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Washing feather pillows at home. How to wash a feather pillow at home - hand and machine wash steps How to properly dry pillow feathers after washing

Bird feather pillows remain in demand. They are inexpensive, comfortable, breathable. However, the filler is able to accumulate moisture and tightly stray. In addition, it absorbs odors, mites multiply in it, and mold forms. To avoid negative consequences, feather accessories for sleep are periodically cleaned.

How to wash a feather pillow at home: preparation

They start by sewing several covers made of cotton fabric, for example, calico. Gauze will not work: one layer will let the feathers out, a double one will hold between the layers. For the filler with which one pillow is filled, 3-4 bags are sewn or one large one, which is much larger in size than the pillowcase.

cleaning the pillow from accumulated dust using a beater or vacuum cleaner;
ripping one edge of the breastplate;
shifting feathers into pre-prepared pillowcases;
thorough stitching of the edges of the covers.

When the down and feather are moved, the breastplate is freed from the remaining down, washed, dried and ironed, ready for further use. But it is better to sew a brand-new breastplate from a compacted material, for example, teak.

Detergents: how and how to wash a feather pillow

Trying to wash the feather pillow with high quality, do not use ordinary washing powders - they are not completely rinsed out. But if there were no special means for down products, you can take the usual one, but up to 30 g.

Optimal use of the gel for delicate fabrics.

The Unipuh tool successfully copes with the processing of down jackets. This and similar preparations do not contain difficult to rinse phosphates, bleaches, chlorine. The action of the special means is aimed at the effective fight against pollution while respecting the feather texture, maintaining its "breathing" ability. Thus, the pen is not threatened with tangling into balls.

How to wash feather pillows at home in a washing machine

Can pillows be machine washed? Certainly yes. But you will need "helpers" - laundry balls (you can replace them with plastic ones for playing table tennis). When washing, the balls hit the product, extracting dirt and preventing the formation of a clump of feathers.

Directly wash feather pillows in washing machine carried out like this.

2-3 bags of feathers are loaded into the drum. With a larger number of bags, due to the occurrence of strong vibration, there is a significant risk of feather clumps in each auxiliary case. If the pen was moved into one large case, several towels are placed with it to evenly disperse the load.
The selected cleaning agent is poured / poured into the “washer” powder compartment. And the softener is excluded.
Place the balls.
Choose a mode. Well, if there is a function "Duvet" ("Fluff"). If not available, stop at delicate/hand wash. The best temperature is 30°C. Above will cause damage to the pen.
The selected push-up rpm should be no higher than 400. If there are none, better function disable. And also it is necessary to press the button with the designation "Additional (intensive) rinse".
At the end of the cycle, remove the covers with feathers, lay each on a separate towel and remove moisture.

How to wash a feather pillow by hand

Do not trust mechanized cleaning - wash by hand. The sequence of actions when washing by hand:

fill a bathtub or a capacious basin with warm water - in a smaller capacity, you will have to clean the packing in batches, which will delay the cleaning process;
pour in / pour in detergent (gel, fluff substance, scoured soap), dissolve it thoroughly;
pour filler into the container;
leave the bird feather wet for 3-4 hours;
with a colander / sieve, select some of the feathers, wash under the tap, move to another clean container. It is necessary to do this with all the filling;
drain the water, taking care to prevent blockage;
repeat the process for a better cleaning of the feathers.

To disinfect and give the washed feather pillow a pleasant smell, before the final washing stage, the filler is placed for some time in water with the addition of esters. The best for this purpose are esters of lavender, orange, cypress and others with antiseptic quality.

Steam cleaning is another way to wash a feather pillow

A little-known method for caring for feather pillows. It is not necessary to have a press steamer. The device perfectly replaces the iron with the mode of steam generation or sheer steaming.

Attach pillow on weight.
Steam the surface of the product on both sides.
After a quarter of an hour, repeat the procedure.
Place the pillow to dry in the sun.
Spread the stuffing with your hands, making sure it is dry.

Steam cleaning, although not like washing, will still protect and refresh your bedding. The hot air of the steam generator has a detrimental effect on microorganisms, bacteria, dust mites. At the same time, the sleep attribute gets rid of odors with steam, is cleaned of dust and endowed with freshness.

Drying pillows

Only a competent process will remove moisture from the bird's feather. Otherwise, the appearance of fungi and pathogens is possible. Unwanted aromas will appear, the filler will begin to break down.

It is better to wash feather pillows in the summer. With sufficiently warm air and low humidity, the water will evaporate quickly, and the feather filler will dry out in two days.

Choose a ventilated place for drying, avoiding direct sunlight. If this is not possible, the washed products are placed on the loggia / balcony.

If it becomes necessary to wash the products in late autumn or winter, they dry them with a heater or even a hairdryer.

For drying, one of the options is selected:

hanging bags filled with washed feathers on linen twine;
drying the spilled aggregate on the floor/table covered with cloth or clean paper to absorb moisture;
use for drying the washing machine, for which the covers are put into the drum and the temperature is set to 30 ° C. The inconvenience of the method is that every one and a half to two hours the feathers gathered in the bags in a lump must be shaken by hand.

After drying, the clean feather is moved to the breastplate, which is tightly sewn up.

What should I do if the filler still fell off during washing? Fluff.

Put the pillow in a large plastic bag, stick the vacuum cleaner tube in there and wrap the butt joint well with adhesive tape. First, suck the air out of the bag, and then blow it in again. Do this twice or thrice.
Lay the product on a horizontal plane covered with soft material and walk along the sleep attribute with a plastic beater on both sides.

If the pillow did not dry well after washing, extraneous odors and unpleasant stains will appear. Will have to wash it again.

Properly caring for the pillow, you can extend its life.

Whisk every day.
Vacuum or beat out by hand monthly.
Once every two months, ventilate in the fresh air.
If the pillow is not used and stored for a long time, keep it in a case made of compacted material (not in polyethylene!).

A thorough annual cleansing will allow you to use a soft pillow that is free of any microorganisms for a long time.

Despite the fact that manufacturers of modern sleep accessories have come up with many useful things: orthopedic pillows with a pressure level regulator, a headband for flights, etc., nothing compares to feather-based pillows. The filler of such products does not stray into lumps, keeps its shape well and has increased wear resistance. But, like any other home accessory, a feather pillow needs careful care.

Pillow Washing Methods

Although pillows filled with feathers and down are the most suitable for sleeping, they also have their drawbacks. After all, a natural feather is a breeding ground for feather mites and many other microorganisms. They mix with sweat and dead cells, and begin to multiply rapidly. And over time, a soft pillow turns into a source of disease and allergic reactions. To avoid this, it is necessary to wash the product regularly and correctly.

If washing is not carried out according to the rules, then the feather can stray into bundles, and drying will take a long time. Many housewives, in order to avoid such incidents, prefer not to wash down pillows, but to beat out and dry them in the open sun. But none of these measures can replace quality laundry. If you still decide to carry out this procedure at home, then first of all you need to decide whether it will be manual or in a washing machine.

Features of manual processing

To hand wash feather pillow are needed:

a large amount of warm water;
gauze - 5 meters;
liquid gel for washing wool products and rinse aid;
capacity 30 liters;
set of new pads.

How to wash a feather pillow:

Washing machine pillow update

Not all housewives like painstaking hand washing or soaking very dirty clothes. So you can simplify this task by using the washing of feather pillows in the washing machine. But it is worth noting that this type of washing can only be performed in the right mode, on which the final result depends.

Instruction:

It is worth noting that if you decide to upgrade the feather pillows in your washing machine, you are putting the machine at risk, as feathers can clog it. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully sew up the bags so that they do not have large holes.

And also you don’t need to fill the machine “to the eyeballs”, it’s better to leave a little space - in order for the washing to be of high quality.

There are options for drying pillows, such as:

with the help of heating radiators;
on the street;
in a typewriter;
with the help of special devices.

The drying method on heating radiators is good if you decide to wash your pillows in winter. Since the feathers do not dry out in the cold. In order to use this method, you need to fluff the bags of fluff, knead the lumps and spread them on the battery. The disadvantage of the method is that the feathers dry out very quickly, so the bags need to be fluffed and turned over regularly.

The ideal option for drying feather pillows in the summer is fresh air. To do this, you need to get the bags out of the washing machine, wrap them in a towel and squeeze out the water. You don't need to rub too hard or you could damage them. Knead all the lumps with your hands and shake the bags well. Then take them outside or onto the balcony. In order for the feathers not to get damp inside, you need to shake them from time to time.

To dry bedding with a room dryer, you need to crush the lumps in the bags and place the product on the crossbars of the device. Then put it on the balcony or near the battery. This option is convenient because the air is constantly circulating. Before using the pillow, make sure that the feathers are completely dry. Otherwise, the products will start to smell like mold.

Thanks to the drying in the machine, the pillows will become dry and fluffy in a short period of time. You just need to put them in the drum for 5 hours, setting the temperature to 30 degrees. In the process of scrolling, the filler will roll into lumps all the time. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to place 5 tennis balls in the apparatus, thanks to which the pen will fluff up.

After drying, spread a sheet on the floor and spread the feathers on it. Then carefully gut them, place them in a pillowcase and sew them firmly. After that, fluff the pillow with your hands or a special device, and then vacuum the room.

Dirty feathers contain many bacteria. If the product has been lying in the pantry for a very long time, then you should not immediately put a pillowcase on it. You should rip it open and see if the filler and the pillowcase have been affected by the fungus, and also smell the pillow, it should not smell like mold.

It is recommended to wash down products at least 1-2 times a year, and also change the bed covers every 3 years. In order to extend the term of the mate, it is worth giving preference to dense fabrics for its tailoring.

Attention, only TODAY!

Feather pillows need cleaning as they get dirty over time and lose their softness. It is necessary to wash products made of natural fluff several times a year, this can be done both manually and with the help of an automatic washing machine. Thorough cleaning helps eliminate unpleasant odors, as well as get rid of bacteria that develop in the filler and can cause various diseases and diseases. allergic reactions.

Cleaning a pillow at home is not so difficult. It is necessary to wash and dry products from a natural filler, observing a certain order.

Preparing a feather pillow for washing consists of the following steps:

It is necessary to purchase or sew a case into which the pen will fall asleep.
The pillow should be knocked out to get rid of the accumulated dust.
Open one side of the pillowcase, carefully remove the feather and place it in the prepared case.
The free edges of the covers should be firmly sewn together.

Machine wash

To wash the pillow in an automatic machine, it is undesirable to use washing powder, as it does not rinse well and may remain in the filler. It is best to wash with special gel-like products for natural fibers. They cope with pollution, do not disturb the structure of the feather and maintain its breathability.

Machine wash feather pillows includes several steps:

1. Natural filler or the entire pillow is placed in a special cover and placed in the drum of the washing machine.
2. Detergent is poured into the compartment intended for it.
3. Before starting washing, special soft plastic balls are placed in the drum. They are necessary to prevent the feather filler from falling into one lump.
4. It is necessary to wash the product at a temperature of no more than 30 degrees, on the machine it is necessary to select the “Duvet” mode, if it is absent, then the “Delicate wash” mode should be selected.
5. For spinning, you should select no more than 400 revolutions, but if there is no minimum spin in the washing machine, then it should be turned off.
6. Rinse the product from natural filler several times, for this you should turn on the additional rinse mode on the washing machine.
7. After washing, the product must be removed from the washing machine, put on a dry towel, rolled up and wrung out by hand.

Steaming

This method does not require the replacement of the apron, it allows you to clean the apron base from stains, and the natural filler from dust, destroy bacteria and rid the product of bad smell.

Steaming is carried out as follows:

The pillow is hung with clothespins.
The steamer sprays the product with steam from all sides.
For better cleansing after a while, the procedure is repeated.
When the pillow is dry, you need to shake it and straighten the fluff with your hands.

Handwash

Hand washing is a rather laborious process, but it will avoid damage to the filler. Wash by hand as follows:

1. Water is poured into a bath or into a large container, its temperature should be 30 degrees.
2. Washing gel or laundry soap shavings are added to the water.
3. The filler is removed from the pillowcase and soaked in liquid for three hours. The feathers should float freely, this will prevent them from sticking together.
4. After the time has elapsed, the filler is removed with a colander, washed under the tap and transferred to another container.
5. Before draining the water, it is necessary to cover the drain hole with a net to avoid clogging.
6. Then it is necessary to draw water into the container with the filler, dilute the detergent in it and rub the feathers with your hands.
7. After hand wash Using a colander, collect the feathers, rinse with clean water and squeeze lightly.

Drying feather pillows

Improper drying of feather products can lead to an unpleasant odor and the growth of bacteria. To prevent this from happening, you must follow some rules:

It is desirable that the feathers have time to dry in two days, so it is necessary to wash feather pillows in the summer season.
It is best to dry washed items in the fresh air (in the courtyard of a private house or on the balcony).
In winter, it is necessary to dry pillows made of natural filler near the heater.

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.

Peculiarities

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.

However, bird fluff is contraindicated for people with allergies.

natural material quickly absorbs moisture and accumulates dust, collects dead cells of the skin and hair, 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.

Training

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 medium pillow standard size You will need at least 5 bags. For sewing, you can use any thin cotton fabric, chintz, teak. Old pillowcases, tulle or a pillowcase will do.

It is better not to use gauze, as it will not hold the fluff. Or fold it in three or four layers before sewing the covers.

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:

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

Shift the feather filler on a damp cloth, the fluff will linger on its surface and will not scatter across the floor.

You can clean the pillow only by following our recommendations.

Facilities

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 folk remedy time-tested. 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.

Remember that ordinary dry powder is not suitable for the care of down pillows. Its large particles are poorly washed out of feathers. Universal powder is also not recommended, its bleaching ingredients and enzymes have a destructive effect on the structure of the fibers.

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 perfume instead of a second rinse. essential oil. 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 soothes and strengthens.

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

How to properly care?

Washing feather pillows at home is a rather difficult and lengthy process. Conduct wet cleaning can be done in many ways: manually or using a washing machine.

In the 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.

If the washing machine has an automatic drying function, the process is simplified several times, it goes better and faster. Select the desired mode and finish your work.

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).

Manual way

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. Shouldn't be used 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 after washing clean water. 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.

Steam cleaning

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:

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

Drying

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 just enough a 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.

Beat and turn the filler constantly, as the feathers dry out too quickly on the battery.

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 from extra hassle for 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 nervous system and helps eliminate insomnia. Sew up the breastplate with a tight seam.

The best time for such painstaking work with pillows is 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.

A fresh, perfectly clean pillow is the key to a full, healthy sleep that brings real relaxation and rejuvenation. To date, there is no shortage of bedding - a huge number of pillows for every taste, orthopedic, with various synthetic fillers, are on sale. But still, one of the most popular options is the classic feather pillow - convenient, comfortable, safe for health and durable. But it should be remembered that it requires special care, especially if it has not been cleaned for more than 4 years.

Natural fluff is able to perfectly pass the dust that settles inside the product and can cause numerous allergic reactions. Dust is an ideal breeding ground for various pathogens, mites. In order to protect yourself and your loved ones, it is enough just to clean and wash bedding regularly.

Can it be washed?

The quickest and easiest way to get your feather accessories in order is to have them professionally dry cleaned. But the most important disadvantage of this option is its high cost - the procedure will be quite expensive, since in its process the filler is also treated with ultraviolet radiation, and contaminated, stuck together feathers are removed. The cost of such a service is quite high, but for a year after dry cleaning, you can not worry about washing.

You can wash the product yourself, remembering a few simple rules. As the experience of many housewives shows, this can be done with equal success both in summer and in winter. Summer time it is preferable if you live in a private house and have the opportunity to spread the fluff in the open air. Otherwise, cleaning is best done in winter - freezing down allows you to effectively get rid of small mites and other pathogens that could have started in the pillow.

At home

The pillows can be washed both by hand and in the machine.

Important! Remember the basic rule of self-cleaning - the product is washed only in parts in disassembled form.

How to solve the problem at home in winter?

The first thing to do is to prepare the product and the pen. The pillow can only be washed unassembled, which means that before cleaning it must be torn open and all the stuffing poured into other pillowcases, bought or sewn on your own from the cheapest fabric. Natural chintz or gauze is perfect.
Please note that the fluff from a large pillow will have to be poured into 5-6 bags, for a small product 3 bags are enough.

Important! You should not try to scatter the filler as tightly as possible into the bags - the less fluff is in the bag, the better it stretches and rinses.
Bags need to be tied tightly with a ribbon or simply sewn up, after which you can proceed directly to washing. Washed bags in a deep basin - the water temperature should be no more than 30-40 degrees. Products can be soaked in warm water for one to two hours.
Liquid or laundry soap, or a liquid concentrate of washing powder is added to the water - these are the products that are considered optimal for washing at home. After the first stage, the water is drained, the fluff is slightly wrung out so that excess moisture escapes. Pour the next portion of water into the basin with detergent, and the wash is repeated. As a rule, in order to completely clean the packing from dust and dirt, it will need to be washed at least 4-5 times, regularly changing the water with the powder.

Pay special attention to the fact that with all diligence and maximum care, it will not be possible to avoid the loss of fluff. In most cases, about 30-40% of the down is lost. In addition, be prepared for the fact that during washing and drying fluff will scatter throughout the apartment - keep the vacuum cleaner nearby.

Drying

Proper drying is as important as washing. After it, the bags with feathers should be slightly squeezed and dried. You can dry the filler on the balcony, on the radiator or on other horizontal surfaces. Whip the fluff regularly and carefully break up the lumps.

Important! Feathers during drying must be constantly turned over and shaken so that they can dry completely. The drying process should not last more than 2 days, otherwise the appearance of an unpleasant smell of dampness and mustiness cannot be avoided. In order to speed up the drying process, it is better to put large terry towels under the pillows - thanks to this, excess moisture is quickly absorbed.

After the feathers are completely dry, they can be put back into the pillowcase. You can wash the pillow not only by hand, but also in the machine. ?

The feather product is washed only in warm water, the temperature of which does not exceed 30-40 degrees. The delicate wash mode is considered ideal. Many modern washing machines are equipped with a special pen washing function.
Only liquid detergent can be used to wash pillows in the machine., baby or laundry soap, crushed into small pieces. Today on sale there are special gentle products for woolen and downy products. You should definitely not use ordinary powders or bleaches, which can have a detrimental, aggressive effect on the structure of the fluff.
As in the case of hand washing, the pillow is also washed unassembled - spread the old pillowcase along one side and pour the stuffing into several special bags or other pillowcases.

Important! If in the case of hand washing, bags with feather filler can simply be tied with a ribbon or cord, then in the case of a machine, the bags will have to be sewn tightly. Even the tightest knots will not be able to withstand intensive washing.
When washing in the machine, be sure to set the double rinse mode, and, on the contrary, minimize the spin intensity.
The rest of the washing principles are the same as in manual mode - feather bags are carefully stretched, rinsed and dried.

Many housewives agree that hand-washing is still preferable for down pillows. Even the utmost care cannot guarantee that small feathers will not get into the filter and other parts of the washing machine, causing it to malfunction.

Before you start washing, you should remember a few important rules. This will help you get the highest quality result.

It is strictly forbidden to wring out the feathers strongly in both hand and machine wash - this can break them and disrupt their structure. Many housewives advise using a very non-standard device in the form of an old kitchen colander for squeezing - thanks to this, excess moisture will completely drain, and the structure of the filler will not be disturbed.
In the process of washing, it is best not to use special softening fabric softeners. Such products have a rather strong smell, which will remain on the pillow for a long time and can cause various sleep disturbances or headaches.
You can pour a few tablespoons of vinegar into the water - it will help the feathers straighten out and not stray into lumps. In addition, acetic acid will provide additional antibacterial treatment and significantly delay the penetration of various pathogens inside.

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Useful video tips will help you avoid many common mistakes and give yourself and your loved ones a sound, healthy and pleasant sleep.