You’ve decorated your couches and chairs with beautiful decorative pillows and you do your best to keep them looking like new. You may be stuck on what you need to do to keep your pillows look clean, new, and in good shape; but don’t worry we’ve made washing throw pillows easy with our 5 step guide. In general, cleaning a throw pillow is similar to cleaning upholstered furniture, since they are made up of similar materials. Most throw pillows have a pillow insert which allows you to remove the pillow from the cover and clean both according to the care requirements.
If your throw pillow cover is made of silk or wool, it should be dry cleaned as needed. Please note that throw pillows vary in the care instructions depending on the material.
How to Wash Throw Pillows:
1. Remove Cover
Remove the throw pillow cover if possible. Wash the cover separately from the pillow.
If the pillow filler is a solid piece of foam, remove the cover and soak the foam in warm water with a mild detergent. Rinse the foam and gently press until the excess water has been removed. Let air dry.
2. Pre-Treat Stains
Pre-treat soiled or stained areas on the pillow cover with the solution and directions listed below.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of mild detergent in a bowl of warm water.
- Moisten a clean white cloth with the detergent solution and begin blotting any spots on the throw pillow to life the dirt or stain from the fabric.
- With a clean damp rag, blot the pillow to remove all detergent residue
3. Machine Wash on Delicate Cycle
Wash the pillow cover- or the whole pillow, on the delicate wash cycle in warm water with a mild detergent, preferably in a front load washer (they tend to produce better results) .
- Do not wash suede, leather-trimmed, silk, or wool-covered pillows with water
- The stuffing of some pillows will clump if washed- in this case, spot clean the covers and then leave to air dry so the pillow will hold its shape
- Worn stitching on pillows may bust if machine washed, instead spot clean throw pillows as needed instead of cleaning them in the washing machine
4. Hang to Dry
Remove the pillow or pillow cover as soon as the washing machine is done with its cycle. Hang the pillow or cover up to dry- if the care labels says that the item is dryer-safe, place the pillow or pillow cover in the dryer and dry on low heat.
- Dry the pillows as quickly as possible to prevent the pillow stuffing from developing a musty odor from being left damp for too long.
5. Fluff to Reshape
Fluff the pillow once it is dry in order to maintain its form. Make sure pillow is completely dry before using and a damp pillow will attract dirt more easily.
- Bonus tip- add tennis balls to the dryer to help prevent the fill from clumping.
About AmeriClean, Inc.
AmeriClean, Inc was established in 1986 by Bob Eriks in a small warehouse as a provider of Fire Damage Restoration for Northwest Indiana. Fast forward to today and AmeriClean’s services include Carpet, Upholstery, Air Duct, Area Rug, Ceramic Tile Cleaning; as well as: Water Damage Restoration,Fire Damage Restoration and Mold Remediation. With 30 years of experience, AmeriClean, Inc. is now a leading name in water, fire and restoration services for both residential and commercial properties. For more information, visit our website or call 800.654.9101.
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