HANDY HOME HINTS

There are some things in life you’re probably better off not seeing: your passport photo, yourself reflected in a shop window while eating, the back of the refrigerator and, as I discovered recently, your pillow without its pillowcase.

I was changing the bed linen, feeling quite pleased with myself for getting the job done before lunchtime, when I pulled off the pillowcase and stopped.

Good grief, the pillow was yellow.

I don’t mean a delicate cream or the sort of tasteful antique white you might find on a paint chart. This thing looked as though it had been recovered from an archaeological dig.

I held it up to the light, which only made matters worse. How could something I put my freshly washed head on every night look like it had spent six months underneath a Labrador?

Naturally, I blamed my husband, and then I checked his pillow.

Mine was worse, so I quietly abandoned that investigation.

It turns out yellow pillows are extremely common. Sweat, natural oils from our skin and hair, moisturisers and moisture gradually make their way through the pillowcase and into the pillow.

Basically, your pillow has been keeping records and mine apparently had quite a file on me.

Before you throw it in the washing machine

My immediate instinct was to stuff every pillow in the house into the machine, add an heroic quantity of detergent and give them what-for.

Fortunately, I checked first.

The care label matters. Many polyester pillows and some feather and down pillows can be washed, but memory foam and latex generally shouldn’t be tossed into the machine because soaking and agitation can damage them.

And if the label says dry-clean only, believe it. Now is probably not the time to decide you know more about pillows than the people who actually made yours.

For a machine-washable pillow, remove the pillowcase and protector and have a good look at the damage. A little liquid laundry detergent can be gently worked into particularly yellow areas and left for around 10 to 15 minutes, provided the care instructions allow it.

More stubborn stains may respond to an oxygen-based laundry bleach or stain remover. Follow the directions on both the product and pillow labels.

I was slightly disappointed to learn that chlorine bleach isn’t the universal answer to everything. It can damage some fabrics and fillings, so don’t simply pour it on until the pillow becomes frightened.

Then, into the wash

If your washing machine is large enough, washing two pillows together can help keep the load balanced.

Use the cycle and water temperature recommended on the label and go easy on the detergent. Pillows are big, absorbent things and too much detergent can be difficult to rinse from the filling, and an extra rinse cycle isn’t a bad idea.

Top-loading machines with central agitators require a little more care because vigorous agitation can damage some pillows, so again, check those instructions.

Then you can stand in front of the washing machine watching two pillows slowly revolve and contemplate how Saturday mornings have changed.

Twenty-five years ago I had places to be, now I’m emotionally invested in a rinse cycle.

Whatever you do, dry the thing properly

This bit matters.

A pillow needs to be completely dry before it goes anywhere near your bed again. Moisture trapped inside can encourage unpleasant smells, mildew and mould, at which point you’ll find yourself looking back fondly on the days when yellow was your biggest problem.

If the care label permits tumble drying, use the recommended setting. Dryer balls can help fluff and separate some pillow fillings as they dry.

If you’re air-drying, put the pillow somewhere well ventilated and turn and fluff it occasionally so the inside has a chance to dry properly.

Don’t rush it.

And can we stop them turning yellow again?

Probably not forever, but we can slow things down.

A washable pillow protector gives you another barrier against sweat, oils and skincare products. Regularly washing your pillowcases and protectors helps too.

And if you shower before bed, letting your hair dry before your head hits the pillow will reduce the amount of moisture going into it night after night.

There is, however, a point where we need to accept that a pillow has given all it can give. If yours smells musty, has lost its shape, is badly stained or no longer offers much support, perhaps don’t spend Sunday conducting a forensic restoration.

Thank it for its service and let it go.

Mine survived.

It isn’t exactly hotel white, but it’s considerably less confronting than it was.

I’ve now put a clean protector and pillowcase over it and I intend never to look underneath either of them again.