Tips and Tricks Tuesday: Miracle Wash your Pillows!
First of all, I have a confession to make. The bed in this picture is not mine. My room isn’t nearly this fancy, and my bed surely doesn’t look this nice. Ha!
I chose this picture, because today I wanted to work on some cleaning and I was working on the bedrooms. I had some extra time that fell into my schedule, and I have started both a month-by-month cleaning list as well as a 31 Days to a Clean House list just this month.
I’m a bit behind on the 31 Days to a Clean House, but a lot of it is on next month’s list for my month-by-month cleaning list. So I have the feeling it will all work out. So not only did I do some catching up on my 31 Days to a Clean House (wiping down light switches–let me just say gross!–and door knobs–even more gross!), but I also completed most of the items on my month-by-month list.
I waited until it was time to wash the sheets to take care of the next few items. It has been a while since we turned the mattresses, so I took care of that, and I also decided to try to clean the mattresses and pillows. The mattress cleaner I found…fail. I’m going to try it again when I have a sprayer that works half decently because mine just wasn’t cutting it today. You see I’ve been considering getting a new mattress recently because there comes a time where cleaning them just becomes a chore and doesn’t really make that much of a difference anymore. I’m not there yet but when I am, I’m going to think about getting a quality one with ultimate comfort. I can do this by reading their reviews online, take a look at this Peacelily Mattress Review for an example. This way at least I will know I can trust it before I buy! There is nothing worse than a mattress turning up and it’s nothing like how it seemed in the pictures and description! This goes for any bedding as well, not just mattresses. Anyhow, not something I have to think about just yet, but something that needs to start being considered for sure.
I’m also aware that for cleanliness and hygiene reasons, it’s recommended you replace your mattress every 7 years. I’m actually not sure whether it’s time for me to replace or not (I can’t remember when I last bought my mattress), but I have been looking at this firm latex mattress better than ikea! Perhaps I’ll purchase if I’m finding my mattress starts deteriorating at any point. When it comes to big purchases like this, it’s always a good idea to try and find a good deal in order to make a saving. Therefore, people may be interested in using a Saatva coupon to grab one of Saatva’s quality, luxurious mattresses at a great price!
Next on the list…pillows. I don’t know about you, but our pillows get kind of gross. Which is why I’ve been looking to buy pillows online from SleepSeeker and other sites, brand new pillows, personally, are the answer after your original ones get gross. And anyway, I know I’m not the only one…whether you can see it or not, pillows are nasty. Okay, okay, I guess you can wash them even though buying new ones seems so much better! On a serious note, if you’re a slacker like I am, please wash them at least twice a year. If you have allergies, you might want to wash them more often. But just wash them. If you want to get them super-white (like I wanted to today!), I found a great formula at One Good Thing by Jillee.
Check out Jillee’s post for her details, but here is the formula:
- 1 cup of laundry detergent
- 1 cup of powdered dish detergent
- 1 cup of bleach
- 1/2 cup of Borax
I didn’t quite follow her directions to the “T”, which is possibly the reason why mine didn’t come out perfectly white, but let me just say…this formula made a HUGE difference!
Before you do ANYTHING, PLEASE make sure your pillows don’t have specific instructions for laundering. If they do, follow the directions. Otherwise, Turn the water on hot and set for a regular load. Add your ingredients to the water and let the water run until it’s about half full. Then add your pillows. I only put in two at a time. Then close the lid and let your machine finish the cycle. Dry on high.
I hope yours turned out as bright as mine did (I’m a bit disappointed with myself that I didn’t get any before and after pictures, but my pillows aren’t fluffy and beautiful anyway. lol)! If you try it, please let me know how this worked out for you! And hopefully when you go to bed, you’ll feel nice and clean and allergen-free like me.