Washing pillows in a Miele

[cleanlaundryluv]

Hi all,
I have a Miele W1213 washer I recently acquired and want to wash pillows. Does anyone know if it's possible in this model (It's rated for 6 kg/13.23 lbs)? Also, what cycle and options should I use? Finally, how many of which size(s) can I do and (this may sound silly) how would I load it/them--long side in the hole or perpendicular to the drum?

Thanks for the help!

David

 

[ronhic]

Whilst I don't have a Miele, I have owned 4 front load machines and pillows are the one thing I never wash in them - ever....

In my now limited experience, they have a tendency to not wash well, the stuffing 'balls' and they can throw the machine out of balance if you don't wash them correctly.

IMHO, not worth the effort. Washing in the bath is easier if heavily soiled - air them if not or just buy new ones.

 

[foraloysius]

I have washed pillows in a frontloader (also in an H-axis toploader). It depends partly on the pillows. I have washed down pillows, I put two of them in a frontloader in order to achieve a better balance. I don't have any experience with synthetic pillows.

 

[vsc]

Somewhat similar...

With a W3033 I have washed down, primaloft and synthetic (woven) pillows. The down and down equivalent come out great, but the synthetic (e.g. cheep) pillows are hit or miss with respect to the results where the filler may bunch up into something resembling a football. If I had to do the cheep pillows over, I would simply throw them out rather than fuss with them.

To date I have washed one at a time where I have loaded the pillow in ether orientation with equivalent results. For down or equivalent the washer will hold two, but for the woven filler one is the limit as it doesn't compress much when wet. I beleive it works best to load the pillow with the side edges touching the rear of the drum such that a flat surface is facing the window (at least at the start of the cycle).

The W3033 has a specific pillow cycle and I used it exclusively, where one step back from the hottest water selection was employed.

 

[mrb627]

Pillows

I haven't used the "Pillows".program as of yet. What does it do differently from other programs?

Malcolm

 

[vsc]

Pillow program...

The pillow program starts out with a high speed spin prior to adding any water to the drum in an attempt to distribute the pillow(s) around the drum (e.g. works best on down or down equivalent). The for the balance of the program it uses more water than normal.

 

[launderess]

Down Filled Pillows And Duvets

Probably have killed off more domestic front loaders than anything else.

Problem is down by nature is water resistant, which is why it keeps water fowl warm and helps them float. Encased in a tightly woven cotton cover makes it even harder to get fully wet. This means often the first washing and rinses unless some sort of extraction is done to force air out of the down means the thing tumbles round. However when the down finally does get wet it often clumps and or balls up. If that happens with say a pillow and the machine goes into spin, then "Whoaaaa Nellie"! You've got some serious wash day drama.

In machines without out of balance controls and or those that will make a few attempts then spin regardless, even at 900 rpms a serious out of whack drum spinning will cause some serious damage. In machines where the shocks are starting to go and thus the drum has more freedom of movement the effects can be even worse.

If things get to the worse the concrete blocks often used in many front loaders can crack or shatter. Other damage can include dented/cracked inner or outer drums.

The old school method for cleaning down pillows mimics what is done by professionals today. The casing was opened and the down taken out, usually placed into a pillow case or net bag, then washed/dried on it's own. The ticking would either be laundered on it's own or simply replaced. Then as now one can either purchase ticking fabric or ready made pillow cases new.

Today huge pillow cleaning machines simply vacuum out the down into a huge air chamber. There the stuff is "tumbled" in air and treated with UV light to clean, sterlise and fluff it up. When the process is finished the vacumm process is reversed and the down sucked into a new or cleaned pillow ticking. Beauty of this system is the down isn't laundered in water thus avoiding long drying times and potential for mould.

 

[logixx]

The Pillows cycle spins to force air out of the pillow. Ideally, it should also spray the item with water as it's compressed against the drum. I totally agree with Laundress: soaking a pillow takes several fill/tumble and spin cycles.

Alex

 

[launderess]

Have Got A Better Way

Though more labour intensive! *LOL*

One simply soaks a pillow in water for a bit and then cranks it through the mangle. Halfway through the thing is reversed and then fed back in from the other side.

Result is a nice "flat" down pillow ready for whatever laundering method desired.

Usually take the pillows round to the laundromat for washing in their huge SQ front loader. Rated to hold nearly 50lbs of wash and bolted into several feet of concrete that machine isn't going anywhere during even the most out of balanced spin cycle.

Once washed pillows are taken back home for a trip throught the spin dryer/extractor to remove the water left in from the SQ washer, then bunged into dryer. If one has the time will start early enough in the day and take the pillows back over to the laundromat and use their dryers. Just return every hour or so to take out the pillows, whack/beat them to break up any clumps, check on dryness level and then back into the machine.

Yes, time consuming but seeing as one has only the Whirlpool portable it is actually faster and less expensive electric use laundormat dryers. Oh and the drum is larger as well.

Being as all this may one does not launder down filled pillows all that often. After all they are encased in protectors and covered in slips. Simple test to see if your pillows have "had it". Take the down filled pillow and fold in half. If it does not bounce back at once it is time for either cleaning or perhaps better still purchase new.

Little known little tip. If one does not change bed linens daily at least pillow slips should be changed every other day or two if possible. Using the same pillow case for a week or more (gasp) then worse allowing it to sit before laundering is the reason for the yellowing so often seen in the center.

That yellow colour is a chemical reaction between one's skin/face and hair oils and the fabric. If not laundered out quickly the stuff oxides and turns colour, just as with underarms and indeed anything else treated with fats that are allowed to go rancid. If one has the habit of using face creams and such before bed the advice goes double. You also see this sort of yellow discolouration along the hems of sheets that come into frequent contact with the face as well.

Once the yellowing starts often all the bleaching and boil washes won't totally remove. Bluing and OBAs can help mask the problem though.

Another old world tip: If one has ever visited northern EU countries and elsewhere during the colder months you'd see down duvets and pillows airing on railings and such. This was done every morning or at least once a week and does wonders for down. I've seen pillows that were flattened out during the night puff right back up after an hour or so of airing.

During the night moisture from contact with human bodies builds up inside the down filled items. If not allowed to air dry the stuff builds up and leads to musty smelling pillows/duvets. Besides helping to break down the filling it creates the sort of damp/warm conditions dust mites just love. [this post was last edited: 1/5/2013-18:45]

 

[cleanlaundryluv]

Thanks!

I think I may turf the pillows, get new ones, and then get those dust mite-proof covers (the ones for people with dust allergies). Those things are waterproof and should in theory never let sweat or drool, etc. touch the pillow, thereby allowing only laundering of the pillow cases and covers and leaving pristine pillows underneath. Mine, as it stands are horribly yellow--ich!

David

 

[MrX]

You're better to do it in a commercial, bolt-down front loader.

You can wash pillows in a Miele quite successfully though, but the balance, even in a Miele can be tricky.

If you are washing them, I'd suggest packing in enough pillows to completely fill the drum. 1 or 2 pillows will definitely throw the machine out of balance and result in no spin / slow spin.

 

[mikeklondon]

Pillow Wash

I send mine to a local cleaners that wash down pillows / duvets in a FL machine with tri-wax i'm not sure what tri wax is but they come back like new

 

[chris74]

No prob!

I do wash pillows myself in an H-axxis toploader without having trouble so doing them in a Míele shouldn't be worse as they are stable machines. I would recommend to wash only one pillow in a high water level at 60° degrees Centigrade and to use the highest spin speed otherwise drying will last for ages. Be aware that it is a must to dry down pillows electrically. Also you should go and check your drugstore for a special washing detergent for downs. Normal powder would de-grease the feathers too strong and that's what you don't want to have. You may add bleach to kill the yellowing of the ticking though. Good luck!

 

[launderess]

Beware! Americans Hear The Word "Bleach"

And run for chlorine type which will totally ruin down feathers. Even oxygen bleach isn't that good of an option as it too will eventually break down protein fibers of not properly rinsed and neutralised.

Personally see this as the reason it is much better to send down pillows to a professional service where the down and ticking are cleaned apart. The harsh treatment of hot water and or strong bleaches used to launder pillow tickings will destroy down fibers in very short order. OTHO the neutral mild detergents for cleaning down may not deal with a ticking very soiled with body/facial oils, stains (blood, drool, and god only knows what else)so the ticking may be less than totally clean. Enzymes by the way are out as well since they attack protien and that is what down is made from.

You can use Persil's Perwoll on down, as well as the various other detergents such as Linen wash sold for the purpose. Really only thing you really want is a neutral pH detergent that rinses cleanly. Of course if using a front loader you'll want controlled sudsing but otherwise in a pinch a clean rinsing non-cream shampoo for hair would work as well.

Another thing about cleaning down inside the ticking is that much of the gunk, dust, dirt, bugs, etc aren't going to come out through the casing. This is very true of the modern high thread count percale cotton variety that are tightly woven.

 

[ozzie908]

I use the Pillow cycle

quite often as its good for Duvets as well I will try and show a pic.

 

[ozzie908]

as above

This is what it does first I got the pics the wrong way round but its my first time

 

[nrones]

Feather pillows

In my experience, the only problem of washing pillows in any front loader could be machine that is way too sensitive with balancing, so it wouldn't spin. Miele's not one of those, so you can wash a pillow in it without probs

I just wanted to share my experience with feather pillow washing, and see if you generally agree or disagree with it, because I'm not sure:

Although I think most of you guys will be suprised, me and my family still mostly use the feather pillows..I know they're out of fashion, and I don't know why do we still use them, but it's never like we thought "oh, let's shopping for pillows"

So, once mine was 8 years old, I saw all the videos of pillow washing on YouTube, I thought - maybe it was time to wash mine. I've always had a double pillow case. One on the surface that I sleep on, and other between the pilow, and the one that I sleep on...my mother and grandmother implemented that rule since I was born and before. So I took both pillowcases down, and had a pure feather pillow ready for washing. My mother wasn't happy about what I was doing, and she said I would ruin it completely blah blah blah

I've put it on a Boilwash (Cottons 90) with Pre-wash, and Water+ option, with maximum 1200rpm spin. Water on both pre-wash and wash was disgusting... Amazingly - machine managed to re balance it quickly even on iterim. spins, so the pillow was waiting fresh to be dried.
I've put it on a High Heat, and after it was dry, I've let it to tumble on High heat for about 10-15 minutes.
I've took it out, and it was perfect, nice smelling and clean.

What do you think of that wash guys? Would you recommend me doing anything differently about it?

Dex

 

[ozzie908]

Dex

You did good
I remember the " How clean is your house " showing how to tell if a feather pillow is dirty and you place it over your arm so each end hangs and the further they hang the dirtier the pillow.. So if it bent in half I suggest binning it and buy a new one.

Austin

 

[foraloysius]

If you dry a down pillow in a tumble dryer, then add a few tennis balls, they will fluff the pillow up.