by POPSUGAR Home 7

While we do have pillowcases to protect our pillows from getting dirty, sooner or later all pillows will need a good scrubbing. This past weekend I went camping, and even after a lot of airing my pillows out, that nostalgic campfire scent remained. So it was time to give them a good cleaning. Luckily, they can be easily machine-washed, unless the care tag says otherwise.

To wash feather and down pillows:

• Fill your sink 3/4 with warm water and a scoop of powdered laundry detergent. Learn how to make eco-friendly powder detergent here.
• Squish your pillow under the water until it's completely soaked, squeezing it gently.
• Then, drain your sink and wring your pillow to squeeze out the water.
• Place your pillow on a towel and roll it up to pull out more water.
• Then, pop it in the dryer with a few clean white towels and dry it on low-moderate heat. If you want, add a tennis ball to make it fluffy.
• Hang it on the line to let it dry completely.

To learn how to wash synthetic or foam pilows, read more.

To wash synthetic or foam pillows:

• Machine-wash your pillow on the gentle cycle with powder detergent and warm water.
• Dry on moderate heat with clean towels, as above. Fini!

Putting a pillow protector on your pillows before you put on your pillow cases will prolong their cleanliness in the future, FYI!