HG Openhouse Blog

One of my Christmas presents from my niece was these darling “I’d rather be in Paris” pillow cases. They are going to be a great complement to my new guest bedding (stay tuned) but in the meantime they got me thinking about what I would slip them over. Our current guest pillows have been around awhile and I’m not sure I can bear to have lovely new pillowcases covering not-so-lovely old pillows.

I checked around and discovered that most health websites recommend you replace your pillows once a year. They claim hair and body oils will have soaked into a pillow’s fabric and stuffing after a year of nightly use, making it a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria and allergy-triggering dust mites. (Ew, yuck!)

Of course I was somewhat encouraged to discover that my investment in pillow protectors has lengthened the life of my pillows since I wash those regularly. And if you have a washable pillow you can certainly give it a good clean rather than replacing it.

But, if you and your guests want a good night’s sleep then you might want to follow Heloise’s Hints for when to replace your pillow:

Is the foam or batting inside the form lumpy or bumpy?

Does your feather pillow have to be punched or fluffed up for support?

If you fold the pillow in half, does it stay folded?

If you answered yes to any of these, it’s time for a nice, new pillow. Heloise gives her old pillows to her miniature schnauzer, for her bed. But if you don’t have a dog, consider donating your old pillows/bedding to your local animal shelter.

My guest pillows have failed the test so I’m going to take advantage of the sales this month and get a couple of pillows worthy of these special new pillowcases. I’m sure my guests will be very appreciative.

How do you decide when to replace your pillows?