Saturday 28 September 2013

Rose Tinted Glasses: Washing and the joys of being sick with the flu!

So I took the pillow cases off my pillows today because I've been sick for the past 48 hours with a chesty cough (maybe the flu?) and as a result I just want to sleep - so much. I decided maybe I should change my bedding so I can help stop my bugs getting everywhere. Cleaning always seems like a good idea when I'm sick. I don't know why, it makes no sense really. Cleaning takes so much energy and effort!

So I started to think, How do I get the Yellow mess out of my pillows?
And what is the yellow stuff?

These are cotton/ polyester ones. Cheap ones.

They're yellowed with oil/ sweat/ grease? Doesn't help that I only got them at the start of this year - back when I started to do the No Poo routine, which made my hair, and skin, greasier than a teenager!

It looks like yellowing on pillows is from a build up of sweat, dirt, grime, and maybe also drool.

So I went to google  and I found these articles (I wanted to make sure I was doing the cleaning part in a good way!) ;

Wiki How to Wash Pillows

How to wash yellowed pillows

How to wash pillows (Martha Stewart) via Apartment Therapy

I have a front loading machine, so in lieu of the recipes suggested with a cup of this, a cup of that. I went basic:
The usual Laundry Powder (2 Tablespoons worth).
Plus 2 Tablespoons of Washing Soda crystals. (They're said to help remove sweat marks, and are also a fabric softener).

Before I threw them in the machine, I sprayed a generic (cheap) stain remover all over one side of each pillow (just so I could compare how white they are after being washed). I left this to do it's thing for maybe 20 minutes. (Far longer than it actually needed).

I then put them in the washing machine, gentle cycle. (Delicates). With a gentle spin cycle.

I then went and distracted myself until it was done.

I then pulled them out, they still smelled like stain remover. (EW!)
So back in they went (with 1T laundry powder and 2T of washing soda).

Currently waiting to see how it goes.

OK: UPDATE:
Took an extra go through the machine, (for a total of three cycles through).
Now I am drier-ing the pillows one at a time, on "delicates" cycle at 40 minute increments. Here's hoping.
-- Now to see how long it will take to get them bone dry. Cannot have them back on my bed if they're damp or risk of Mould is too high.
Mould would increase my allergies/ asthma and would *not* help my sickness!

Second Update: (re drying pillows in the drier). I decided to throw them through the drier on Delicates cycle individually, so there would be plenty or air space between them.
I put them on for 40 minutes at a time. I've lost count how many times I've put them in!
They're still *just* damp now (it's 20 minutes to 1am...) and I (think) started drying them ... about  (3 or) 4 hours ago!

**I got my flu vaccine this year - so I doubt I have the flu, although I did sleep a lot of Thursday. So it is entirely possible.

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