How to clean a buckwheat pillow

It's important to use a pillowcase to keep your buckwheat pillow from getting dirty. Prevention is a good first step, but there may come a time when your pillow needs to be cleaned. Buckwheat pillows can last for a long time, and during those years (dare we say decades?) your pillow may get dirty. Accidents, illnesses and general wear happen.

Whole buckwheat pillows cannot be put into the washing machine.

Soaking buckwheat hulls with water will ruin them. Whole buckwheat pillows should not be put directly into the washing machine or drier. However, our cotton pillow cover can be washed and buckwheat hulls can be set in the sun to dry. 

Below are step by step directions showing how we washed our pillow when we lived in an apartment. 

1. Gather together: your buckwheat pillow, a clean pillowcase and a ribbon or tie.
2. Lay the buckwheat pillow on a flat surface with the zippered end inside the open end of the pillowcase. Make sure the pillowcase is totally tucked under the buckwheat pillow.
3. Carefully unzip the zipper on the end of the buckwheat pillow.
4. Pull the pillowcase all the way around the buckwheat pillow. Buckwheat hulls will fall out of the pillow and start to fill up the bottom of the pillowcase. Completely empty the pillow cover into the pillowcase. Turning the pillow cover inside out will help to get all the buckwheat hulls out of the pillow corners.
5. Tie up the pillowcase to keep the buckwheat hulls from escaping while you wash the pillow cover. The cotton twill pillow cover on all ComfyComfy buckwheat pillows is machine washable. However, because it is made from cotton it will shrink when washed. To minimize shrinking, wash the pillow cover with cold water and hang it up to dry.
6. Once the pillow cover is clean and completely dry, the same process can be used to get the buckwheat hulls back in the pillow.

What about cleaning the buckwheat hulls inside your pillow?

If the buckwheat hulls are completely soaked - say, for example, you spilled your morning coffee all over your pillow - the hulls should be replaced with new ones. Saturating the hulls with any kind of liquid may cause them to loose their supportive, three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, cleaning coffee or any other liquid from them is impossible and may lead to mold growth.

However, if the buckwheat hulls in your pillow are just damp, due to a spot of spilt water or a humid environment, they can be thoroughly dried out and rejuvenated in the sun.

1. Find a clean container. If you are rejuvenating all the buckwheat hulls from your pillow make sure all of the hulls will fit in the container before dumping them out.
2. Carefully pour buckwheat hulls into container.
3. Place in bright, sunny window for a few hours and 'fluff' periodically (this part is a lot of fun!). If you have pets or children, make sure to choose a safe place where your buckwheat hulls won't be knocked over or played with.

It's a good idea for all buckwheat pillow users to place their pillow in the sun for a few hours once or twice a year - either in a warm window or outside in a safe place. The warmth of the sun will leave your pillow fresh for a good nights sleep (just be wary of rain storms!).

Happy sleeping!

Need to replace your buckwheat pillow? 

Have questions about buckwheat pillows? Email claire@comfycomfy.com