How Long Do Polyester Pillows Last? This is The Replacement Time

This post is a part of the complete polyester pillow buyers guide

How long have you had your pillow? If you don’t know the answer to this question, it’s probably time to replace it. Pillows warrant being replaced for various reasons, and the filling is one of them.

All pillows, regardless of the make-up of the filling, have a replacement time. Do you have polyester pillows? If so, you may be interested to know how long your pillows will last.  In this article, we’ll help you to know how long do polyester pillows last.

As a general rule, you should replace your pillow every one to two years. Polyester pillows should be replaced every six to twenty-four months.

Why Should You Replace Your Polyester Pillow?

It’s important to not sleep on your pillow for longer than the recommended time, and for good reason. Pillows used beyond their replacement time can contribute to things like allergic reactions, skin problems, and even muscle pain.

Your Health

After a while, pillows tend to accumulate allergens that contribute to our health. Bacteria, dust mites, fungus, mold, and pet dander can easily live in our bedrooms. And a major residence is our pillow.

These types of allergens can cause conditions like a runny or stuffy nose, itchy skin, irritated eyes, and other conditions that can greatly impact our sleep. 

Add to that oil from our hair and face, sweat, drool, and other dirty and grimy stuff that also ends up on our pillow, and you could have a major health crisis.

These substances are also responsible for your old pillow turning yellow and stained. Even though you wash your pillowcase or pillow often, the stain may or may not go away. All of this on your skin can trigger acne breakouts or rashes.

Your Comfort

The reason why we use pillows when sleep is to support our neck and head to promote healthy spinal alignment. When you have the right pillow, you feel like you’re in heaven sometimes when you’re sleeping.

There are no pain points; in fact, a good sleeping pillow helps take the pain away. However, after a while, pillows sag or flatten and you find that they no longer provide that much-needed support. You began to sleep differently. Your sleep is less comfortable, and it’s harder to find that happy, dreamy place you once knew with your pillow.

You may even find yourself waking up to pain points that you never had. Credit that sometimes to your ready-to-be-replaced pillow. That’s the pillow’s way of saying it’s time to replace me.

Signs Showing You Need to Replace Your Polyester Pillow

Now that you understand why it’s important to replace your pillow at some point, here are some signs that help you to know it’s time to replace your pillow:

• You awake with frequent neck pain
• You wake up feeling like you slept crappy
• You can’t sleep well because of headaches
• You have allergy symptoms, like breathing difficulties, sneezing, skin rashes, runny nose, itchy throat, or watery eyes
• Your pillow feels lumpy
• Your pillow feels flat
• You can easily fold your pillow
• There are noticeable stains on your pillow from sweat and oil
• You’ve changed sleeping positions

When To Replace Your Polyester Pillow

As a general rule, you should be paying closer attention to your pillow after one to two years. Evaluate it against any of the signs above to see if anything stands out. If so, do a thorough assessment of your pillow to determine if it is the culprit. 

While one to two years is the recommended replacement time for most pillows, certain pillows outlast others because of their durability. Depending on the type of pillow you have, it could last four or more years. Still, if you find yourself with any of the signs above, regardless of the type of pillow you have, it’s time to seriously evaluate if it’s time to replace it.  

Polyester pillows should be replaced every six to twenty-four months.

How to Care For Your Polyester Pillow

Proper maintenance of your pillows can help them live to their full life span, possibly longer. So, it’s important to know how to care for your pillow.

As always, we recommend reading the label before doing anything. Your label is always the first place of reference when it comes to caring for your pillow. That will help to ensure that you don’t damage the pillow so that it can last as long as possible.

That is very important because not all pillows are made equal; not all of them are machine washable. Some pillows even require spot cleaning or dry cleaning.

Should your label be removed from your pillow, or for some reason, you don’t have one, here are some general care instructions for your polyester pillow:

Caring for Your Polyester Pillow

Polyester pillows are easy to care for because they are machine washable. Wash them on the gentle cycle with mild detergent and cold water. Dry your pillow on the air only or low-heat setting, and keep drying it until it is thoroughly dry on the inside. A damp pillow is an open door for mildew and mold to grow.  

Using a pillowcase or pillow covering regularly also helps to maintain the life of your pillows. While your pillowcase or covering can be washed bi-weekly, it’s a good idea to wash your polyester pillow every three to six months.