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Sleeping on a high-quality down feather pillow may feel like sleeping on the clouds. But, this soothing experience can soon turn into a nightmare when you start finding feathers all over your room and you’re not sure how to stop feathers from coming out of pillows. This is one of the reasons why there has been a growing interest in memory foam pillows. However, some people like to cling to old habits, and they feel reluctant to swap their feather pillow for a memory foam one.
If you want to keep your down pillow, but constantly deal with feathers popping out, then you should read this blog and find out how to put a stop to that annoying situation.
How to Stop Feathers from Coming Out
How happy were you when you first laid your head on your new feather pillow? Probably quite happy. However, after nights and nights of good sleep, your pillow probably started to create a very frustrating situation. You wake up in the morning, and feathers are there. You make your bed, and feathers are there.
So, to put an end to your troubles, make sure to follow these five simple steps:
1.Use a pillow protector
By using a pillow protector, you can reduce the amount of down coming out of your pillow, and you’ll certainly stop feathers from leaking out and spreading throughout your room. A pillow protector is made of a tight weave, and this helps keep feathers from poking out. Even if you don’t have feather leaking problems, it’s good to use pillow protectors, as they also prevent the wear and tear of pillow covers.
2. Patch or sew any pillow holes
Feathers always find their way out, even through the thinnest of holes. That’s why you should scan your pillows for spots. The weakest part of a pillow are the seams, so it’s best to run along the seams with your fingers to look for the holes. If you notice any, make sure to sew or patch them with some mending tape.
3. Fluff regularly
Just something as simple as fluffing can keep your pillow in shape and stop feathers from coming out. The best practice is to fluff your pillow just before you go to bed, and in that way, the feathers that are about to leak will be pushed back into place. If it’s too much trouble fluffing the pillow every night, try to do it a few times a week.
Also, drying a pillow can make it fluff quickly. So, you can put a pillow out in the sun for a few hours or place it in a dryer on low heat.
4. Don’t wash too often
This may sound uncommon, but that doesn’t mean you should not wash your pillow at all. Pillows usually act as a breeding ground for dust mites, dirt, and bacteria, and it’s often recommended to wash them regularly. However, if you wash your feather pillows too often, you may cause the leaking problem to occur much sooner than normal. You should follow the care label and wash it only when you need it, all the while keeping the pillow clean and safe with a pillow protector.
5. Don’t compress the pillow
If you want to move your pillows from your bed and/or store it away, don’t vacuum pack or compress them when doing so because compression can force the feathers out of the pillow. It’s best to keep them in their natural shape.
How Long Do Feather Pillows Last?
Research has shown that most people tend to keep their pillows much longer than they should. Pillows are essential for a good night’s sleep and they should provide us with the best possible support. Once a pillow stops doing that, that’s an alarm for change.
In the case of a feather pillow, it’s estimated that they last somewhere between 5 and 10 years if properly maintained. But in our opinion, that’s too long for a pillow to maintain the same quality level. Feathers eventually start to compress and cause the situation we previously mentioned. So, it’s recommended to replace your pillows every 12 to 24 months.
How to Choose a New Pillow
Have you ever spent a night in a hotel and woke up rejuvenated, thinking that was the best sleep ever? The secret lies in a high-quality pillow.
And given that approximately one-third of a person’s life is spent sleeping, everybody should strive to achieve that hotel-quality sleep. Check out our guide to buying hotel pillows here. There are both memory foam and down hotel pillows, so if you’re a feather pillow lover, you don’t need to compromise. Treat yourself to a new pillow and have a 5-star-hotel experience every night.
What to Do With Old Feather Pillows?
If you have just started dealing with the feathers leaking from your pillow, try the previously mentioned tips to ameliorate the situation. If the leaking won’t stop, or the pillow won’t fluff anymore, then it’s probably time to stop using it for sleeping. However, there is no need for your pillow to end up in a dustbin. Here are some ways you can still make use of your old feather pillow:
Compost the Feather Stuffing
A great way to use your old feather pillow is to rip it open and use the stuffing to fill up your compost bin that can further be used to fertilize gardens and lawns. Bear in mind that this is achievable only if the feathers in your pillow are real. In case the stuffing contains synthetic material, this won’t work.
Protect your stuff when packing
When moving, packing can be very hard and exhausting. The situation is even worse when you have fragile things or loosely packed boxes. So, this is when your old feather pillow may come to the rescue. Jam a pillow or two inside a box and keep your stuff safe.
Stuff a second pillow
If you have another pillow that’s getting thin, but still not ready for tossing, then you can use the stuffing from your old pillow to fill it and fatten it up. This might extend the life of that pillow a bit longer.
Final Thoughts
If you have noticed feathers coming out of your pillow, try the tips we provided for how to stop feathers from coming out of pillows, which should slow down or completely stop the leaking process. Fortunately, high-quality pillows are affordable today. So, if you see that your pillow no longer offers you the support you need, then replacing it would be the best bet.