(Re)creating the perfect pillow

May 26, 2008 9:22 AM

Any advice on how to speed up the aging process of a feather pillow to achieve maximum comfort?

I have a feather pillow that's about 30 years old, and it is spectacular. The feathers have basically lost any spring they used to have and it has become a super-soft, moldable, mass -- a perfect engine of comfort.

My wife doesn't have a pillow like this and is envious. We bought two brand new feather pillows last year and they're quite nice. but much puffier and springy. Is there any way that I can make the new pillows just like my old one?

posted by wabbittwax to human relations (9 comments total)

But them thru a washer and dryer a few times. That should do it. BTW - don't ever open that old pillow that you have - you would not be happy with what your moldable mass really is. Use a pillow protector for your own sake.
posted by bigmusic at 9:45 AM on May 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

it is wrapped up in three pillow cases to preserve its structural integrity. Opening it up would probably result in its complete destruction.
posted by wabbittwax at 9:56 AM on May 26, 2008

If you decide to wash the pillows, may I suggest putting two or three CLEAN tennis balls in the dryer with them. Feather pillows have to be dried thoroughly and the tennis balls help to break up the clumps of feathers allowing for a more even dry and non-clumpy pillow. I'd like to consider myself a feather/down pillow aficionado and this has worked for me in the past.
posted by LunaticFringe at 10:16 AM on May 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

Have a pillow fight. This will both break in the pillows and be stupid-fun.
posted by phunniemee at 10:51 AM on May 26, 2008

yeah the tennis balls would help too - you are probably going to have to run these things through more than 10 cycles to even get remotely close to where you want them to be.
posted by bigmusic at 10:53 AM on May 26, 2008

Ah. I did something similar with foam pillows.

Did you know that if you pour liquid nitrogen through a nice block of foam, it gets all crumbly on the inside if you start mushing it while it's all frozen and brittle? Never tried it with feathers.
posted by adipocere at 11:39 AM on May 26, 2008

I read somewhere that after ten years a feather pillow is about 90% dust mite poop. That doesn't stop me from loving and treasuring the two old ones I have -- my wife and I have nightly battles over them in our sleep. I have tried everything to get our two new feather pillows to resemble the awesome squishy puddings that are our beloved ancient pillows, including running through the washer and drier, but nothing has worked. So I'm afraid my answer is that there isn't much you can do. It's all about the dust mites, if you can believe what you read.
posted by The Bellman at 12:40 PM on May 26, 2008

A friend of mine put hers under the mattress for a couple of months (i.e. between the mattress and the base). Apparently that helped squish down and break up the feathers taking out that horrible new pillow spring.
posted by shelleycat at 2:43 PM on May 26, 2008

The thought of 30 years of biological oils and other fluids, dust, bacteria, is surely the most terrifying thing I've read on ask metafilter.

It might make things easier if, whatever instant-aging tactic you use, you do a few pillows so a few years down the track when your pillow finally gets up ('awakes'?) and walks away you have a backup.
posted by oxford blue at 12:19 AM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]