The fresh-smelling, clean pillow with just the right height and soft material helps improve your sleep quality. However, after a period of use, many pillows show signs of flattening and clumping, no longer providing proper support for the neck area when sleeping, causing pressure on the head and spine, resulting in shoulder and neck pain when waking up.
This condition, if prolonged, will have negative effects on your health. Effective ways to fluff a flattened pillow will help you restore the optimal state of the pillow without having to buy a new one.
Effective ways to fluff a flattened pillow
There are several ways you can revive a pillow that has become flat due to long-term use.
Fluff the pillow by hand
This is considered the quickest and most convenient method that you can apply anytime.
– Fluff up the lumpy cotton: Sweat, dirt, damp hair, or the washing process can cause the inner layer of cotton to clump and not spread evenly. You need to handle these lumps first by using your hands to hold both sides of the pillow, squeeze the pillow evenly from both sides, then do the same with the remaining two sides, each action taking about 20 – 30 seconds.
If the lumps are too large, you should use your hands to separate and massage the lumps to make the cotton fluffier, then place the pillow on a flat surface and gently tap it multiple times to evenly spread the inner layer of cotton.
– Fluff the pillow: After the inner cotton layer is fluffed and evenly spread, you should stand the pillow up vertically, with each hand placed on a seam along the sides of the pillow (two opposite edges), then tap on both sides of the seams several times. Perform the same steps with the horizontal direction of the pillow. Note to tap evenly on both sides of the pillow seams to make them fluff evenly.
Once you have completed the steps, you place the pillow on the bed and gently pat its surface; your pillow is now fluffed up and ready for normal use.
You need to know some effective ways to fluff a pillow. (Illustration photo: Istock)
Fluff the pillow using a drying machine
For pillows that are slightly flattened, you can fluff them while drying.
Before putting the pillow in the washing machine, you need to check the instructions on the label regarding the temperature, and the detergent that can be used for it. You should also put a few washing balls in, they will bounce off the pillow, making the cotton fluffier and thoroughly clean the inside of the pillow.
After washing, you transfer the pillow to the drying machine or switch to the drying mode to dry the pillow and fluff it from the inside to the outside. Then, you take out the pillow and fluff it as mentioned above.
Shrink the “pillowcase”
If the cotton material in your pillow is easy to flatten, even after fluffing, you can try shrinking the pillowcase. Instead of choosing a pillowcase that matches the pillow, you can choose a smaller-sized pillowcase, stuff the pillow’s cotton back into it to achieve the desired fluffiness.
For example, if your pillow is sized 50x70cm, you can fluff it by stuffing the pillow’s cotton back into a smaller-sized pillowcase, such as 45x65cm. Try it, and you’ll see that this is an effective way to fluff a flattened pillow.
Some notes when fluffing a pillow
– Natural feather pillows: These are made from premium materials, so they are less likely to get flattened when used. However, the washing process can cause the feathers to come out and no longer stay fluffy as when initially used. To protect the fluffiness of feather pillows, you should be careful while washing and drying them, only use gentle washing or dry cleaning, and use a thick pillowcase with tightly woven fibers to prevent the feathers from coming out.
– Cotton pillows: These are the most popular types of pillows nowadays, made from microfiber cotton or bead cotton. This material tends to get flattened quickly, so you can refer to the effective ways to fluff a flattened pillow mentioned above to maintain its fluffiness.
– Latex pillows: This type of pillow is extremely durable over time, so it minimizes the risk of flattening when used. What you need to do is keep the pillow clean, fresh, and ensure that the latex connections are not torn or damaged.
However, regardless of the material or the level of flattening of your pillow, it should be replaced after a certain period of use. Changing your sleeping pillow will help maintain the desired fluffiness, while also limiting the accumulation of bacteria on the pillow, which can affect your facial skin and respiratory system.
According to VTC news