How to Sanitize Decorative Pillows

Adding decorative cushions to your house is a fantastic way to contribute color and interest as well as to create a soft and cozy feeling. But a lot of decorative cushions are hard or even impossible to wash as they’re made out of delicate fabrics or decorated with beads, feathers or other seams. But should you have to clean out the pillows, there are several ways to go about sanitizing them depending upon what the cushions are made from and how they’re constructed.

Remove the cover. The covers of some decorative pillows are sewn around the pillow center, but many have zippers, buttons or flaps that you can open to remove the inner pillow. If yours is sewn closed, and you do not believe that you could undo the stitches and sew the pillow back in, concentrate on cleaning the exterior of the pillow only.

Wash the inner pillow. Foam may be washed in warm, soapy water. Feathers and polyester can be run through a washing machine with soap and lukewarm water. Cotton pillows can become lumpy when washed, so it is best to either replace these if they are extremely dirty or even to air them out. Dry washed pillows as soon as possible. Always air dry foam cushions; feathers and cotton can be air or machine cooled.

Determine what substances are in the pillow cover. A label with content information or washing instructions will be able to assist you. Pillows with suede, leather, wool or silk ought never to be washed with water.

Wash the cover in a washing machine or manually, if possible; again, a label may give you information about whether it is washable. If it isn’t washable, you can try spraying it with a spray disinfectant. You can also sanitize the pillow by sprinkling it with borax. Catch the powder on the pillow for an hour, then gently vacuum it with a vacuum cleaner. With both methods, try the method on the rear of the pillow initially to ensure that it will not cause staining.

Fluff the pillow, then place the cover back once everything has dried.

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