How to whiten and brighten your old yellow pillows

Certainly, you might be diligent about washing your pillowcases weekly, but what about the pillows themselves? Over time, they can develop unsightly yellow stains and become less than appealing. Fortunately, there’s an effective way to bring them back to their pristine, white condition. One Good Thing by Jillee reveals an ingenious laundry bleaching solution and method that works wonders on dingy pillows.

It’s not the most pleasant topic, but it’s a reality for all of us: we sweat while we sleep. Our bodies regulate temperature, and this process often involves a bit of perspiration. Uncomfortable to think about, we understand.

Consider this, though. All the sweat, dirt, residual makeup, and various other substances are absorbed by our pillowcases and seep into our pillows. No wonder they end up looking yellow and lackluster! They not only require bleaching but also disinfection.

Jillee’s approach is incredibly straightforward and involves just a few common cleaning products, most of which are likely sitting in your laundry room right now. Here’s what you’ll need to begin:

Ingredients:

  • Really hot water
  • 1 cup of laundry detergent
  • 1 cup powdered dishwasher detergent
  • 1 cup bleach
  • 1/2 cup Borax

Instructions:

  1. Fill your washing machine about 1/3 full of hot water.
  2. Add the dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, bleach, and Borax.
  3. Turn on the machine and allow the ingredients to dissolve in the water.
  4. Place your pillows in the washing machine (two at a time to balance the washer). Allow the machine to fill the rest of the way with hot water and let it agitate for a few minutes. If you have a top-loading washing machine, you may need to take the pillows out and turn them over.
  5. Allow the pillows to go through two rinse cycles.
  6. After both cycles, take them out to dry, considering the type of pillows you have.
  • For down or feather pillows, use an air cycle.
  • For synthetic pillows, use a low-temperature setting.
  1. To maintain fluffiness, use dryer balls. If unavailable, wrap tennis balls in clean socks and toss them in with your load.

Jillee notes that if you have a front loader, you might not need to flip the pillows halfway through, as front-loading washers automatically rotate the pillows. The flipping step is primarily to ensure the entire pillow is covered by the mixture.

Have any of you tried this method, and did you find it successful?

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