How to Dry a Memory Foam Pillow

If you’ve washed your memory foam pillow (or accidentally spilled some water on it), you can’t just throw it in the dryer with the rest of your laundry and be done with it. Memory foam pillows are comfortable and soft, but the convenience does not carry over to maintenance, so here is our guide on how to dry a memory foam pillow.

Washing your pillows regularly is a good way to prevent residue buildup from your skin or hair oils, products or makeup. If you’re someone who uses their pillows without a pillow cover, the frequency of washing them should be even higher.

If you’re thinking about doing some washing, this article discusses how to dry a memory foam pillow properly – with some tips on washing your pillow included too.

How to Dry a Memory Foam Pillow

Drying a memory foam pillow has to be a gentle, slow process. You might feel tempted to toss it in the dryer to get quick results, but be warned – this could damage it.

Step 1: Once your pillow is completely rinsed and all traces of detergent and cleaning agents are removed, squeeze it gently from all sides to remove any excess water. Do not use too much pressure or you might end up misshaping your pillow.

Step 2: Once the extra water has been squeezed out, leave the pillow on a dry surface on a covered patio, or indoors if you prefer. Either way, keep the pillow out of direct sunlight. If you live in a very humid area, leave the pillow indoors or in front of a fan.

Step 3: Memory foam pillows usually take a while to dry, so you should leave the pillow out for around 24 hours to be safe. After 12 hours, flip the pillow so that it can dry out more evenly.

It’s important to leave the pillow to dry completely, as dampness can be a breeding ground for germs and mildew. This might cause your pillow to smell and cause various health issues.

General Tips for Drying a Pillow

Do not use a dryer for your pillow. Even the low heat setting of the dryer is enough to disintegrate the foam, and the low tumble setting might end up ruining the shape of your pillow.
Do not dry the pillow under direct sunlight. While you might feel that this will dry the pillow out quickly, direct heat and light from the sun can reduce its quality by changing the shape and size.
When you rinse out a memory foam pillow, it’s better to leave some water in it than put too much pressure to remove it. This water will evaporate when you leave the pillow out to air dry, but the pillow won’t go back to its original shape if you ruin it.
Never wring a memory foam pillow. This can cause permanent damage to its shape.

FAQs About Washing Memory Foam Pillows

Now that you know how to dry a memory foam pillow, here are the answers to some frequently answered questions about the cleaning process.

Why does direct sunlight affect memory foam?

Memory foam is different from the stuffing used in conventional pillows, as it comes in a single unit and is composed of a cell-like structure. There are a lot of air pockets in this structure.

Memory foam pillows can fit around the contour of your body just by using your body heat and pressure, but the heat from direct sunlight will cause structural damage to the pillow. It might also reduce its lifespan and cost you more in the long run.

How to wash a memory foam pillow?

If you want to wash your memory foam pillow, the best option is to hand wash it using a large bucket or tub that can fit the pillow completely. Just like with drying, you cannot use a machine to wash your pillow.

Step 1: Fill up a bucket or a tub large enough to clean the pillow with cold or room temperature water. Add some mild detergent and mix it well until the water is foamy.

Step 2: Completely submerge the pillow in the foamy water. Rub and massage it gently till the detergent water has completely seeped into the pillow. Keep the pillow submerged for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: After 30 minutes, remove the pillow from the bucket. Throw out the water and refill the bucket with clean water. Squeeze the pillow to remove all traces of soapy water from it. Make sure that you are gentle while you do this.

Step 4: Submerge the pillow in the clean water and squeeze and massage it again until the remaining traces of detergent are removed. This is an important step, as leaving detergent particles stuck in the cellular structure of a memory foam pillow can cause it to harden and change in shape.

Step 5: Once the pillow is clean, gently squeeze it and check if foamy water comes out. Once this step is completed, rinse the pillow by running it under a tap of cold water to completely clean it up.

Step 6: Squeeze the pillow gently from all sides to remove the excess water. You can now use the steps in this article to dry the pillow.

Bottom Line

Cleaning and drying a memory foam pillow is not a difficult process as long as you’re patient about it. Because of the cell-like structure of the foam, applying too much pressure, direct sunlight or heat can damage the structural integrity. This will significantly reduce the lifespan of your pillow.