Is Your Pillow Killing You? (Friday the 13th edition)

We’re going to guess that the pillow on your bed is several years old and has its fair share of drool, makeup, and dust mites with plenty to share. Many of our customers cling to their beloved pillow because they are afraid that any replacement pillows won't feel the same. That older pillow might in fact be killing you (or at least killing your comfort). How is one to go forward and find that perfect new pillow(s)? We'd like to offer some forbidden tips for buying pillows that you might not have expected.

You can have more than one pillow

We often suggest folks consider having a minimum of two pillows per person. The biggest reason to have multiple pillows is that you can have a mix of pillow fillings and densities. Some nights you want more support, so use a medium pillow. Other nights you feel like a less dense pillow, so go for a soft density pillow. You can even stack the two together when you need ultra-support. This rule works great not only for yourself but in guest rooms as well where you’re not sure what sleep position a guest prefers. The only downside is this requires extra pillow protectors and pillowcases. In our opinion this is a well-deserved expense to make you feel like a million bucks every month.

If you have a king size bed, you don't have to use a king size pillow

Just because you have a king size bed with king size sheets and pillowcases does not mean you only have to use king size pillows. So why would you want a smaller pillow? If the pillow features loose blown material like down, feathers, and down alternative polyesters, the bigger the interior space, the more room there is for the filling to move around. A smaller pillow keeps the filling more contained and tends to offer a more consistent density compared to a longer size pillow.

Dry your pillow once a month

Pillows regardless of filling material flatten out due to the 9 + pounds of pressure rolling on their surface through the night. A great way to keep the pillow nice and fluffy is to place the pillow in a dryer once a month on low heat for 20-30 minutes. The mechanical agitation will fluff the filling and heat will remove any ambient moisture present in the pillow, If you want to add a lightly scented dryer sheet or sachet go for it and enjoy a gorgeous smelling pillow.

Daily puff & pull

The absolute key to a fluffy pillow is to do some serious karate chopping and shaking of your pillow if it contains down, feathers or loose blown polyester down alternative. Going a step further, you can also grab the top and bottom of the pillow and, with your fingers, grab a chunk of the filling and pull the filling apart (think of pulling taffy). This is especially important for clingy filling materials like polyester where their static reaction causes the filling material to stick to other fiber strands and become Velcro like in nature.

Stay rested my friend!