Before you run straight to your laundry room and start stuffing items into the drum, we need to answer the most critical question: can you actually wash all types of pillows in a washing machine? The short answer is yes, but with a massive asterisk. It completely depends on what is stuffed inside your pillow.
How to Wash Pillows in the Washer? The Complete Guide in 2026
JUN 30, 2026
Last updated: JUN 30, 2026
762 views, 3 mins read
Most of us wash our sheets weekly, but when was the last time you washed your actual pillows? Over time, pillows absorb sweat, body oils, and dust mites, leading to yellow stains and stale odors beneath your fresh pillowcase.
Fortunately, you don't need a commercial cleaner—your home washing machine can handle the job. However, tossing them in blindly can leave you with a lumpy, ruined mess.
This guide breaks down exactly how to wash pillows in a washer safely, ensuring a deep, hygienic clean that restores your fluffiness and improves your sleep quality.
In this article
Can you wash pillows in the washer?
The vast majority of down, feather, and synthetic fiberfill (like polyester or alternative down) pillows are perfectly safe to machine wash. These materials are resilient enough to handle being submerged in water and spun around, provided you use a gentle cycle and avoid harsh chemicals that break down the internal fibers.
However, there is one massive exception to this rule: solid memory foam and latex pillows. If you own a premium contoured memory foam pillow, keeping it far away from your washing machine is essential. Solid memory foam behaves like a giant, dense sponge. When it gets submerged in water, it absorbs an immense amount of liquid that makes it incredibly heavy.
The intense agitation and spinning forces of a washer can easily shred or crack the delicate foam structure. Furthermore, drying a saturated solid foam core is nearly impossible in a standard household timeframe, creating a perfect dark, damp sanctuary for mold and mildew to grow right where you rest your face.
For solid foam, stick to spot cleaning with a damp cloth and mild soap. But for your standard fiber and natural feather options, learning how to wash pillows in the washer is safe, effective, and highly recommended.
How to wash pillows in washer properly？
Pre-Wash General Rules for All Pillows
- Check the care label first—if marked dry clean only, do NOT machine wash.
- Remove all pillowcases & protectors before washing.
- Balance the washer: wash 2 pillows at once to avoid unbalanced spinning.
- Use mild, low-sud detergent; skip bleach, fabric softener, strong stain removers (they break down filling fibers).
- Set water temperature to cold or lukewarm (30°C max); hot water melts synthetic filling and shrinks natural fibers.
- Choose gentle/delicate cycle, low spin speed to prevent lumping and tearing.
1. Down and Feather Pillows
Natural down and feathers have protective oils that keep them light and fluffy. Harsh detergents or improper drying can destroy their structure.
Can you machine wash? Yes.
The Process:
- Check for holes: Inspect the seams carefully. Secure any loose threads to prevent a "feather explosion" in your machine.
- Balance the load: Always wash feather pillows in pairs to keep the washing machine drum balanced.
- Settings: Use a gentle/delicate cycle with warm water and a small amount of mild liquid detergent (ideally a specialized down wash). Skip the fabric softener, as it coats the feathers and reduces fluffiness.
- Drying (Crucial): Tumble dry on low heat. Toss in 3–4 tennis balls or wool dryer balls to break up wet clumps of feathers. This process takes patience and may require 2 to 3 cycles. The pillows must be 100% dry to prevent internal mold.
2. Polyester and Alternative-Down Pillows
These are the most common and resilient pillows, making them the easiest to clean in a household machine.
Can you machine wash? Yes.
The Process:
- Balance the load: Wash two pillows at a time to prevent the washer from throwing an off-balance error code during the spin cycle.
- Settings: Use a gentle cycle with warm water. Opt for mild liquid detergent; powder detergents can clump and leave a scratchy residue inside the synthetic fibers.
- Extra Rinse: Always run an extra rinse and spin cycle to ensure all trapped soap is completely flushed out.
- Drying: Tumble dry on low to medium heat with dryer balls to restore their loft. Remove them promptly to minimize wrinkles.
3. Solid Memory Foam and Latex Pillows
Solid memory foam behaves like a giant sponge. Submerging it in water makes it incredibly heavy, and the mechanical agitation of a washing machine will crack, tear, or completely shred the foam block.
Can you machine wash? No.
The Process:
- Remove and wash the cover: Strip off the zippered protective cover and pillowcase. These can go straight into the washing machine according to their standard fabric labels.
- Vacuum the core: Use an upholstery brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to remove dust, lint, and hair from the surface of the foam.
- Spot clean stains: Mix a few drops of mild dish soap or liquid laundry detergent into a bowl of warm water. Dip a clean white cloth into the suds, wring it out so it is slightly damp, and gently blot the stained areas.
- Rinse and air dry: Wipe the area down with a fresh cloth dipped in clean water to remove soap residue. Allow the pillow to air dry completely on a flat surface away from direct heat or sunlight before putting the cover back on.
4. Buckwheat Pillows
Buckwheat pillows are filled with natural hulls that mold to the shape of your head. Water will ruin the hulls, causing them to lose their structure and potentially grow mold.
Can you machine wash? No.
The Process:
- Unzip the pillow casing and pour all the buckwheat hulls into a large bowl or container.
- Wash the empty cotton casing in the washing machine on a normal cycle.
- Spread the hulls out on a baking sheet and set them in the sun for a few hours to freshen them up and eliminate any absorbed moisture.
- Once the casing is completely dry, pour the hulls back inside.
3. FAQs
1. How often should you actually wash your bed pillows?
As a general rule of thumb for standard home hygiene, aim to wash your pillows at least two to three times a year (roughly every four months). However, if you suffer from severe seasonal allergies, sweat heavily at night, or allow pets to sleep on your bed, you should consider washing them every two months to keep dust mites and allergens completely at bay.
2. Why did my pillows turn yellow, and can washing fix it?
The yellowing on your pillows is caused by an accumulation of sweat, facial oils, saliva, and skincare products that soak through your pillowcase over months of use. Regular washing with a mild liquid detergent will significantly fade these stains. For severe yellowing, you can add a cup of baking soda or a splash of white vinegar to the wash cycle to boost brightening naturally without relying on harsh bleach.
3. Can you wash pillows in a front-load vs. top-load washer?
Front-loading washing machines and top-loading machines without a center agitator are absolutely ideal for washing pillows because they tumble items gently. If you have an older top-load washer with a large central agitator post, you can still wash pillows, but you must place them vertically on opposite sides of the post to prevent the agitator from gripping and tearing the fabric shell.
Botton Lines
Maintaining a hygienic sleep environment is easy with proper care. While standard pillows require delicate machine cycles and precise drying, upgrading to a Newentor memory foam pillow simplifies your routine. Featuring a easily removable, machine-washable zip cover, it allows you to maintain effortless hygiene while providing premium, contoured neck support.
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