Several years back I came across some disgusting facts about dust mites, their droppings, and pillows. I’ll spare you the horrible details, but when I realized that some of the pillows in my house were older than my marriage, I knew SOMETHING had to be done. So, one by one, I started replacing them on my weekly, Wal-Mart shopping trip. However, some of the children were traumatized by the thought of loosing their beloved friend. So, I agreed to an attempt at sanitizing them in my washing machine with hot water and bleach. (None were down or expensive.) Surprisingly, all but one pillow survived the spin. I made sure to dry each pillow completely, even drying another cycle when I thought it was already dry, just to be sure. I also began using two pillow cases on each pillow in order to better protect my new purchases. Now, every few years, instead of replacing our pillows, they each get a turn in the hot water and bleach. My new front loading washing machine does an even better job, and I save a lot of money by cleaning the pillows instead of replacing them. We all sleep happier … well, at least I do.
