Purchasing a brand new pillow doesn't always guarantee just the perfect plush and loftiness that you are looking for- it can be hard, flat and may not be able to provide a supportive shape that aligns with the natural contours of your head, shoulders and spine. So, do you want comfortable bed pillows that last longer and don't go flat? The solution lies in fluffing them! Using the right practices to get fluffy pillows for bed is a small step that can play an integral role in maintaining the shape, support, comfort and longevity of pillows.
Different fiber/filling or encasement materials behave differently, based on the quality and their ability to recover to a fluffy state. This means, dense pillows will take relatively more time to fluff because it is difficult to circulate air across the fibers of such pillows. However, with a proper method and consistent efforts you can fluff and transform the flat bed pillows into just the way you want them to be with the right amount of plumpness that lets you wake up feeling refreshed every morning. As a matter of fact, the firmness and feel will change the way your pillow compresses, which results in improper sleeping positions that can affect your physical and emotional and mental health.
There are various methods that can be used for fluffing pillows such as plumping them by hand or with the help of a dryer. To help you with the best, this comprehensive guide will discuss both the methods in a systematic manner, along with the reasons why your bed pillows end up becoming flat and hard.
Let's begin with the reasons that lead to a flat, hard and stiff pillow.
1. Why is Your Bed Pillow Flat and Hard?
Flat pillows for bed can be irritating to handle, especially if you have been struggling with them for many nights. Fortunately, you can escape the hassles of uncomfortable sleeping, simply by fluffing (or re-fluffing) them. However, this is where sleepers often have a common question in their mind: why exactly is my bed pillow flat and hard? The reasons could be many!
New bed pillows have stiff fibers- Brand new pillows often contain stiff and hard fibers/fills that often soften naturally when exposed to pressure and heat. But, the problem is that this can take days or in certain cases weeks to happen, which is why fluffing the pillows is a quick way to soften the filling materials in a matter of few hours. With this, you will be able to enjoy a peaceful sleeping experience on the new pillow without having to wait for them to compress and soften naturally.
Pillows become flat after repeated use- If you had a pillow that was once fluffy and soft but now has become flat and lifeless, then overuse stands to be the culprit. The thing is, when you use your pillows every single night, the fills get squashed and compressed and with time they lose their shape, making the pillow flat, leaving it with no strength to withstand the weight of your head. The compression makes the filling material dense and even affects the breathability of the pillows.
Pillows that are wet or damp become flat- This may come as a surprise but if you wash your pillow and don't dry it properly, then it can make the fill clumpy, thereby affecting its structure. This is the reason why after every wash it is important to ensure that the pillows are dried completely and have no traces of moisture within them. Even the slightest amount of dampness will affect the plumpness and even lead to the growth of mold and bacteria. Apart from this, the moisture from your sweat and accumulated oil can make the pillows hard and significantly affect their lifespan, turning them flat and hard.
2. Bed Pillow Construction
For fixing a lumpy, flat and hard pillow, it's important to understand what goes into making a good pillow. An effective construction of white fluffy bed pillows is based on four components- the size, the fill material, the volume (thickness) and adjustability.
Fluffy bed pillows come in various sizes, with a basic construction of rectangular shape filled with fiber/fill materials, including memory foam, latex, and polyester or down. On average, the standard size of the pillows is 20 inches X 26 inches, while queen being 20 inch X 30 inch and king is 20 inches X 36 inches. With this, you get the opportunity to select just the size that would meet your specific requirements. For example, people with wider shoulders will need a larger pillow in comparison to those who have narrow shoulders and prefer sleeping on the back.
The next integral aspect of construction is the material used for filling the pillow. According to the material, the pillow can be soft, firm or medium. Let's say, if you are suffering from stiff neck and back pain and require a supportive pillow, then you may consider investing in an inflatable bed pillow that will allow you to adjust the firmness or fullness of the pillow as per your suitability. Similarly, the volume or thickness of the pillow matters too. There can be pillows that are extra thick and soft due to inner fabric that makes the pillow about 2 or 1/2 inch thicker, ensuring it remains full and plump or flat bed pillows for stomach sleepers that do not have additional materials within them. The best flat bed pillow offers the needed neck and back support preventing back pain that is common these days.
Since every sleeper is different and has their own favorite sleeping position, many manufacturers have made adjustability a part of pillow's construction design. In an adjustable pillow, the user can unzip and add or remove as much filing material as needed. You can either keep the pillow completely full or take some portion out of it, if you love thin flat bed pillows. With this, you get much-needed control of the feel and height of pillow, making them the best choice for any type of sleeping position- side sleepers, back sleepers or stomach sleepers.
3. Plumping Your Bed Pillow By Hand
Not sure how to fluff a pillow that is too hard and flat? Why don't you try fluffing them up with your hands? That's right, before you go for anything that is complicated or requires too much effort, a simple and straightforward process is to fluff the bed pillows using your hands.
Step 1: Shake
Begin with a good shake. For this, grab the ends of the pillow with both of your hands, and move them in and out, similar to that of playing a piano accordion. At this point, don't be afraid of affecting the shape of the pillow, as you can fix its shape in the later steps. Remember, the faster you shake the pillow, the easier it will be to fluff them up.
Shake the pillow for about 10 seconds or more, depending on how the size of the pillow.
Step 2: Turn it on its Side and Give it a Few Good Punches
After a good shake, hit the pillow with a few strong punches using your fists. This is an exceptional method to fluff down, memory foam and feather pillows. The punches will loosen up the fibers, decompressing any existing pressure on the filling material, thus reviving them beautifully. Take about 10 seconds to punch each and every part of the pillow, make sure that you leave no spot un-punched.
Step 3: Grab Hold of Each Short Side
Finally, grab a hold of the pillow from its short side, and squeeze it top to bottom at least seven times. Later, give a simple shake so that the fill material adjusts itself and then place the fluffy pillow on the bed.
Follow this procedure for 60 seconds to get the pink fluffy bed pillows that you always wanted to have, and then repeat the same steps with your second pillow from the beginning. In addition to this, massaging and hitting the pillow every night before you go to sleep can help in getting fluffy pillows on bed for a long period of time. You can create a routine of hitting the pillows against the bed at least thrice a week and notice the difference.
4. Fluffing Your Bed Pillow in Dryer with Dryer Balls
If you feel that fluffing pillows by hand is tiring and consumes a lot of time then consider using your dryer. However, before tossing them in the drying machine make sure that you check the label to know whether they are safe to be used in a dryer or not. It is always recommended to dry the pillows in low to moderate heat to reduce the chance of damage.
You don't necessarily have to wash the pillows in order to use them in the dryer. The idea is to get white fluffy bed pillows that are dry and clean. On the other hand, if you are planning to wash the pillows then do ensure that they are damp and don't contain an excessive amount of moisture when you place them into the dryer.
Step 1: Remove Bed Pillow Casing
Remove the pillow covers and protectors before you place them into the drying machine. While removing the casing, do check the seams for signs of tear or damage. This is because a damaged or torn pillow should never be placed into the dryer, as this could make it from bad to worse. If you notice any tear, stitch the area and after that you are free to toss them off into your dryer.
Step 2: Place Pillow in Dryer with Dryer Balls
When you place the pillows in dryer, add a few dry balls too. The balls will perform similar action as punching the pillows using your wrists, thus fluffing them flawlessly. In case you don't have dryer balls then you can go with tennis balls too. Just take two to three balls, place them inside a sock (only use white socks as you don't want the color to transfer into your favorite pillows), and then put them in the dryer along with the pillows.
In addition to this, you can also use white shirts that are rolled as balls, stuffed white toys or any material that is safe to be used in the dryer.
Step 3: Allow to Tumble Dry on Low Heat
Make sure that you dry the pillows at the lowest setting. This is because too much heat can apparently deteriorate the quality of filling material and make it prone to damage. Therefore, turn the dryer to low heat or air, and allow it to run for a while. Fluffing pillows may not require a full cycle, hence be vigilant and check the pillow after every five minutes.
The entire process would take about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and the filling material of the bed pillows.
Step 4: Remove and Hand Pump
Once the dryer has done its job, remove the pillows and gently hands pump them from every side. This will expand the flat bed pillows, letting them fluff to their maximum potential. To increase the fluffing power, you can squeeze and rotate the pillows for 20 seconds which will help them in gaining a lofty feel in no time.
5. Conclusion
Having a fluffy, supportive and relaxing pillow is as crucial as having a comfortable mattress- it can have a direct impact on your quality of sleep. Sleeping on the pillow that is flat doesn't have the needed height or lacks firmness will affect the natural alignment of the body and trigger pressure points, leaving you awake with pain, stiffness and aches. Hence, if you aspire to have bed pillows that don't go flat, fluff them using the aforementioned steps and you will notice that proper maintenance while strictly adhering to the best practices does go a long way in keeping the pillows in their best condition.
Over time, your pillows become dirty, dusty and absorb moisture from sweat and body oils too. Hence, to protect its durability, keep them clean, fluff often and always make use of clean pillow casings.
