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How to whiten a yellowed pillow? 7 remarkable tips!

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Have you noticed that your pillows have lost their whiteness and taken on a yellowish tint? Despite the ear cover, this can happen over time due to the build-up of sweat and oil, dirt and dead skin cells. Mites and mold do the rest… Knowing that a pillow must be changed approximately every three years, it is essential to know cleaning tips to make your pillow yellowed by unsightly marks last. Need to treat yellow marks? To do this, there are simple tips that will whiten your yellowed pillows and restore their shine. You will see: it is not irrecoverable!

If you’re wondering how to whiten a yellowed pillow with natural ingredients, you’ve come to the right place. Discover all of grandma’s good tips and tricks to eliminate yellow stains and restore whiteness to your pillows. And for a pillowcase, we revealed a whitening tip here.

For localized stains, do local stain removal

yellow stains on a yellowed pillow clean de-yellowing the bedding
Credits: iStock

If your pillow has only a few localized stains, you can try removing stains with a natural cleaner and stain remover. It is thus possible to use:
Baking soda : Mix baking soda and water to create a thick paste, then rub it on the yellow stains on the pillow. Let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing.
White vinegar : pour some on the stains and rub with a toothbrush, then rinse well.
Lemon juice : Apply it to the stains and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
Hydrogen peroxide : Mix hydrogen peroxide with water, then apply this cleaning solution to the yellow stains. Leave for 30 minutes before rinsing with clean water.

For a yellowed pillow all over its surface

pillow sweaty and drooling
Credits: iStock

A vinegar-bicarbonate mixture for a yellowed pillow

These essential ecological household products will allow you to de-yellow your bedding in addition to effectively deodorizing it. To do this, prepare a basin or sink of boiling water. Then add half a cup of each and soak your pillow for an hour. You can then proceed to cleaning in your washing machine. We’ll explain how to do it below!

Lemon juice, an exceptional whitener

For a natural whitening from your pillow, pour the juice of a lemon and detergent into the washing machine tray. Then, run a program at 90°C for deep cleaning without compromising on unsightly marks. You can also decide to soak your pillow in a basin, sink or bathtub with 2.5 liters of boiling water with the juice of 6 lemons. Let your pillow bubble for a good two hours before putting it in the machine.

The lemon-oxygenated water combination: simply unbeatable!

Bringing back all their shine to pillows becomes child’s play with this mixture. Mix 125 ml of fresh lemon juice with 250 ml of hydrogen peroxide, then add everything to a basin of hot water. Immerse your pillow in it for an hour before rinsing and drying.

Baking powder to remove stains and whiten yellowed pillow

If you don’t have baking soda, you can replace it with baking powder which has a very effective whitening and stain removal effect against yellow spots. Then pour a sachet onto the pillow to be treated, then use a brush soaked in water to scrub the entire surface. Finally, wash by hand.

Milk, another unusual grandmother’s tip

Like others, milk has notable whitening power. To use it wisely, start by pouring 1 liter into the sink, then add around 15 g of bicarbonate to boost its effectiveness. All you have to do is slide your pillow in and leave for an hour before rinsing and machine washing.

How to properly maintain your pillow to avoid this yellowed appearance?

old dirty pillow smells
Credits: iStock

Ideally, it would be necessary to carry out cleaning every quarter in addition to air it regularly. Don’t know how to wash your pillows in the washing machine? If possible, we recommend washing at high temperatures to remove yellow stains and restore whiteness. Use powder detergent (brighter than liquid detergent) for optimal results. You can add two tablespoons of percarbonate of soda to your dose of laundry detergent to make it whitener. Additionally, tennis balls in the drum will help preserve the fluffiness of your pillows, whether they are feathered or synthetic. Then let them dry flat or put them in the dryer to fluff them up again.

It is important to check your pillow care instructions before cleaning them to avoid damaging or degrading their quality. So be sure to refer to the label on your bedding to find out what temperature to set the washing machine to. For the next time, also think about add protection to limit the risk of staining your pillow. It will be easier to maintain and replace if necessary!

And there you have it! Now you know how to whiten a yellowed pillow, all without bleach this time.

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