Why You Should Replace Your Pillows?
However costly your pillows are you should replace your pillows within 1 or 2 years & in order to increase the lifetime of the pillows you have to wash them after 2-3 days. With time, even the best pillows wear out and also become a breeding ground for allergens. A good pillow along with good pillow cases should support your head and spine properly to maintain good sleep hygiene to get the best sleeping experience.
Refer to the below points on why you should replace pillows
1. Prevents Head & Spine Pain
To keep your neck & spine in a neutral position your pillows play an important role to keep your back aligned & along with your mattress. Pillows help to reduce the stress of your day-to-day work after casually sleeping on them with their coziness & comfort, relaxing your mind & body.
When we cuddle at our pillows it releases a hormone called “Oxytocin” that makes one warm & relaxed.
2. Maintains & Promotes Hygiene
Did you know? Your pillows not only provide good sleep but also are good absorbers (Yes you heard it right) Your sweat, hair, saliva, body oil, and dead skin cells are all absorbed by your pillows. Even if you have a pillowcase, it may not provide enough protection which leads to dirty fluids and flakes that cause bacteria and other bad allergens which lead to a bad odor. The odor can be removed by washing your pillows & pillowcases, but not the allergens.
3. Reduces unwanted Allergies & Bacterias
Ever heard of dust mites or bed bugs? They are small creatures that live, grow & multiply on your bed as they feed on our dead skin cells and thrive in a warm, humid atmosphere.
Dust mites are the reason most people are prone to allergies and the reason for poor sleep quality, they mostly trigger watery eyes, itchy throat, runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, and breathing difficulties for some people. Allergen build-up can be reduced by replacing pillows.
How To Maintain Your Pillows?
Your pillows need care just like most of our day-to-day stuff. The lifespan of pillows can be extended by some more few years by taking proper maintenance. You can check the instructions on the care label of your pillows to ensure you don’t ruin them while washing or drying. Not all pillows can be machine-washed or hand-washed. Some need spot cleaning or dry cleaning.
When To Replace Your Pillows?
Now that you know why you should replace your pillows, you should know when to change them. You’ll know it’s time to change them when you notice any of the following signs:
- You wake up with neck pain frequently
- Your shoulder muscles feel cramped in the mornings
- You can’t sleep well due to headaches
- Allergy symptoms, such as itchy throat, runny nose, watery eyes, skin rashes, or breathing difficulties bother you all night
- You notice tiny yellow spots or stains on your pillows despite washing. The marks could be from sweat, body oil, or dust mite droppings
- You feel lumps in your pillow
- Your pillow feels flat
- When you can easily fold your pillows in half
FAQs
Can you hand wash a pillow?
Yes, you can hand wash any pillow as long as the care label doesn’t mention dry cleaning. Most down or down alternative pillows can be hand washed or machine washed. Memory foam and latex pillows should be spot cleaned since machine washing them can damage the foam.
How do I kill the dust mites in my pillow?
You can wash your pillows in hot water that’s at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. If your pillows are not washable, you can put them in a dryer at 130 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes to kill all microorganisms. Before doing any of these, it’s good to check the instructions on the care label.
How to fluff pillows?
You can fluff your pillows by keeping them out on a sunny day for three to four hours. Usually, moisture or unevenly distributed fiberfill flattens your pillow. When you dry out your pillows in the sun, the moisture evaporates leaving a nice fluffy pillow. You can pull the pillow from both ends and shake it up to adjust the fiberfill inside. Keeping your pillow inside the dryer for 45 to 60 minutes on a low heat setting also does the trick.
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