How to get dust mites out of pillows is now a conerned for many people today. Not least because of the spike in the awareness of dust mites allergies in general. It is no secret that your bed is the ideal place for these dust mites. But not so much has been said about our pillows. The pillow can as well be a good home for dustmites. But unlike the beds it is easier to clean the pillow.
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About one third of your pillow’s weight is comprised of the skin you shed, dust mites and their droppings after the first two years of using your pillow. This does not mean you have to buy pillows regularly. There are several measures you can take to get rid of dust mites from your pillow.
This piece will take you through the various options you can explore to clean your pillow, how frequent you should wash your pillow and then give you a few tips to help you know when the lifespan of your pillow is over.
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Before you start the cleaning process , IS IT WORTH CLEANING?
The question that may be running through your mind will be if pillows are worth the cleaning. There are some tests you use to determine if you need a new pillow or if it needs cleaning.
Below are the test you can use
1. Consider your neck and back:
If your pillow gets older it loses it uprightness nature and may cause your back and neck to ache.This affect you and may result in poor sleep. So when you wake up everyday with back or neck pains, it is an indication that it is time to get a new pillow. The cleaning won’t worth it.
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2. Fold it in Half:
An easy way of confirming if your pillow is out of life is by folding it into two halves. If it does not quickly spring back, then the material inside it is very old. When the pillow is that old, no cleaning will be helpful because even if you get rid of dust mites, you will still wake up with an aching back or neck. So when it fails to quickly spring back after folding it, it is time to replace it.
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3. Consider the age of the pillow:
No matter how good you are at keeping things, they will come a time when you have to discard them. Dust mites, their droppings and other allergens may build up from the inside of the pillow and it becomes lumpy and uncomfortable with time. If your pillow is too old, it’s best to just replace it.
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What is Inside It?
If your pillow has passed the above mentioned tests, it is time to get to know what’s inside the pillow.
Knowing what is inside is a sure way of getting the cleaning process right. There are certain cleaning methods that may be avoided when a certain type of material is found in your pillow.
1. Foam pillows:
When it comes to foam pillows, using a washing machine is not a suitable approach for removing dust mites from foam pillows. And After cleaning it, you do not expose it to extreme heat or sunlight.
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2. Down Feathers or Synthetic Fiber Pillows :
Unlike the foam pillows, this kind of pillows can be washed using a washing machine.You can also use your hand to diligently clean the pillow and allow it to dry.
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Let’s now look at how to clean the types of pillows mentioned above;
Washing Down Feathers or Synthetic Fiber Pillows
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.1. Read the tag:
The number one thing to do when you want to clean your pillow is to read the tag. It contain some information known as care instructions. This gives you an idea as to how to clean. So if the tag is still available, we highly recommend you you refer to it before you begin cleaning the pillow.
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2. Machine washing :
Down feathers or synthetic Fiber pillows can be washed using a washing machine. When washing it, use hot water and make sure the machine run on a delicate cycle so that it does not lose its shape. You can do extra rinsing at 1-2 times and make use of spin cycle to get water out of your pillows.
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3. Hand washing:
To do hand washing the following will be needed: a big container, warm water, mild liquid soap and bleach.
You begin by mixing the mild liquid soap with 4 drops of the bleach in the hot water. Dip the pillow into the container for about 25 – 30 minutes. Gently squeeze the pillow to get the dirt out of it and repeat the cycle until you are certain it does not contain any dirt. Rinse the pillow in warm running water to get the soap out of it.
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4. Drying:
Put the pillow into a dryer or lay it flat to dry. After drying it, leave it in a room with low humidity.
CLEANING FOAM PILLOWS
1. Read the tag:
This is always the number one step in cleaning your pillow. Reading the instructions will give you an idea on how to go about washing it.
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2. Vacuum:
Get a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner to remove dust mites and other particles that may be found inside your pillow.
This is not the perfect way of cleaning your pillow though. But it will help loosen particles that are deeply trapped in the pillow so as to make washing easy.
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3. Spot clean:
If you happen to find any stains on your foam pillow, get a cloth or soft brush with mild soap and water to gently clean the stain. Rinse the spot with a damp cloth as soon as you are done.And then allow it to completely dry before you begin to use it again
4. No heat: In the early part of this article we mentioned that foam pillows should not be washed using washing machine or exposing it to excessive heat. So even if you want to put it in a dryer, make sure it is on the “no heat cycle “.
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5. Remove the covers :
If you are using allergy friendly covers then special care must be taken. Always read the instructions tag, it will inform you if there’s the need to wash your cover with a washing machine.
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6. Hand washing:
This may be the best option since machine washing is not suitable. Some of the pillows usually come with instructions for hand washing. If you happen to be washing it with your hands extra care must be taken in oder not to tear it.
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How Frequent Should you Wash The Pillow ?
There is no specified frequency for washing your pillow. The material that is inside your pillow influence the frequency of washing.
For instance, if it is a foam pillow you may wash it once in a month to be able to fully enjoy its lifespan. And if the pillow contain down feathers or synthetic fiber you can wash it every 6 months.
Note; You can also freeze your pillows for 24 hours to kill the dust mites on them. After freezing , wash them off. If not the dead mites will remain on the pillow.
Some Additional Tips for you
1. You can also use an air conditioner to keep the humidity of your room at around 20-40 percent.
2. Open your windows for about 1 hour everyday to improve ventilation in your room
3. You can use blinds instead of curtains to reduce dust mites in your bedroom.
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Conclusion
How to get dust mites out of pillows isn’t that difficult. And if you are allergic to dust mites , you will want to always keep your pillows free from dust mites.
And before cleaning your pillows , it is very important you determine whether it’s a foam pillow or down feathers or synthetic fibers. Because you use different method to clean these different type of pillows.
You can leave us a comment below if you have any questions or concerns about pillows and dust mites.
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