Throw pillows are a wonderful way to add a pop of color to any room in your home. I have decorative throw pillows in our living room, family room, each bedroom and on a bench in our kitchen nook! That doesn’t include all of the pillows that are outside on our front porch and back deck. We have a lot of them and every 3-4 months I like to give them a good cleaning.
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When purchasing your decorative pillows I do recommend that you buy ones that have removable covers. This will make cleaning them much easier. Always read the “care tag” that is attached to every pillow that you purchase. Know what you’re getting into before you buy. I don’t know about you, but I’m not paying for dry cleaning costs when it comes to accent pillows around our home.
The majority of them can be laundered in your washing machine. I will take them off the pillow and place the cover inside an old pillowcase and wash it on the delicate cycle using cool or cold water. I like using an old pillowcase to help protect the covering, especially if it has adorments like sequins, beads, bows, buttons or other type’s of attachments. You’ll want to use a mild liquid laundry detergent . I don’t use any type of bleach or harsh chemicals..
Once done in the washing machine I hang them up to air dry or depending on the fabrication and adornments…I might “air dry” them in the dryer. Meaning, dry using the no heat cycle. I don’t recommend laundering them with other household items and definitely with no bleach containing products.
When it comes to some of our fancier holiday throw pillows that contain beads or adorments that don’t have removable cases…I’ll spot clean them using a little bit of mild liquid dish soap and a wet cotton cloth. If you’re spot cleaning…keep the water limited…you don’t want to soak them! Just enough dampness to clean the dirty area. Once clean, I like to use the hair dryer set on the cool setting to dry the particular area that I just spot cleaned. That way…no water “drying” marks are left behind.
Storing your off-season throw pillows correctly is also important when it comes to keeping them clean. I like to store them in clear storage bags which prevents dust, dirt and bugs from getting into them. Store off-season linens like decorative pillows in a cool and dry place out of direct sunlight.