How To Freshen Throw Pillows In The Dryer

Both serving an aesthetic-pleasing vibe and a functional purpose in a room, throw pillows, or also known as decorative pillows are a must-have. These small, decorative, and soft furnishing items can blend in different-colored accents within a room.

From area rugs, home decorations, interior wall-design, living room sofas, and even window curtains lending an appealing vibe to your living spaces.

Since maintaining them clean and fresh can be distressful, all you need is follow these simple tips to freshen your throw pillows and maintain the vibrant colors of your throw pillows effortlessly. 

Throw pillows can go decorative to pretty gross, therefore in maintaining their aesthetically pleasing appearance, freshening them up occasionally is a must-do. 

To freshen up your throw pillows, the most important thing to do is to wash their cases and the throw pillow covers often, and then hang the core pillows outside so that they can air out first, and lastly toss your throw pillows in the dryer on "air fluff", to get rid of the dirt.

Washing throw pillowcases and their covers regularly is the main point in maintaining their decorative appealing appearance; however, there will come a time that you really feel the need to freshen up your throw pillows because they already stink, dirty, or you just need to. 

Therefore, for today's topic, I will help you how to freshen your throw pillows, so just follow these step-by-step procedures to restore the quality and bring back their functional and decorative purpose of your throw pillows, in no sweat!

Things you will need:

Before anything else, prepare first all the things that you will need to accomplish our main agenda today, which is to freshen throw pillows. Here are the things you will need:

• Vacuum
• Spray bottle
• White vinegar
• Essential oil
• Dryer

Most of the items listed above are available in your household, or you can easily buy them in hardware. Therefore, you gather all the materials first and then let us start this #howtofreshenthrowpillows101

7 Steps To Freshen Throw Pillow in the Dryer

After you gathered and prepared all the things you will need, I think this is the right time to reveal the steps and some tips. You just read and follow these simple steps, and you will able to do it as simple as ABCs.

Remove the throw pillowcases and covers

In order to access the core pillow, first, you must unzip the throw pillowcases and cover. Place the unzipped throw pillow in a clean tub, so that they will be ready for the next step, which is to vacuum the surface of the pillow.

For the throw pillowcases and cover, you wash them properly to remove the musty odor, dust, and stains on your cases. Please, remember that the throw pillowcases are the first point of contact into our skin, so no matter how clean and fresh the core pillows are if your cases and covers stink, it does not matter at all. 

Tip #1: You may soak your throw pillowcases in a fabric conditioner to add fragrance and freshness. Thank me later.

Vacuum the surface of the pillow

You can use the hose attachment of your vacuum to clean the entire surface of the pillow. Use low suction if your vacuum is adjustable. Check if your throw pillow has a care label, read it, and follow the directions.

If you are in doubt, you may consult the manufacturer of your throw pillow for safety and avoid to mess up the quality of the pillow.

Making the mist solution

Fill the spray bottle with white vinegar. You wonder why I used white vinegar, right? Here is a #cleaninghack101 I got for you; White vinegar is a natural disinfectant that can remove surface bacteria.

In addition, white vinegar is an odor neutralizer that can remove musty odor from a pillow. To mask the pungent smell of the vinegar, here is my second tip.

Tip #2: Add ten drops of essential oil to the white vinegar. This adds a pleasant aroma on the pillow.

Mist the pillow

Mist the surface of the pillow with the solution you made a while ago (white vinegar and essential oil). It is normal that you smell the white vinegar at first, but later on, it will disappear once the solution dries and spread. As it dries, you will start to smell the fresh scent of the essential oils.

Sun dry the pillow

If you have an outdoor clothesline, that is great! For a couple of hours, hang your pillows outdoors while the sun is out. Turn the pillow over several times during the drying process. Moreover, the fresh air could help to give a clean, crisp, and fresh scent to your pillows.

However, if you do not have a clothesline in your household, you can try to sundry indoors by positioning your pillow in front of your window to get some light.

Place the pillow in the dryer

Place your pillows in the dryer and adjust it to the low-heat cycle. Please, take note that pillows have different dryer settings depending on the content.

• If your pillows are feather-filled, set your dryer on the "air/fluff/no heat" setting
• If your pillows are synthetic, meaning they are made from polyester fibers or rayon, you can switch your dryer to low heat
• If you have a memory foam pillow, do not put foam pillows in the dryer as the heat will ruin or eventually melt the foam. Nevertheless, do not be sad; there is still another option, which is, air-drying. Air-drying memory foam is the safest option.

To dry your pillow, you can try to place two tennis balls wrapped in separate clean, white socks. Toss these tennis balls in the dryer to fluff your pillows and enhance their drying time. Then start your dryer.

Once the dryer has finished its cycle, remove your pillows and check for any dampness. Squeeze your pillows to ensure that there is no moisture in the center. If you still feel moist on your pillows, repeat the drying process. Otherwise, your pillows are clean and fresh!

Dress the throw pillow

After all the cleaning and drying process, this is the time where you put cover and cases to your throw pillows. By the way, what is the purpose of dressing your throw pillows?

Aside from the aesthetic vibe, it brings to your room, blending in with the vibrant color of your area rugs, interior wall-design, and your living area sofa; these throw pillow covers provide protection against wear and tear, but most importantly, it can stop dust mites and can halt even bed bugs.

Therefore, it is very important to choose the proper and best throw pillowcases. Here is a quick guide for your reference:

In choosing the type of throw pillowcases and covers, there are several things to consider:

1. Standard throw pillowcase

This prevents some light wear and tear associated with the use of the throw pillow; remember that aside from the decorative purpose of the throw pillow, it also serves as a head, back, and neck support.

2. Waterproof throw pillowcase

This is essential against spills, sweat, drool, and accidental stains. This also prevents moisture and liquids from entering to your throw pillows.

3. Special fabrics throw pillowcase

This offers protection against different types of allergens like dust mites. Additionally, this type of throw pillowcases can reduce skin irritation for those who have a sensitive type of skin. 

Whatever type of throw pillowcases and covers you choose, it will depend on how you will use your throw pillows, is it for decorative or for functional purpose?

If you like, your throw pillows just sitting in a sofa set or in your bedrooms, then you just coordinate with your interior designer for you to choose which color and shade are best for your room. 

For the final touch, consider sprinkling a few drops of your favorite essential oil like lavender or relaxing vanilla to give your throw pillowcases a boost of freshness.

Finally, we are done! Certainly, following these procedures and tips, you can have a cozy mood whenever you are around with your freshly cleaned throw pillows while sipping your cup of tea.

Image credit: Flickr

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