will do just fine).
After two hours, remove the feathers, rinse thoroughly clean water, squeeze out and spread on a flat surface for the final stage - drying. It is better if it is an outdoor place or a ventilated room. At the end, all that remains is to return the filler and stitch the product onto sewing machine. More details in the video below.

Washing in a washing machine

There are several features of washing pillows in a machine.

Important: if you decide to wash a small pillow completely, stock up on special balls that will prevent the fluff from bunching up. An alternative to such devices is a couple of tennis balls.

Cleaning feather pillows at home can be done in several ways. It can be washed either as a whole (small size product) or disassembled into several fragments. We recommend the latter as the most effective. Sequencing:

Carefully open the napkin and remove the feather filling.
Distribute it into several bags (old unnecessary pillowcases, which will need to be sewn to prevent the fluff from spilling, are quite suitable) and wash separately with the addition of detergent for delicate washing.
Set the machine to the normal mode with a spin speed of 1000 or, if provided by the manufacturer, to the “duvet” mode.
After drying, place the filler in a new case, which can be sewn from new thick fabric.

Advice: Choose your laundry detergent carefully. It should be delicate, without pronounced fragrances. You can clean the feather pillow by adding regular baby soap to the compartment. Our recommendation is gel products that are quickly washed out during rinsing.

How to dry properly

This can be done in several ways:

After machine washing the pouches, distribute the contents evenly, and then lay the pouches on old, unwanted fabric. Roll them tightly to get rid of excess moisture and speed up the drying process of the filler.
To get rid of moisture from the pillow, you can also use a dryer at a temperature of 30°C, a radiator, or take it out into the open air, hanging it on a rope. Pour the dried feather into a clean bedcloth, which you sew on a sewing machine for reliability.

This is interesting: It is useful for feather filler to sometimes “take” sunbathing: ultraviolet rays ensure its disinfection.

Dry air cleaning

This type of pillow cleaning is only possible in specialized dry cleaners. The bottom line is to use exclusively ultraviolet light, vacuum and special lamps, as in the photo. No liquid detergents or water, which can weigh down down or feathers too much. This method is worth learning about for those who do not have the opportunity or time to do bedding themselves.

Dry cleaning is suitable for pillows that have not been in use for too long and do not have difficult stains. Great this method Suitable for removing dust.

Cleaning process:

All the filler is pulled out of the diaper and placed in special device, in which it is exposed to ultraviolet light for approximately ten minutes.
To return the fluff to its former lushness, it is processed in a vacuum, and then returned to its original place.
Such manipulations not only clean the pillows, but also have an antimicrobial effect on them through exposure to bactericidal lamps.

At home, you can achieve at least a slightly approximate result by hanging the pillow out in the cold in clear weather under the influence of the sun's rays. This is exactly what our grandmothers did.

Steam cleaning

Steam cleaning differs from dry cleaning by removing not only dust, but also by thorough disinfection. The principle remains approximately the same: the filler is removed, processed and placed in the bedspread. However, processing in in this case carried out at high temperatures of 120 degrees. Then the pillow is thoroughly dried.

As a result of this processing, broken particles of feathers and dust formed during operation are also removed. Another advantage of the method is that it can be used to remove dust mites and other microorganisms that settle in the bed.

How to properly care

Most housewives choose pillows with feather filling due to its softness and airiness. However, do not forget that materials of organic origin are subject to destruction after several years. Find out how to properly care for your sleep accessories so that they last you as long as possible:

Fluff your favorite pillow quite often, such as every morning. This simple procedure will help maintain its elasticity and provide you with a comfortable sleep for many nights.
Wash the product several times a year, as it can absorb sebum, sweat and other secretions very well human body. This will save your pillow from unpleasant odor and remove pathogenic organisms that have managed to settle in the filler.
If it is necessary to treat particularly contaminated items, it is better to contact a dry cleaner and trust the professionals. They know how to remove stains of different origins.