Most pillow washing advice starts with the washing machine. That's the wrong place to start, because the right way to wash a pillow depends entirely on what's inside it. Machine wash a synthetic pillow and it comes out refreshed. Machine wash a memory foam pillow and it comes out ruined.
This guide covers the correct method for every fill type, how often to wash, and the point where washing stops being worth it and replacement makes more sense. The care label on your pillow overrides everything here - if the label disagrees, follow the label.
Contents
The Quick Answer, by Fill Type
Washing Synthetic and Down Pillows
Why Memory Foam Must Never Go in the Machine
The Quick Answer, by Fill Type
Synthetic / hollowfibre
Machine washable
Wash at 40, dry thoroughly.
Down and feather
Usually washable - check the label
Gentle cycle, low heat tumble dry with dryer balls.
Memory foam (solid or crumbed)
Never machine wash
Wash the cover, spot clean and air the core.
Latex
Never machine wash
Wash the cover, spot clean the core.
Washing Synthetic and Down Pillows
These are the pillows the washing machine was made for. The method matters more than most people realise, because a badly dried pillow is worse than an unwashed one.
1. Wash two at a time. A single pillow throws the drum off balance. Two keeps the load even.
2. Use less detergent than you think. Half the normal dose. Detergent residue trapped in the fill attracts dirt and can irritate skin.
3. Run an extra rinse cycle. Fill holds soap stubbornly, and one rinse rarely clears it.
4. Dry completely, then dry again. A pillow that feels dry on the outside can still be damp in the middle, and a damp core is how mould and mildew start. For down, tumble dry on low with dryer balls or clean tennis balls to break up the clumps. It can take two or three cycles. That's normal.
The test: when you think it's dry, press your face into the centre of the pillow. Any hint of coolness or a damp smell means it needs more time.
Why Memory Foam Must Never Go in the Machine
Water plus agitation destroys memory foam
Foam absorbs water like a sponge and tears under the drum's movement. The damage is permanent, and moisture sealed deep in the core cannot fully evaporate.
Memory foam is an open structure of millions of tiny cells. Submerge it and those cells fill with water that is almost impossible to fully remove. Agitate it in a drum and the structure tears, because wet foam has very little tensile strength. The result is a pillow that is heavier, lumpy and structurally broken.
The open-cell core of the REM-Fit Snow Pillow - designed to breathe, never to be soaked.
That open-cell structure is exactly what makes a good memory foam pillow comfortable and breathable, as the cutaway of the REM-Fit Snow Pillow shows. The design assumption is that the core never gets wet. Cleaning happens at the cover level instead.
How to clean a memory foam pillow properly
1. Wash the cover, not the core. Quality memory foam pillows have a removable, machine washable cover. Unzip it and wash at 40 with your normal bedding.
2. Spot clean the core if needed. A cloth dampened with mild soapy water, worked gently on the mark, then blotted dry with a towel. Never soak it.
3. Air it. A few hours somewhere ventilated but out of direct sunlight lets moisture and odour clear. Sunlight degrades foam, so a shaded windowsill beats the garden.
4. Vacuum it occasionally. The upholstery attachment on a low setting lifts dust and skin cells off the surface between cover washes.
The washable cover is the hygiene system: it takes the sweat and skin contact so the core never has to.
This is why the removable cover matters more than it looks on a product page. On a pillow like the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow, a Good Housekeeping Winner in 2026, the washable cover is effectively the entire hygiene system: it takes the sweat, oils and skin contact so the gel-infused core never has to.
How Often Should You Wash Pillows?
• Pillowcases: weekly, with your bedding.
• Pillow covers and machine washable pillows: every two to three months, more often in summer or if you sleep warm.
• Memory foam cores: nothing beyond airing and the occasional spot clean, if the cover is doing its job.
Warm sleepers should be honest with themselves here. The average person loses a surprising amount of moisture overnight, and much of what escapes the sheets ends up in the pillow. If you regularly wake up warm, a breathable pillow design and a more frequent cover wash do more for hygiene than any deep clean. If overheating is the underlying problem, it's worth reading about the benefits of keeping cool while you sleep, because a cooler night means a drier pillow in the first place.
When Washing Won't Save It
A wash refreshes a pillow. It doesn't restore one that has structurally failed. Replace rather than wash if:
• It folds and stays folded. Fold the pillow in half and let go. If it doesn't spring back, the fill has collapsed and no amount of washing brings support back.
• It has permanent yellow staining through the fill. Surface marks wash out. Deep discolouration means years of absorbed moisture that a cycle can't reach.
• You wake with neck ache that eases through the day. That pattern usually points at the pillow's support, not your neck.
• It smells within days of washing. Odour that returns fast means the source is deep in the fill.
If you're replacing, match the pillow to how you sleep rather than buying the same one again out of habit. The REM-Fit pillow range covers solid memory foam, adjustable crumbed foam and cooling designs, all built around washable covers so the next one is easier to keep clean than the last.
Your Pillow Washing Questions Answered
Can you wash memory foam pillows in the washing machine?
No. Water saturates the foam's open-cell structure and the drum's agitation tears it. Wash the removable cover instead, and spot clean and air the core.
Can you tumble dry pillows?
Synthetic and down pillows, yes, on low heat until completely dry. Memory foam and latex, never. Heat degrades foam, so cores should only ever be air dried.
What temperature should you wash pillows at?
40 degrees suits most synthetic pillows and pillow covers, and it's the sensible default. Some labels permit 60 degrees, which is more effective against dust mites, but only if the label explicitly allows it.
How do you keep pillows cleaner for longer?
Layer the defences. A pillowcase washed weekly, a washable pillow cover or protector beneath it, and a bedroom routine that keeps allergens down. This guide to minimising allergens in your bedroom covers the wider setup.
The short version
Know your fill, trust the label, and never let memory foam near the machine. If your current pillow has failed the fold test, the REM-Fit pillow range is built with removable washable covers, so keeping the next one clean takes minutes, not a rescue operation.
