How to wash a feather pillow at home?

The modern market offers a huge selection of pillows with a variety of fillings: vegetable buckwheat husk, natural camel hair, bamboo, synthetic holofiber. Each person has different requirements for a sleeping pillow in order to feel rested in the morning. Fashionable environmental trends have led to the fact that downy products have become in demand again. And many simply in the old fashioned way remain true to their favorite "home" feather pillows. Consider the characteristic features of a household item with natural classic stuffing.

Pillows are filled with down and feathers of waterfowl: geese, ducks, swans, less often chicken feathers. Such a natural pillow is hygroscopic, silent, durable, has good air permeability, has excellent thermoregulation, and retains its shape well. She is considered the most comfortable. The feather filler has no smell.

Natural material quickly absorbs moisture and accumulates dust, collects dead skin and hair cells, the secret of the sebaceous and salivary glands, thus becoming a favorable atmosphere for the reproduction of mold, microbes and mites.Why there are problems with the respiratory system, the skin.

It doesn’t even occur to many housewives what a health hazard a dirty feather inside a pillowcase poses. Bed care is limited to changing pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers. This is not enough.

To prevent the occurrence of diseases, it is necessary to regularly clean feather pillows. The frequency of general processing of down products is 1-2 times a year. More frequent cleaning will damage the feathers and reduce the life of the product.

The procedure for processing a pillow at home is very difficult, but possible. Washing the finished pillow is not recommended. You will not achieve the desired effect, just get rid of a small amount of dust. In addition, you will encounter difficulties with the complete drying of the product. In order for the washing process to go well, you need to initially prepare for it.

Determine which bird feathers your pillow is filled with. If these are chicken feathers, then the product can be safely disposed of. Or take the pillow to a specialist workshop and have it dry-cleaned, warning that the pillow is stuffed with chicken feathers. Washing chicken plumage is strictly prohibited. The fluff of this bird does not tolerate moisture, dries very poorly, and in the process of hygienic processing it can simply turn into dust.

Only waterfowl feather fillers can be washed. Sew a few covers for washing feathers. For one pillow of medium standard size, at least 5 bags will be required. For sewing, you can use any thin cotton fabric, chintz, teak. Old pillowcases, tulle or a pillowcase will do.

Decide on the size of the bags. We measure the pillow that we are going to wash. We increase the length by 2 times, and leave the width the same. On the calculated parameters we sew additional bags.

If you do not want to sew a lot of extra pillowcases, then sew one, 3 times the size of the pillow. Some housewives resort to a different method: they sew small bags measuring 20x20 cm and fill them with 100-gram piles of fluff.

Before washing:

1. We knock out a feather pillow from dust.
2. We rip one edge of the napkin along the seam.
3. Carefully move the down filler into the covers made in advance.
4. We sew up the open edge of the bags firmly.

You can clean the pillow only by following our recommendations.

For washing down and feather bedding, certain products are used that do not damage the base of the pillow. It is better to use liquid washing powder, wool gel, shampoo. They gently affect the fluff during washing.

Remarkably suitable products, which include lanolin. It prevents rapid contamination of feather fibers, makes them elastic and soft. Many housewives prefer a time-tested folk remedy. They grate baby or laundry soap and dissolve it in water. Also use chlorine-containing concentrated bleach when washing, it eliminates and prevents the appearance of dust mites.

When rinsing, do not use a conditioner with a strong fragrance. The down filling absorbs odors, and the obsessive aroma causes a headache. It is better to use a couple of drops of any essential oil instead of fragrance in the secondary rinse. For example, the aroma of basil eliminates insomnia, marigolds are a good sleeping pill and restore peace of mind, the wonderful smell of jasmine enhances sensuality and creates an intimate atmosphere, and medicinal chamomile oil has a huge range of medicinal qualities, it both calms and strengthens.

Essential oils will give the product a light, unobtrusive aroma and help ward off dust mites from fluff.

Washing feather pillows at home is a rather difficult and lengthy process. Wet cleaning can be carried out in different ways: manually or using a washing machine.

Most women prefer not to waste time and energy on washing with their hands, and use an automatic machine. It is impossible to wash the whole feather pillow. The filler will go astray in one lump. In addition, a dry pillow has a weight of about 5 kilograms. Having absorbed water, it will turn into a “training” weight, which not every washing machine can handle. Washing swan down pillows in a washing machine is possible if certain conditions are met:

• select the delicate mode or the hand wash mode;
• if the automatic machine has a “down” or “duvet” mode, then set it;
• we dial the temperature no higher than 40 degrees, preferably 30;

• set the mode with a minimum number of revolutions;
• we put special balls made of soft plastic or tennis balls into the drum; when washing, they will prevent the feathers from falling into one lump and remove all contaminants;
• distribute the load on the drum. It is advisable, in addition to a cover with feathers, to put a few towels. This will allow the washing machine to work correctly and eliminate its strong vibration;
• Rinse the covers with feathers at least twice. Don't forget to add flavor before the last cycle.

Important: when washing in the machine, do not use the spin cycle. When wringing, the feathers break and become garbage. Wringing out covers with down filler can only be done manually. But if you still dared to use the machine spin, then choose the mode with the least number of revolutions (up to 400).

Hand processing is a longer and more tedious procedure than washing in a washing machine. This method of cleaning can be carried out both in bags and without bags:

• Fill a large container with water at a temperature not higher than 40 and not lower than 30 degrees. Do not use hot water. From it, the protein that is contained inside the feather coagulates, and the fluff acquires an unpleasant odor, which you will not be able to get rid of later.
• Add liquid powder or other detergent and stir. The following solution cleans feathers well: for 5 liters of water, 150 grams of grated soap and 1 teaspoon of ammonia.
• Put a bag of filler in a container or pour in some of the feathers.The fluff should float freely on the water, and not lie on its surface in a thick layer.
• Soak in warm soapy water for 2-3 hours.

• Put the feathers in a colander and rinse under the tap. If you wash in covers, then wash the bags, change the used water to a different soap solution and repeat the procedure until the water remains clean.
• Change the water and continue cleaning in the same sequence with the remaining covers or down.
• Rinse the feathers thoroughly in clean water after washing. Can be rinsed in conditioned water or with 2-3 drops of essential oil.
• Gently wring out the washed feathers.
• Gut the crumpled feathers immediately after washing. Spread them out evenly on an absorbent cloth. A large towel or bed sheet, baby diaper is also suitable. Roll the wet feather fabric into a tight roll. The fabric will take on most of the moisture.
• Don't forget to wash the empty pillowcase or replace it with a new one.

Not all housewives know that one of the ways to clean feather pillows at home is steam cleaning. And it doesn't matter if you have a steamer or a steam cleaner. You can also resort to the steam method using a conventional iron with the function of steam generation or vertical steaming:

1. Fix the pillow in an upright position. For example, you can hang it on a rope.
2. Treat the surface of the pillow on both sides with steam.
3. After 10-15 minutes, repeat the cleaning process and leave to dry. You can hang the pillow in the sun.
4. After drying, spread the filler with your hands.

Of course, steam cleaning is not a full wash, but it will secure and renew the pillow. Microorganisms and bacteria, dust mites die from the action of hot air of steam generators.The bed product gets rid of an unpleasant smell. With the help of steaming, the feather filler is cleaned of dust, the pillow acquires freshness.

In addition to washing, an important step in cleaning a classic pillow is proper and competent drying. If you approach this process irresponsibly, the filler will stick together into lumps, become moldy, and acquire a fetid odor. Wet feathers will lead to the reproduction of fungi and harmful bacteria in them. At home, you can use the following pillow drying options:

• Outdoor drying. A good option for the summer period. After a gentle manual delicate spin, place the feathers in bags made of fine fabric. Knead the lumps with your hands, shake the covers with feathers. Hang the bags outdoors so that the wind blows them. You need to hang it in the shade, because the sun's rays negatively affect the elasticity and structure of the fluff. To prevent the feathers from getting damp inside the case, they need to be shaken and kneaded periodically. In hot windy weather, the fluff dries out in a fairly short time. In addition, ultraviolet rays contribute to disinfection.

• Drying on the battery. In the old days, women washed downy underwear in the winter, allowing it to freeze well and acquire a unique frosty freshness. Frost kills germs, but does not dry out the down. Therefore, the best option for drying a feather pillow for winter time is drying on a battery. The method is very simple - spread the bags of fluff on the radiator.

• Drying in the room. The most convenient and common option is drying in the room.Spread the feather filler on any horizontal surface in a ventilated area. It is desirable to pour it on paper or a moisture-absorbing fabric folded several times. Use newspaper as a last resort, but light-colored feathers are more likely to get smudged with ink. Stir wet down as often as possible to ensure fresh air flow. To prevent the drying process from being delayed, place a small amount of fluff on the selected surface.

If you spread the filler between two layers of gauze, you can speed up drying with a hair dryer. Remember that the feather filler must be dried in 2-3 days. If the drying process was unsuccessful, and the fluff acquired an unpleasant odor, it is necessary to re-wash the feathers by repeating the whole procedure again.

After drying, cover the floor with a dry sheet or oilcloth, then you will save yourself the hassle of cleaning the room. Pour the feathers into a clean or new pillowcase. A handful of hops can be added to the bedclothes along with feathers. The smell of hop cones has a calming effect on the nervous system and helps eliminate insomnia. Sew up the breastplate with a tight seam.

Useful tips and tricks:

• The best time for such painstaking work with pillows is the summer period. On a warm, fresh air flow, the filler will dry faster; in winter, drying will be delayed or may not work.
• Before washing, you can carry out the prevention of pillows from bed mites. Take 10 liters of water, add 1 teaspoon of boric acid, 500 grams of soap and 100 grams of ammonia. Soak the pen in the resulting liquid for 1 hour.
• Fluff clogs the sewer, so when washing in the bathroom, we advise you to close the hole to drain the water with a protective mesh.
• Before washing feather bags in the washing machine, double-check that the covers you are using are secure and free from holes. Bags must be tight. Fallen fluff can clog the filter of the machine, and it will fail.

• If the pillow is old, add ammonia (a spoonful in 5 liters of water) or vinegar to the water when washing, they will remove the old smell.
• To make the new bedclothes less dirty, before stuffing it with feathers, walk inside with dry laundry soap.
• Under the main pillowcase, it is better to put on another extra one made of thin fabric. This will prevent the padding and down from getting dirty quickly.

• Vacuum the pillows once a month with a regular vacuum cleaner and take them out into the sun.
• No wonder our grandmothers fluffed down pillows every day. During shaking, air chambers are formed between the fluff pile, so the down product is saturated with air and provides good thermal insulation.
• After taking a bath or shower, dry your hair before lying down on a pillow. Moisture quickly destroys fluff.
• It is recommended to store bedding in special cases for storing down pillows and blankets. Do not store pillows in airtight bags or plastic containers.

The shelf life of feather bedding is no more than 5 years. After this time, the feather becomes dust and a habitat for harmful bacteria, and the pillow loses its original softness. Of course, it is difficult to part with your favorite pillow. But you must admit, it is not as comfortable as before.In addition, after the expiration of the service life, the number of microbes in it increases, and the “native” pillow becomes hazardous to health.

The process of cleaning the pillow at home is very long, laborious and difficult. It is suitable for people who like to control general cleaning and trust only themselves to take care of cleanliness. If you have mentally prepared yourself, gained strength and done such a difficult job, you can be congratulated. Now your bedding is clean, fragrant, soft and airy.

How to wash a feather pillow at home, see the following video.