Monday, January 23, 2012

If you do one thing this week...

WASH YOUR BED PILLOW.

Not just the pillow case. The entire pillow. Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings. Gross.

According to HGTV & Good Housekeeping, you are supposed to put your pillow through a spin in your washing machine every three to six months. My guess is that this is something you've never done. If so, this is the week so hop to it!

How to: Always wash two at a time and read washing instructions on pillow label.

For synthetic filled pillow - wash them two at a time, with detergent, on the gentle cycle with hot water. An extra spin cycle will remove excess water and keep bacteria and hold at bay claims Lisa Shives, M.D., a sleep expert in Chicago. Tumble dry on low, fluffing pillows every so often. When drying the pillows you can also add a new tennis ball or dryer ball to help the pillows retain their shape.

For pillows filled with down or another natural filling - follow washing instructions. Some might advise to be sent to the dry-cleaners. If washed at home, it is usually recommended that they be hand washed in warm soapy water and air dried.

For Memory Foam pillows - hand wash with warm water and soap and lay flat to dry. Do not put in the dryer.

And if you don't want to wash your pillow - you should replace it every two years. Use a pillow protector and you can get away with every four years.

If your not convinced - watch this video about what really gets into your pillow over time. While it's hysterical - it's not pretty. After you watch it, I think you'll put this on your list of to-do's this week!

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