Washing all bedding, including synthetic padding pillows, is a must for maintaining the hygiene of your sleeping area.
During use, even synthetic padding accumulates sweat, dirt and dust. This creates favorable conditions for the development of microorganisms that can harm human health.
A good wash will help prevent this. We’ll tell you in this article how to properly wash a synthetic padding pillow.
Is it possible?
Sintepon is one of the first synthetic pillow fillers. It is still quite a popular option among artificial materials used for stuffing.
This widespread use is due to a number of advantages:
low weight with large volume;- hypoallergenic;
- ease of care;
- Dries quite quickly;
- affordable low price;
- hygiene;
- ease of use;
- ventilation;
- safety.
A padding polyester pillow retains all these advantages throughout the entire specified service life (about 2 years) with proper maintenance, including regular washing and proper drying of the product.
A synthetic pad
needs to be washed up to two to three times a year .
Washing more rarely makes the item unsafe for sleeping, and washing more frequently can lead to rapid wear of the product. It is possible to refresh and put it in order at home, using a machine or manual option.
A simple method will help you find out whether a product is washable . It is placed on a flat surface and a thick book is placed in the middle. After the weight is removed, the shape of the product should quickly return to its original shape.
If after removing the load it does not recover, we can conclude that the pillow has served its time and it is time to replace it.
When preparing for washing you must:
Make sure the composition of the filler.- Stock up on liquid detergent.
- Study the labels (if any) that indicate the rules for caring for the product.
If there is any doubt about the composition of the filling, it is necessary to inspect the pillow itself. If there is a zipper on the cover, it should be unzipped to see the type of padding .
You can wash the pillow in a washing machine or by hand. Each method has its own characteristics.
If the pillow is not very dirty, and the cover itself has a zipper, then you can wash only it, having first removed the padding polyester.
Cleaning a synthetic padding pillow manually
Washing a padding polyester item in an automatic machine is the simplest solution. But not every time it is possible to use this method, especially if the pillow is large in size, or the actions have to be performed in the countryside. In addition, the reason for choosing this particular washing method is the manufacturer’s recommendations indicated on the label.
Washing by hand involves performing the following steps:
- water is collected in a container of suitable size, the temperature of which should not exceed forty degrees;
- Add liquid detergent and foam slightly. Dry washing powders must not be used. As a last resort, the use of shampoo or soap solution is allowed;
- a padding polyester pillow is dipped into the prepared liquid, kept in it for about twenty minutes, turned over and pressed several times;
- after this, the pillow is soaked for two to three hours;
- The padding polyester item is rinsed in several waters, lightly wrung out and sent to dry.
In cases where it is not possible to organize hand washing, and the use of an automatic machine is prohibited by manufacturers of items made from padding polyester, there remains another option - dry cleaning. The method is reliable, but quite expensive.
Using a washing machine
Washing in a washing machine is much easier than washing by hand . It saves the owner time and effort, but requires careful attention.
Washing must be carried out in accordance with certain rules. These include the following:
- The mode in the automatic washing machine should be set to “delicate” (“synthetics”, “hand wash”), which will not spoil the stuffing.
Since the item has a significant volume, when the drum of the machine rotates, it can create an uneven load, which will affect the quality of processing.
To improve efficiency, it is advisable to place two pillows in the drum at a time.- The water temperature for washing should not be higher than 30ºС. This indicator can be increased to 40ºС only if this is permitted by the manufacturer and indicated on the label.
- The installed “extra rinse” will help to rinse out the detergent from the padding polyester thoroughly.
- After washing, the item is wrung out by hand through a terry towel that absorbs water well.
- Drying - outdoors.
Traditionally, the full operating cycle of a washing machine includes spinning. Avoiding spinning in the washing machine will extend the life of the pillow.
The high speeds generated by the washing machine can not only remove moisture, they can also damage the filler - it will bunch up and become deformed.
In this case, it will be impossible to return the product to its original appearance and elasticity of the padding. In addition, it will still not be possible to completely dry the pillow using a machine spin.
Work order:
the pillow is placed in a special laundry bag;- it is necessary to moisten the pillow itself before placing it in the drum;
- Tennis balls or those specially designed for washing are added to the drum;
- liquid detergent is poured;
- a delicate mode is established;
- “extra rinse” is selected.
The spin speed, if it is not possible to refuse it, should not be higher than 400-500.
How to wash in an automatic machine
This cleaning method is the most convenient; due to high-quality spinning, the synthetic padding pillow dries much faster. Ideally, it is recommended to organize washing for two items at the same time, so as not to create an imbalance in the washing machine drum.
Before washing, pillows are not pre-soaked. All that is allowed in this case is to water padding polyester items to improve wetting, and then put them in the washing machine.
The liquid composition is poured into the detergent tray. Bleaching agents and conditioners are not used for washing items made from padding polyester, and the use of a stain remover is completely excluded. The fact is that all this can damage a thing made of padding polyester. It is recommended to put several tennis balls in the drum along with the pillow, which will “break” the padding polyester.
The washing mode selected is short and gentle - delicate, for wool or fast. In each case, the water temperature should not exceed thirty to forty degrees so that the padding polyester does not deteriorate.
As soon as the washing process is completely completed, it is necessary to activate the re-rinse in the machine. This measure will eliminate traces of the detergent composition. Having taken the padding polyester item out of the machine, wrap it in a terry towel and wring it out to get rid of excess moisture. After this, the pillow is sent to dry.
Handwash
With this approach, it is necessary to prepare a large container in advance, for example, a basin . Operating procedure:
- Warm water is poured into a basin or bathtub.
- Dilute liquid detergent in water.
- The pillow is carefully lowered into the water so that it is completely submerged.
- Periodically, the pillow needs to be turned over, but without vigorous effort.
- After standing for a quarter of an hour, the product is taken out and squeezed out without applying significant effort.
- The next stage is rinsing. This must be done several times to completely remove any remaining detergent.
- As with machine processing, the pillow is wrung out through a large terry towel.
Machine washing gives the best result, but hand washing the pillow is more gentle and delicate.
How to choose?
To understand which bedding is better, you will have to look at such a control parameter as tailoring design.
A padded blanket can be made in 3 ways:
- Quilted.
It is made on special machines. The padding polyester filler in such products is perfectly fixed thanks to the quilting; - Karostepnoe. It has a good thermal insulation rate and is often done manually;
- Cassette. A more expensive and practical product, which consists of several separate sections or cassettes, each of which contains padding polyester filler.
The next control parameter that you will have to take into account when choosing the best padding polyester product is size. The dimensions of bedding must always correspond to the size of the sleeping place. Otherwise, the bed will be uncomfortable.
The following sizes of blankets are available on the market:
- One and a half - 140x205;
- Double – 172x205;
- Children's - 110x140 or 120x120.
Also available on the Russian market are bedding made according to European standards:
- One and a half – 155x215;
- Double bedroom – 200x220;
- King size – 220x240.
All sizes are indicated in centimeters.
As a cover, manufacturers often use environmentally friendly and quite practical ones, thanks to which the finished product receives hygroscopicity and good air conductivity.
To make it more convenient to cover yourself with a blanket, the following are often used for the cover:
- Cotton;
- Silk;
- Knitwear;
- Jacquard weave fabrics.
These breathe well and keep the padding inside.
Features of drying products with padding polyester filler
Proper drying is a necessary condition, the fulfillment of which will help preserve the appearance of the product. Otherwise, even with proper washing, the result will not meet expectations.
It is important that the pillow dries evenly. You can use a dryer to place the washed item on . This will ensure air access from all sides.
During the drying process, the product must be periodically whipped and turned over so that the filling does not cake. It is advisable to do this every 2-3 hours.
If immediately after washing the filling turns out to be knocked down and deformed, you need to wait until the item dries and only then try to straighten it.
Drying outdoors in the shade is the best option to ensure good drying of the product.
How to fluff padding polyester in a pillow after washing
Sometimes it is not possible to maintain the appearance of a pillow, despite all efforts. In addition, even if you wash the synthetic padding polyester very carefully, it will still wrinkle and cake inside the product, albeit to a slight extent. Therefore, after washing, the synthetic winterizer must be fluffed until it returns to its original state.
We recommend reading: Labels on clothes for washing: decoding symbols from photos
If the deformation is minor, then you can fluff the filler with your hands - just gently beat the completely dry pillow. You can also walk over the damp surface of the pillow with a vacuum cleaner with a clean attachment; if the lumps of padding polyester are not too dense, then the vacuum cleaner will help break them up.
In extreme cases, the pillow will have to be ripped apart, the stuffing adjusted manually and the product sewn up again. But it makes sense to do this only if the stuffing after washing has become very wrinkled and requires returning to its original state.
Work on mistakes
If the padding polyester inside the pillow has become loose as a result of improper washing, you can try to correct the situation.
The following recommendations will help:
- You can “walk” over the surface of a pillow that is not completely dry with a vacuum cleaner to redistribute the stuffing;
- shake the pillow, beat its contents;
- Try to straighten the padding polyester through the cover with your hands.
If the above tips do not help, you will have to act radically. To correct the result of improper cleaning, you will need to prop up the cover and straighten the contents of the pillow with your hands.
If an old pillow that has already become unusable has been washed, it will not be possible to restore its shape. The product should be replaced.
How to restore a synthetic padding pillow if it has become felted?
If the filling of the pillow is lost after washing, you can use different methods to return the item to its previous appearance.
Using a vacuum cleaner
The restoration of the pillow is carried out as follows:
- the pillow is laid out on a flat surface and the places where the filler has gotten lost are determined;
- Next, you should take a vacuum cleaner, set the suction mode to medium, remove the brush from the tube and go through all the problem areas. In order for the padding polyester to spread out evenly, it makes sense to go over the entire item with a vacuum cleaner;
- After the filler has been successfully spread, the item should be left on a horizontal surface to dry.
Using a carpet beater or stick
In order to return the pillow to its previous appearance you need to:
- hang the pillow on a rope using clothespins;
- Gently knock out and evenly tap all parts of the item until there are no matted parts left.
If all else fails
Do not be upset if you were unable to restore the padding polyester using the above methods. An extreme measure, which will take a lot of time, but is guaranteed to return things to their previous appearance, is to straighten the padding polyester manually.
It is necessary to rip the product open on one side and straighten the filler with your hands. After this, you should secure the padding polyester in the right places with a needle and thread. When all the filling is spread out evenly, the pillow is sewn up again.
If you cannot straighten the filler yourself, and the item is very expensive, it makes sense to contact a professional seamstress who can replace the filler with a new one.
In order for padding polyester pillows to retain their original appearance after washing, you must strictly follow all the rules and recommendations for the procedure specified in this article. This will make it easy to rid the item of dirt and keep it intact. Washing pillows does not require much effort and it is important to carry out this procedure at least once a year.
Dry cleaning
If the product label indicates that it is not intended for wet cleaning by hand or in a machine, it is better to take the item to dry cleaning. Professional workshops use special cleaners that easily remove dirt without damaging the filler and pillowcase.
At home, just ventilate such a thing in the fresh air in a horizontal position, then carefully knock the dust out of it.
Proper drying
How to dry pillows:
- In a horizontal position on a flat, hard surface so that the item does not become deformed.
- Sintepon cannot be twisted or squeezed.
- When placed vertically or suspended, padding polyester fillers do not dry: they clump together.
- You should not leave the item near heating devices: high temperatures negatively affect the structure of synthetic fibers.
- After washing, the pillow is wrung out between two large terry towels and laid out on a dry, clean cloth, preferably in a well-ventilated area or outdoors.
Whipping
As soon as one side of the product dries a little, it is turned over. Such manipulations are repeated several times. During the process, the still wet product is gently beaten so that it does not settle and the filler does not become thin .
Care
To extend the service life of a sleeping model with any filling, you must adhere to the care rules and manufacturer’s recommendations:
- The product must be ventilated regularly (at least once a week) in the fresh air.
- In the morning, the pillow must be fluffed and turned to the other side.
- The cover on a feather sleeping item needs to be changed annually, and the natural filling must be cleaned at the same period.
Regular wet cleaning and ventilation of the bedroom will help keep the product in good condition, especially for accessories with natural filler.
