The average amount of sleep each night is 7 to 8 hours. Some people require less, others more. Your pillows get some use during the night as you toss and turn.
As we sleep we exude sweat, and body oil onto our pillows. On top of that, we may dribble saliva and flakes of skin onto them. It’s no wonder our pillows need a spruce up. Baking soda can clean and freshen your pillows.
Let’s run you through how you can use baking soda to rid your pillows of stains and smells.
There may be affiliate links in this article. You can read more about this in my disclosure.
The fantastic power of baking soda
Without getting all scientific, it’s the alkali property of baking soda that makes it effective at cleaning. When mixed with water, baking soda attacks the grease and oil buildup.
If it isn’t fully dissolved in water, the particles within the baking soda keep a part of their abrasiveness. Say goodbye to those stubborn spots on your pillow.
Making your pillows look and smell new again
You may look at your pillows in dismay. They don’t look that attractive and need some TLC. The good news is that you have various options with which to clean your pillows.
You can pop them into your washing machine, hand wash them, or give them a spot clean.
We recommend using Tide as it is one of the most trusted laundry detergents in the USA. It is effective at getting rid of the oil and grease stains your body produces.
Also, its bleaching power makes your whites shine and your colors gleam.
Before washing your pillows, make sure that you read the care label on the pillow. Some pillows, such as foam pillows, don’t take too well to be washed in a machine.
The last thing you want to do is ruin your pillows.
Give your pillows a hand wash
If you have more delicate pillows, the best way to clean them is by hand-washing them with baking soda.
Follow these steps to freshen your foam or throw pillows.
- Add one tablespoon of baking soda with an equal measure of water. Mix until a paste is formed and then smear this over the stained areas. Let the paste rest for several minutes and then wipe it away with a damp cloth.
- For more stubborn stains, use a toothbrush to work the baking soda into the area. Don’t apply too much pressure as you don’t want to tear or rip the fabric. Just like in the first step, clear the paste with a moist cloth.
- Fill up a basin with warm water and add in your laundry detergent. Read the instructions on the detergent bottle for how much you should add to the water.
- Submerge your pillows into the solution and then give them a gentle hand wash. Focus on those areas in which you applied your baking soda solution. Remove any residual powder.
- Wring out the water from your pillows. Place them in the sun or a well-ventilated area and allow them to dry.
Put the pillows into the washing machine
For this method, repeat steps 1-2 above. That is, use your baking soda to treat any stains on your pillows.
- Put your pillows into the washing machine. As we mentioned, read the label. Are your pillows color-fast?
- Add in your washing detergent. You could also add in some washing soda and a 1/2 cup of vinegar to provide your pillows with extra bleaching. All the pillows to soak in the water for an hour before your wash them.
- Wash the pillows once again in a hot water cycle. This will remove any leftover powder or detergent.
- Remove the pillows from your machine and see if the stains are gone. If not, then repeat the first 2 steps of this method.
- Fluff them up and then place them somewhere to dry.
Removing the yellow stains
Those nasty yellow stains on your pillows are the result of:
- Sweat during the night as we sleep
- Going to bed with damp hair
- Oils being released from our body
- Drooling
- Chemicals contained within your hair products or your makeup
However, you can blast away the stains with the help of baking soda, vinegar, and our friend, the Sun.
- Place your pillow in the sunlight. The UV rays from the Sun provide a natural source of disinfection.
- Pour some vinegar into a bottle. Use distilled vinegar as this contains no coloring agents. Therefore you won’t run the risk of adding more stains to your pillow. Green Gobbler vinegar is a great allrounder.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the yellow stains. Spray the area with your vinegar. You want the baking soda and vinegar to react by foaming up.
- Scrub the pillows with a toothbrush. Allow them to sit for 5 minutes.
- Wipe down the pillows with a damp cloth. If the stains remain, repeat this process.
More stubborn stains may require bleach.
You can try using Borax. Just like baking soda, its alkaline ability makes it an ideal bleaching agent.
However, you need to be careful when using Borax as it can cause skin and eye irritations. If you breathe it in, you may experience a burning sensation in your throat, lungs, and nose.
Using fragrant vinegar
We are all familiar with the smell of vinegar. It can be overpowering at times. You don’t want to lay your head down to rest and have the vinegary odor assaulting your nostrils.
Sure, baking soda may help in reducing the smell, but…
You can find fragrant vinegar. It’s an awesome idea. You can clean your pillows with a baking soda and pleasant smelling vinegar mix.
As we mentioned, baking soda may remove the odor, but if the smell lingers, at least it’s a nice smell.
Aunt Fannie’s provides a range of different fragrant cleaning vinegar. The company’s lavender-scented vinegar can help you relax and drift off to sleep.
If you want to try, you can make your own scented vinegar:
- Sterilize a couple of jars or bottles and then dry them.
- Add in a mix of dried flowers, herbs, and spices. You could also fill the jars/bottles with potpourri. The more of these ingredients you use, the stronger the fragrance will be.
- Pour in your vinegar. Set the containers aside for a week and a half.
- Transfer everything into a second container, sifting out the flowers, herbs, spices, or potpourri.
- Enjoy your scented vinegar.
Another option is to use essential oils:
- Copy the first step from the previous method.
- Fill your container with oil. Add in several drops of your essential oil. Shake the container to mix the oil and vinegar.
- You can give the vinegar a sniff to see if it has the scent you desire. If not, add a little more of the oil into the vinegar.
- If you store your everyday vinegar in a similar-looking container as your scented one, label them so that you don’t make a mistake. You don’t want your food having a subtle hint of ylang-ylang (unless that was your intention)!
Deodorizing your pillows with baking soda
Your pillows make look fine. No stains or yellowing. Yet, they are smelling a little funky.
As you know, baking soda is an awesome deodorizer. Let’s show you how you can use it to remove those unpleasant odors from your pillows.
- Place your pillow into a pillowcase.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda into the case. Shake everything vigorously and then let the pillows remain in the case overnight.
- In the morning, take the pillow out of the case. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean off the baking soda.
Here is another method that doesn’t use a pillowcase:
- Cover your entire pillow with baking soda.
- Use a toothbrush to work the soda into the fabric of the pillow. The small particles of the baking soda will be gently pushed into the gaps between the fibers.
- Like the first method, leave the pillow to rest overnight.
- Give the pillow a vacuum to remove the baking soda.
Protecting your pillows
Now that you have your pillows looking pristine again, you want to keep them that way. Consider a pillow protector.
These slip over your pillow and provide a barrier against your sweat, oil, and saliva. They also keep you safe from bugs and mites.
If you suffer from allergies, then consider buying a pillow protector such as those offered by National Allergy.
A warning about Baking Soda
Baking soda can cause reactions such as redness of the skin, a burning sensation, or even swelling. That may cause you to think you have an allergy to the soda, but it’s not true.
What you are experiencing is an irritation to it. This is because you are responding to the pH balance within the baking soda.
If you find that you react to baking soda, the best thing to do is to exfoliate your skin. Also, use a pillow protector to encase the pillow after you have cleaned it.
Conclusion
As we sleep, the oil and sweat from our faces can seep into the pillow. Added to that is our drool and the chemicals from your cosmetics and hair products.
That means your clean pillow is under constant threat of becoming dirty.
Baking soda is a natural cleanser. Mix it with water or vinegar and you have an amazing product that removes those yellow stains.
You can use scented vinegar to have your pillows looking and smelling fresh.
If you find that your skin is irritated by the baking soda, use an exfoliant to ease the reaction. Place your pillow in a protector and you keep yourself and your pillow safe.
Have a good night’s sleep. Your pillow is okay now.
Last update on 2023-09-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
