This post is part of the complete memory foam pillow buyers guide
Two or three months have gone by since you purchased your memory foam pillow. You decide to wash it which is a very smart choice.
Memory foam is a popular choice for pillows. Contouring around you, the material adjusts to your head, making the pillow comfortable and supportive. Its design ensures that the pillow takes the shape of your head as you sleep.
Dust mites and other skin irritants thrive in pillows, but they only live on the surface of memory foam. Still, the memory foam pillow is important to keep clean, as are all pillows.
Memory foam pillows can be difficult to deal with when they are wet. They absorb moisture easily and can be damaged if they aren’t handled with care. When wet, the material can take a long time to dry on its own.
So that you won’t have to sleep on a damp pillow after washing, we’ll share a step by step guide on how best to dry your memory foam pillow. Remember to dry your pillowcase separately, if possible. Coverings may require different drying methods than pillows.
Steps to Drying a Memory Foam Pillow
Remember to always follow the care instructions that’s found on the label of your pillow. That is the best guidance to follow. In the event those instructions are not available to you, here are some helpful tips for drying your memory foam pillow.
How To Dry Your Memory Foam Pillow Without A Dryer
- Your memory foam pillow will hold a lot of water after it’s been washed. Gently squeeze to remove excess water. Take your time and be very gentle to prevent damage to your pillow. Do not wring out the memory foam!
- Air is the key to drying the pillow. Set the memory foam pillow outside in the sunlight for at least four hours. Make sure the surface you lay it on is clean and has no potential for stains or spotting. If you have a clothesline available, that would be a perfect place to have it dry out from. The sun will heat the pillow and dry it out.
- If the pillow needs to be air dried from indoors, place it in a well-ventilated room and either let it hang dry, or lay it out as referenced in step 2. If possible, open nearby windows and doors. You may also wish to place a fan near the pillow to help it along.
- Flip or turn the pillow often. If the pillow is hanging out to dry, check it every couple of hours and turn it to make sure both sides get a touch of the sun, if possible. If the pillow is laying flat, check it every couple of hours and flip it over to make sure both sides are drying equally. This is a process you will need to repeat several times as it will take some time for the pillow to completely dry.
- Allow the pillow to dry completely. Check the pillow before using it by pressing the foam between your hands to feel for moisture. If moisture remains, repeat from step 2. It’s very important to make sure the pillow has completely dried to avoid bacteria or mildew build-up.
How To Dry Your Memory Foam Pillow With A Dryer
It’s important to note that drying a memory foam pillow in a dryer is never recommended for two reasons: (1) the fibers of the pillow can break and the entire pillow can fall apart; (2) heat from the dryer can cause the pillow to catch on fire. With that said, if the drying process needs to be quicker and you need to do something other than allowing the pillow to dry on its own, there’s a way to safely use the dryer to dry your pillow.
Steps for drying the memory foam pillow with a dryer:
- Do not place more than two pillows in the dryer at the same time. More than two pillows could overload the dryer; pillows expand after drying.
- Set the dryer to the lowest heat/no heat setting or the tumble dry setting for a dry cycle.
- Place tennis balls into white socks and throw them in the dryer with the pillows. The balls will bounce around in the dryer and keep the filming from clumping when the pillow starts drying, and the pillow will come out fluffy. The balls are placed in socks to prevent lint from forming on the pillow.
- The pillow will need to run through several cycles (45 minutes at a time) before it’s completely dry. After each cycle, take the pillow out of the dryer and shake it to avoid clumping. This also helps to get it fluffy.
- After the pillow has gone through several cycles, check for moisture by squeezing it to feel if it’s entirely dry. If it’s dry, great! You’re all done. If not, continue to run the dryer until the pillow is completely dry.
Heat Alternatives
If you prefer to use heat to dry your pillow, but a dryer is not an option for you, a hair dryer set on the lowest heat setting is an alternative. Direct the air stream at the pillow. If your hair dryer doesn’t have a cool setting, hold it at a distance to avoid damaging or melting the foam.
Memory Foam Pillows: A complete buyers guide – Parts:
1. Why Should You Use A Memory Foam Pillow? The Pros & Cons
2. Are Memory Foam Pillows Better Than Regular Pillows?
3. Are Memory Foam Pillows Safe? Is The Smell Toxic or Not?
4. How Often Should You Replace Memory Foam Pillows?
5. How to Clean a Memory Foam Pillow: Step by Step Guide
6. Can Memory Foam Pillows Grow Mold? And How to Avoid it!
7. How to Dry a Memory Foam Pillow: Step by Step Guide
8. Should You Put a Pillowcase on Your Memory Foam Pillow?
9. Why Are Memory Foam Pillows so Hard? How to Soften Them!
10. Best Memory Foam Pillows of 2021 – Full Guide and Review
