How can I freshen up 'stale' pillows?

Question

So I recently found a box that had 3 pillows in it. I took them out and they smell really 'stuffy' or 'stale'.

I took them outside and hung them on the line for a whole week to air out and when I brought them in they seem to still smell the same.

One has regular stuffing, so I might be able to wash it in the washer, but the other two are feather and I just don't know how to fix this problem.

Any great ideas??

Answer 1

febreze helps, there is even an allergen stopping variety.

Answer 2

I wash my down pillows in the washing machine and dry them in the dryer.  I put several tennis balls in the dryer with them to help the down fluff up.  I have done this many times and it works beautifully.   If you need to freshen the smell of fabric items you cannot wash try the Febreeze for fabrics.

Answer 3

Put them in a plastic bag and attach a vacuum cleaner hose to suck all of the air out of the bag and collapse the pillow.  That will help exchange the air inside them.

If you put them in a washing machine and then a dryer, they usually become very lumpy since the filling gets pulled and compressed during the wash cycle and tumbling.

One good way to wash them is laying flat in a bathtub.  You can step on them to get all of the air out.  Drain the tub and leave them in there until most of the water drains out of the pillows and then hang them to dry the rest of the way.

Answer 4

wash them in a front loading machine

If you don't have one at home, you can use one at your local laundromat.  Dry on medium heat so you don't melt the fibers inside. The feather ones WILL take a long time to dry. But they can be dried at your home on permanent press setting. You will know they are dry when they don't have that 'wet animal' smell to them.

Answer 5

Throw them away and buy new.  Pillows are not expensive.  Why go crazy, you'll probably never get that musty smell out of them.  I wash mine in the washer.  Down ones too!  No problem, but old musty smell is hard to get rid of.  Try it

Answer 6

Put them in your dryer on air fluff - NO HEAT and do one at a time and put in 3-4 really good smelling dryer sheets and you will be amazed.  If they still don't smell right repeat this process.  I have had excellent results with this because I received a bunch of feather pillows from my Great Grandmother and it did the trick .  I also put dryer sheets in with the pillow cases when I change the cases and it really keeps em smelling like heaven.