How To Wash A Feather Pillow At Home?
The modern market offers a large selection of pillows with a variety of fillings: vegetable buckwheat husk, natural camel hair, bamboo, synthetic hollow fiber. 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 down products are in demand again. And many just the old-fashioned way stick to their favorite "homemade" feather pillows. Consider the characteristic features of a household item with a natural classic pattern.
- How To Wash A Feather Pillow At Home and Pillows Product
Features
Pillows are filled with feathers and feathers of waterfowl - geese, ducks, swans, less often chicken feathers. Such a natural pillow is hygroscopic, quiet, durable, has good air permeability, has excellent thermoregulation and holds its shape well. She is considered the most comfortable. The feather filling is odorless.
The 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 growth of mold, germs and ticks. Why are there problems with the respiratory system, the skin
Many housewives do not even think about the danger to their health from the dirty pen in the bed. Bed care is limited to changing pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers. This is not enough.+
- To avoid the occurrence of diseases, it is necessary to regularly clean the feather pillows. The frequency of general processing of soft products is 1-2 times a year. More frequent cleaning will damage the pens and shorten the life of the product.
- The procedure for processing pillows at home is very difficult, but possible. Washing the finished pillow is not recommended. You will not achieve the desired effect, just remove a small amount of powder. Also, you will find it difficult to completely dry the product. For the washing process to go smoothly, you must first prepare for it.
Preparation
Determine which feathers your pillow is filled with. If it is chicken feathers, the product can be disposed of safely. Or take the pillow to a specialized workshop and order dry cleaning, noting that the pillow is stuffed with chicken feathers. The plumage of the chicken 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.+
You can wash only waterfowl feather fillings. Sew some feather wash covers. At least 5 bags will be needed for a medium standard size pillow. For sewing, you can use any thin cotton, chintz, teak fabric. Old pillowcases, tulle, or bedding will suffice.
Determine the size of the bags. We measure the pillow that we are about to wash. We increase the length 2 times and leave the width the same. We sew additional bags on the calculated parameters.+
If you don't want to sew a lot of extra pillowcases, sew one, 3 times more pillows. Some housewives resort to another method: they sew small bags of 20x20 cm in size and fill them with 100 grams of fluff.
Before washing:
- We remove the feather pillow from the dust.
- Unzip one edge of the shell at the seam.
- Carefully move the soft padding onto the pre-made covers.
- Sew the open edge of the bags firmly.
It Means
To wash down bedding, certain means are used that do not damage the base of the pillow. It is better to use liquid washing powder, gel for wool products, shampoo. They gently affect the lint during washing.+
Remarkably suitable media, including lanolin. Prevents rapid contamination of feather fibers, makes them flexible and soft. Many housewives prefer a folk remedy, tested over time. They squeak children's or household soap and dissolve it in water. It is also used when washing concentrated chlorine bleach, it eliminates and prevents the appearance of dust mites.
When rinsing, do not use a strong fragrance conditioner. The soft filling absorbs odors and the obsessive scent causes a headache. It is best to use a couple of drops of any essential oil rather than a perfume when rinsing. For example, the aroma of basil eliminates insomnia, marigolds are good sleeping pills and restore tranquility, the wonderful smell of jasmine enhances sensuality and creates an intimate atmosphere, and medicinal chamomile oil has a great variety. of medicinal qualities, calms and strengthens.
The essential oils will give the product a light and unobtrusive scent and will help to eliminate dust mites from lint.
How To Care?
Washing down pillows at home is quite a difficult and time-consuming process. Wet cleaning can be done in different ways: manually or using a washing machine.
In The Washing Machine
Most women prefer not to waste their time and energy with hand washing, and use an automatic machine. You cannot wash the entire feather pillow. The filling will be in a lump. Also, a dry pillow has a weight of about 5 kilograms. Having absorbed the water, it will become a "training" weight, which not all washing machines will master. It is possible to wash swan pillows in a washing machine if certain conditions are met:+
- choose a delicate mode or a hand wash mode;
- If the machine has a "fluff" or "quilt" mode, set it;
- we pick up the temperature no more than 40 degrees, preferably 30;
- set the mode with the minimum number of revolutions;
we put special balls made of soft plastic or tennis balls in the drum, when washing them they will prevent the feathers from falling into a lump and remove all the dirt;
distribute the load on the drum. It is recommended, in addition to a cover with feathers, to put some towels. This will allow the washing machine to function properly and eliminate its strong vibration;
rinse the feathered covers at least twice. Don't forget to add a fragrance before the last cycle.
Important: When washing in the machine, you cannot use the spin mode. When pressed, the feathers break off and become debris. You can only press the filled covers down manually. But if you still dare to use the spin of the machine, select the mode with the lowest number of revolutions (up to 400).
Manual Way
Manual processing is a longer and tedious procedure than washing in a washing machine. This cleaning method 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 within the pen folds, and the fluff gets an unpleasant smell, which you cannot get rid of later.
Add liquid powder or other detergent and mix. The following solution cleans the feathers well: for 5 liters of water, 150 grams of grated soap and 1 teaspoon of ammonia.
Put a stuffed bag in the container or pour out some of the feathers. The fluff should float freely on the water and not rest on its surface in a thick layer.
Soak in warm soapy water for 2-3 hours.
- Place the feathers in a colander and rinse under the tap. If washing with covers, stretch the bags, change the used water to another soapy solution and repeat the procedure until the water remains clear.
- Change the water and continue cleaning in the same sequence with any remaining covers or lint.
- Rinse the feathers well in clean water after washing. It can be rinsed in air-conditioned water or with 2-3 drops of essential oil.
Gently squeeze out the washed feathers.
Gut wrinkled feathers right after washing. Spread them evenly on an absorbent cloth. Also suitable is a large towel or a sheet, a baby diaper. Roll the wet pen into a tight roll. The fabric will take up the main moisture.
Don't forget to wash the empty bib or replace it with a new one.
Steam Cleaning
Not all housewives know that steam cleaning is a way to clean feather pillows at home. 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 vertical steam or steam generation function:+
- Hold the pillow in an upright position. For example, you can hang it on a rope.
- Steam the surface of the pillow on both sides.
- After 10-15 minutes, repeat the cleaning process and allow to dry. You can hang a pillow in the sun.
- After drying, spread the filling with your hands.
Of course, steam cleaning is not a complete wash, but it will protect and update the pillow. Microorganisms and bacteria, dust mites are killed by exposure to hot air from steam generators. Bedding eliminates odor. With the help of steam, the feather filling is cleaned of dust, the pillow becomes fresh.
Drying
In addition to washing, an important step in cleaning a classic pillow is proper and proper drying. If you approach this process irresponsibly, the filling will stick together in lumps, become moldy, and acquire a foul odor. Wet feathers will lead to the multiplication of harmful fungi and bacteria in them. At home, you can use the following pillow drying options:+
Air drying . A good option for the summer. After the gentle gentle hand twisting, put the feathers in bags sewn from a thin fabric. Crush the lumps with your hands, shake the feather covers. Hang the bags outside to be blown away by the wind. It should hang in the shade, because the sun's rays adversely affect the elasticity and structure of the fluff. So that the feathers do not get wet inside the cover, they must be periodically shaken and kneaded. In hot and windy climates, the fluff dries in a fairly short time. In addition, ultraviolet rays contribute to disinfection.
Battery drying . In the old days, women washed soft clothes in the winter, gave it a good freeze, and got a unique icy freshness. Frost kills germs, but it doesn't dry out lint. Therefore, the best option for drying a feather pillow for winter is battery drying. The method is quite simple: put the lint bags on the radiator.
Drying in the room . The most convenient and common option is room drying. Spread the pen on any horizontal surface in a ventilated area. It is desirable to pour it on paper or moisture-absorbent cloth folded several times. In a pinch, use a newspaper, but the pens are likely to get dirty with the ink. Wet lint as often as possible to ensure fresh air intake. To prevent the drying process from being delayed, place a small amount of lint on the selected surface.
If you spread the filling between two layers of gauze, you can speed up drying with a hair dryer. Remember that the feather filling should dry in 2-3 days. If the drying process was unsuccessful and the fluff acquired an unpleasant odor, you need to re-feather the feathers, repeating the whole procedure again.+
After drying, cover the floor with a dry sheet or oil cloth, then you will save yourself the trouble of cleaning the room. Sprinkle the feathers on a clean or new feather bed. A handful of hops can be added to the feather, along with feathers. The smell of hop cones has a calming effect on the nervous system and helps eliminate insomnia. Sew a napkin a tight seam.
Helpful Tips and Tricks:
- The best time for such painstaking work with pillows is the summer period. In a stream of cool and warm air, the filling dries faster, in winter, drying will be delayed or may not work.
- Before washing, you can prevent the 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.
- Lint clogs the sewers, therefore, when washing in the bathroom, we recommend that you close the hole to drain the water with a protective net.
- Before washing feather bags in the washing machine, once again check the reliability of the covers used for the holes in them. Bags must be tight. Falling down can clog the machine's filter and will fail.
If the pillow is old, add ammonia (a spoon in 5L of water) or vinegar to the water when washing it, they will remove the old smell
To make the new cupcake less messy, before filling it with feathers, walk inside with dry soap.
Under the main pillowcase, it is better to use another extra fine fabric. This will prevent the shell and lint from getting dirty quickly.
- Once a month, vacuum the pillows with a regular vacuum cleaner and put them out in the sun.
- Not surprisingly, our grandmothers whipped pillows daily. During agitation, air chambers are formed between the pile of fluff, so the soft product is saturated with air and provides good thermal insulation.
- After bathing or showering, dry your hair before lying down on a pillow. Moisture quickly destroys lint.
- It is recommended to store bedding in special covers for storing pillows and blankets. Do not store pillows in sealed bags and plastic containers.
The shelf life of feather bedding is no more than 5 years. After this time, the feather becomes a mess 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 that it is not as comfortable as before. In addition, after the end of the service life, the number of microbes increases, and the "native" pillow becomes dangerous to health.
The process of cleaning pillows at home is very long, slow and difficult, It is suitable for people who like to control their spring cleaning and only rely on cleaning themselves. If you are mentally prepared, have gained strength and have done such hard work, you can be congratulated. Now your bedding is clean, fragrant, soft and airy
