Did you know you're typically supposed to throw out your pillows after about two years of use?
Let's be honest — most of us don't do that. And as long as we're not throwing them out every other year, we may as well clean them properly to justify holding onto them a while longer.
This grandma on TikTok knows just the hack for the job.
@brunchwithbabs 🧺Pillow Talk🧺 Daylight savings, a good reminder it's time to strip your pillows! You should strip your pillows at least once a year in order to rid them of all the build up, grime and body oils that a washing machine can not get out. Here is how I strip my pillows to make sure they stay clean and fluffy. 🧺Fill the bathtub with the hottest water possible 🧺Dissolve the stripping mix in hot tub water: ¼ cup baking soda ¼ cup borax 2 cups liquid laundry detergent or ½ cup powder laundry detergent 🧺Add the pillows and submerge 🧺Soak pillows up to 24 hours. Flip pillows in the tub every once in a while during the soak. 🧺Drain tub and squeeze out excess water from pillows 🧺Immediately following stripping, wash pillows on normal cycle without detergent 🧺Dry without dryer sheets. Use tennis or dryer balls instead and toss in dryer until pillows are dry and fluffy Enjoy! Sweet Dreams. 🧺 XO Babs #pillowstripping #springcleaning #springforward ♬ original sound - everyone's grandmother
The scoop
The TikToker known as everyone's grandmother (@brunchwithbabs) walks us through how it's done.
First, fill your bathtub (or any pillow-sized container really) with the hottest water possible from your faucets.
Then, it's time to create the secret cleaning mixture. Add 1/4 cup of borax, 1/4 cup of baking soda, and two cups of liquid laundry detergent, and stir until they're all blended together.
Now put your pillow(s) into the sweet laundry sauce you just made, making sure to submerge it fully with a wooden spoon (or similar implement) so you don't scald your hands in the hot water.
Leave it for at least 24 hours, and then brace yourself for the disconcertingly brown-colored water you'll find your pillows floating in, and try not to think too hard about what you've been putting your face onto every night.
Finally, wring out as much water as you can, toss them in your washing machine (with no detergent) and then the dryer with a few dryer balls or tennis balls for fluffiness.
And you're done!
How's it helping
First and foremost — a good hygienic PSA just does society some good. With over a million likes on this video, that may translate to a million pairs of pillows getting the wash they desperately need.
While some are already aware of this important cleaning routine, many simply have never been shown the way before. The popularity of the video certainly seems to suggest it's not exactly common knowledge that pillows are supposed to be discarded so regularly — or that they can be cleaned so thoroughly.
Secondly, it's saving the good people of TikTok a bit of money by having them clean their pillows instead of buying new ones — and saving money is always nice.
What everyone's saying
The comments were wide-ranging, showing that the video inspired at least a few to immediately get after this cleaning job.
"Why do I feel like I have to do this now right this second," one commenter wrote.
"Ok, ok, I need to do this," said another, with a touch of apparent urgency.
If you're feeling a similar sense of immediate desire, perhaps you should listen to everyone's grandmother and clean those darn pillows.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
