Posted on: January 28, 2008
A Pampered Pillow is a Happy Pillow
Make sure your nightly headrest is ready, willing and able to give you a great night's sleep. Prep it with some industry-insider advice and a touch of TLC
By Chuck Ross
CTW Features
Sweet Dreams: Pampered pillows offer the best night’s rest; keep them clean, fluffy and fresh for a good night’s sleep to remember. Image courtesy iStockphoto
Pillows aren’t something many of us think about very often. We plump them up when we change the pillowcase or when we make the bed in the morning – if we make the bed in the morning. Other than that, we don’t pay them much attention. Experts say our nightly headrests deserve more respect.
“I can’t think of any other item, except a bed, that your body is on for such a long period of time,” says Michael Breus, Ph.D., author of "Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep" (Plume, 2007). He notes that oils, sweat and even old skin cells can, over time, create a dirty pillow – even if you’re covering it with a freshly laundered case every week.
The following tips can help you – and your pillows – sleep easier every night:
Cover Up
Get protective covers for your pillows. Lisa Schein, an associate buyer for The Company Store, the La Crosse, Wis.-based pillow and comforter manufacturer, says this move can help even people with allergies enjoy the plush comforts of down and feather pillows. “A lot of people feel they’re allergic to down pillows, but a lot of the time they’re allergic to dust,” and tucking the pillow into an easily laundered cover can eliminate that problem.
The Art of Clean
Clean your pillows once or twice a year, the experts advise. Some dry cleaning shops offer pillow-care services, but even down and feather pillows can be washed at home if you have a front-loading machine – agitators in top-loaders can damage the covers. Follow the instructions from the retailer or manufacturer.
Nice and Fluffy
Fluff your pillows frequently. Even if the sheets stay in a bunch when you head off to work, take a couple extra seconds to plump your pillows back into shape. This practice helps maintain its fullness, and will help keep it from becoming prematurely matted.
Breaking Point
Breus says that if you can’t remember when you bought your pillows, they probably need replacing. He suggests refreshing your collection every 12 to 18 months. When patients of his Scottsdale, Ariz., sleep clinic argue their years-old pillows are now perfectly “broken in,” he responds with a simple question: “If you’ve been breaking it in [all this time], what’s going to keep it from continuing to break?”