Washing your pillow

How to wash your pillow and why it matters

You spend many hours with your head resting on your pillow, which is why it should be washed regularly. Proper care helps reduce house dust mites, prevents mould build-up, and restores that wonderfully fluffy feel. Below, we share our best advice on washing pillows, how often you should do it, and other simple ways to care for your pillow so it stays fresh and supportive for longer.

Wash your pillow regularly – and sleep better

You’ll likely notice an improvement in your sleep quality when you wash your pillow on a regular basis. A freshly washed pillow creates a less hospitable environment for dust mites, helps eliminate mould, and regains volume after washing and drying. There are, in short, many good reasons to make pillow washing part of your routine.

Few things compare to climbing into bed with clean, crisp bedding – but the experience is even better when your pillow has been washed too. Laying your head down on a freshly laundered pillow, paired with clean bed linen, feels wonderfully indulgent. The only challenge may be getting out of bed again.

Washing Nordic Sleep pillows is easy

For some, the thought of washing pillows can feel like a time‑consuming and slightly cumbersome task. But it doesn’t have to be – especially if you choose a pillow or duvet from Nordic Sleep.

Nordic Sleep products are exceptionally easy to care for, thanks to their unique fibre filling, which is both highly durable and easy to clean. Once you’ve invested in a quality pillow from Nordic Sleep, following a few simple care steps will help it last for many years. Shake it daily to maintain volume, and wash and tumble dry it regularly – this gives your pillow the best possible conditions to support a great night’s sleep for years to come.

How to wash your pillow – step by step

As mentioned, it’s a good idea to wash your pillow at regular intervals to remove dust mites and bacteria that accumulate over time. Here’s our step-by-step guide to keeping your pillow fresh and clean.

Start by removing the pillow cover, which can be washed separately. You can also choose to wash the cover and pillow together – saving time while being gentler on both the pillow and the environment.

Next, wash your pillow at 60°C using your preferred detergent. Please avoid using fabric conditioner and enzyme‑based detergents when washing Nordic Sleep pillows and duvets, as these may reduce the performance of the filling. We recommend Nordic Sleep’s detergent for pillows and duvets – a gentle, fragrance‑free laundry detergent with probiotics that effectively cleans and refreshes pillows and duvets. It’s a sustainable choice that supports both your sleep comfort and the environment.

When it comes to drying, you have a few options. If you have the time and space to air‑dry your pillow – for example during the warmer months – this is an excellent choice. It reduces energy use and is gentler on the pillow. If air‑drying isn’t practical, you can safely tumble dry your pillow on a low heat setting, ideally using a wool or silk programme if your tumble dryer offers one. Bear in mind that pillows often require a long drying time to ensure the filling is completely dry. The fibres used in Nordic Sleep pillows are quick‑drying, so they will typically dry faster than pillows filled with down.

Remember to remove your pillow from the dryer as soon as the programme ends. Prolonged exposure to residual heat can damage the filling if the pillow is left inside the drum.

Washing your pillow really doesn’t have to be complicated – and the result is more than worth it.

How often should you wash your pillow?

Opinions vary on how frequently pillows should be washed, but at Nordic Sleep, we recommend washing pillows and duvets four times a year. In addition to reducing dust mites, regular washing helps maintain loft and resilience for longer.

Our pillows and duvets are designed to retain their volume even with frequent use and washing. You can wash our pillows up to 50 times without them becoming flat or losing their shape.

Beyond regular washing, it’s a good idea to maintain your pillow in other ways too. Tumble dry it once a month on a low heat setting to restore volume if it feels a little flat. Always remove the pillow from the dryer as soon as the cycle finishes to prevent heat damage to the fibres.

We also recommend giving your pillow a good shake every day. This helps release moisture and keeps it feeling light and fluffy.

Washing more than one pillow at a time

Now that you know how to wash your pillow, you may be wondering whether it’s possible to wash several pillows at once. The answer is yes – as long as your washing machine has a drum large enough to accommodate them.
Make sure not to overload the machine, as this can prevent the pillows from being cleaned properly. A useful rule of thumb is to fill the drum to no more than three‑quarters full. Also check the maximum load capacity of your machine. While pillows tend to take up a lot of space, they usually weigh less than you might expect – so drum size is often the limiting factor rather than weight.