A Pillow can lose its shape and become flat with time due to head compression that makes loose material inside lose its fluffiness. However, did you know that its shape and fluffiness are what makes it a pillow and also your comfortable, good night’s sleep?
Yes. Hence, you need to care for and maintain your pillow to sleep comfortably and save you the cost of frequently replacing it.
For those who have been throwing away flat pillows, kindly take your time to read this article because you have a lot to learn about maintaining its shape and fluffiness.
Table of Contents
Why do you need to fluff a pillow?
When you fluff your pillow, it is not for the reason of maintaining its shape only, but there is much to gain from it. These includes:
- It saves you the cost of frequently replacing pillows because its fluffiness ability is maintained, making it last longer.
- A fluffy pillow allows you to have a good night’s sleep because it holds enough air making it breathable and a good heat insulator. Hence, your head will always be warm and sweat-free.
- It improves the aesthetic look of your bedroom or living room because they look fuller, welcoming, comfortable and organized.
- It improves the breathability of your pillow, which allows moisture to be escape quickly from the pillow. Moisture can cause lumping and unpleasant odor.
- It provides comfortable support for your neck and spine alignment and makes it more flexible to fold your needs.
- No matter how expensive or pocket-friendly it cost you to get that favorite pillow, fluffing will allow you to reap all the benefits you spent your hard-earned money you spent on it.
Ways to fluff your pillow
There are many ways you can use to fluff your pillow. But which method would ideal and convenient to employ that would easier, effortless and comfortable for you? Below are strategies you can choose from and use frequently.
- Exposing directly under the sun
A flat pillow has poor breathability, which traps a lot of moisture from your sweat and saliva. Hence, making the components inside lump and produce an odor.
Therefore, to get rid of that odor, you need to expose it outdoor directly under the sun for the moisture inside to evaporate. Evaporation helps to loosen the lumped fibers to eliminate the odor and regain their shape and fluffiness.
- Toss it in the Dryer
During winter, it is rare to depend on sunlight energy if you intend to fluff your pillow. Hence, you will require the maximum use of your dryer during winter.
Take your pillow and toss it in the dryer but ensure the heat setting is low while adhering to the pillow’s care guideline instructions. Besides, your pillow should be dryer-safe.
Since the dryer produces heat and spins in a cycle, it will shake the components inside, making the lumped materials loosen, thereby regaining their shape and fluffiness.
- Make use of your hands.
Work out anytime with your hands for the benefit of fluffing your pillow. Grab the side ends {the top and bottom} of your flat pillow, then squeeze towards each other and release.
Repeat the procedure for about 45-60 minutes, and after that, shift to base and repeat the same process. Or become crazy and Grab your pillow, start hitting one end against the head or edge of your bed for about 20-30 minutes and repeat the procedure with the opposite end.
All these ideas will significantly help to loosen the lumped materials inside the pillow.
- Massaging
Do you know how to massage? Don’t panic; massaging your pillow requires no experience and precautions to risk. Place the pillow on your laps and start squeezing into the chunks inside the pillow to break the lumped pieces.
Then release your hand slowly to let the broken chunks redistribute. Repeat the process until you feel and conclude that it has increased in size like its original shape is renewed.
- Use a tennis ball {Kneading and Pounding}
The significance of your dryer is still helpful here. Insert a tennis ball in a sock and insert it in the dryer with the pillow. Since the tennis ball is hard and bouncy, it will repeatedly pound and knead on the pillow while the dryer cycles.
Hence, the lumped components in the pillow break and become loose, making your pillow fuller and more significant.
- Boxing
Instead of a physical fight to release your anger, here is a way to release your anger for the benefit of your comfort and maintaining good relations with people around you.
Use your fists and start punching harder the sides of your pillow to loosen the lumped components inside the pillow. However, this method only works for pillows that are not too much moistened and the ones that are made from leather material.
How often should you fluff your pillow?
The frequency of fluffing entirely depends on a lot of factors that you should consider. The period you have used the pillow and the type of materials used for making it determines how often it loses its fluffiness.
Therefore, those that are made from lightweight materials should fluff their pillow {s} thrice or twice a week depending on their status {new or old}.
However, there are materials like memory foam that are highly resistant to compression that will require to be fluffed once a week considering their condition and method of fluffing used.
Is it better to fluff up your pillow when it’s in the case?
No. For instance, toss a pillow in the dryer with its case. What will happen when you set heat to fluff your pillow without considering each materials’ ability to heat resistance?
Fluffing your pillow with its case can damage the case, or the pillow might not fluff well because of different temperature settings and heat resistance ability.
Therefore, when fluffing your pillow, always ensure it is separated from its case for you to achieve the best fluffing result without damages.
How to stuff your pillow
Stuffing your pillow is a great way to renew its shape by refilling to make it comfortable and convenient for your needs. Therefore, I recommend you use the tips while adhering to the steps below when stuffing your pillow.
- Take a seam ripper to open the stitched end of your pillow, which you will use to stuff your pillow. If it has fluff lining inside, you need to open the seam too.
- Remove all the fiberfill inside the pillow to empty the pillow.
- If the fiberfill is clumped, please fluff using one of the methods above. This is to allow you to re-stuff your pillow evenly at all dimensions.
- After fluffing, take the fiberfill mix with the one you intended to re-stuff with and fill the pillow with the fiberfill. However, ensure you stuff bit by bit while every corner is appropriately and evenly filled inside.
- When you are done with stuffing, hand sew the open end used to close the opening but don’t forget to sew the inner lining if it had.
Conclusion
Please do not get rid of your pillow before using it for a substantial period since there are many ways you can employ to fluff it to make it valuable and durable.
Or you may choose to re-stuff to make it more appealing and comfortable for your needs. The choice is yours, but don’t forget fluffing and re-stuffing your pillow is the best way to preserve your comfort and expense of replacing it frequently.