Don’t Wash Your Pillows in Lemon Juice, No Matter What TikTok Says
We all need simple, safe and effective ways to clean our things, but too often the ones featured in viral TikToks just don’t cut it. A new example of a not-so-great but extremely popular cleaning hack is one that requires you to scrub your pillows in a bathtub full of water, lemons, and baking soda . While it’s true that pillows should be washed at least twice a year, don’t do it with lemons. That’s why.
Why you shouldn’t clean your pillows with lemon
Parts of this hack are good, and we’ll get to that in a minute. What’s bad is the citrus element found in lemons. There are two reasons why using lemons or lemon juice, especially in large quantities needed for a bath full of water intended to clean entire pillows, is not helpful. Firstly, citric acid can ruin the fabric . Studies on the effects of citric acid on textiles have shown that tensile strength can be reduced at a pH of 2.7 to 3, and the pH of lemon juice is between 2 and 3. You are trying to clean pillows so they can be used for a long time. for a long time, rather than destroying them completely.
Second, citrus fruits have bleaching properties, which may not seem like a big deal if you’re trying to clean white pillows, but could be a problem if you’re putting them back in dark pillowcases or dark sheets. Remember when kids, trying to lighten their hair, would splash lemon juice on it before sitting in the sun? They were up to something.
How to Clean Pillows Instead
What’s really valuable about this hack is the recommendation to clean your pillows in the bathtub. I’ve long advised you to look at the bathtub as an all-purpose cleaner , similar to a giant dishwasher, because it really is a great place to wash big things. After vacuuming your pillows and treating any stains, you can place them in a bathtub with warm water and a tablespoon of detergent. This can be done for any pillow, but it is absolutely necessary for memory foam. Dip and wring out the pillow about three times, completely submerging it each time, then drain the bath and refill it with clean water. Continue dipping and squeezing a few more times to get all the soap out, then drain again and squish the pillow as hard as you can in the empty tub to get the water out. Squeeze the pillow with a towel to remove more water, then let it dry completely in the sun or under a fan.
You can also wash regular pillows in the washing machine, which is just as easy, if not easier, than some complicated trick that requires a trip to the grocery aisle. Add half a cup of bleach and half a cup of borax to your regular detergent (but check the care instructions on your pillow first), then wash and dry as usual.