How to Fluff Pillows

Co-authored by Karen Parziale

Last Updated: October 29, 2022 References Approved

Fluffing your pillows every day or almost every day will make your pillows last longer and look better. All pillows should be fluffed except for pillows made out of foam.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Fluffing Pillows by Hand

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Grab the end of each pillow in each hand. Push the ends of the pillow in-and-out. Do this in the same way you would play a squeeze box or piano accordion, but much faster.^{[1]
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- You can then reshape the pillow with your hands to sit correctly on the bed or to fit into the pillowslips. Fluffed up pillows improve the overall look of your bedroom. They will also be more comfortable and help you to sleep better.
- Make sure you're not allergic to feathers or down before you sleep on, or fluff up pillows containing them, though. Feather and down is a reasonably common allergy, especially in people with asthma or other lung conditions.
2
Hit the pillows. If the pillows haven't become too moisture laden, you can fluff them by hitting the sides simultaneously with your fists.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Karen Parziale
Home Stager & Interior Designer
Expert Interview. 21 April 2020.}
- Feather pillows are the easiest to fluff, as they have the lightest fill material. For a feather pillow, simply hitting it lightly should do the trick.
- Take your pillow, and whack in on your bed a few times to even it out.
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3
Squeeze the pillows. Hold the pillow at the top. Make sure the pillow is going up and down, not side-to-side like you have it when you are sleeping.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Karen Parziale
Home Stager & Interior Designer
Expert Interview. 21 April 2020.}
- Move your hands down to about the center of the pillow, and perhaps a little bit above it. Now quickly squeeze, let go, and catch the pillow.
- Do this around five times. After squeezing the pillows, shake them strongly, and put them on your bed again and then beat the pillow with your flat hand on every side.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Drying Pillows to Fluff Them

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Put pillows in the dryer with a tennis ball. You can throw the pillows in a dryer with something like a tennis ball. Even just running the pillow through the dryer should fluff it up. You could put your pillows in the dryer once a month.
- Put the tennis ball in a sock, tie the sock at the end, and throw them both in a dryer for a few minutes. The pillow will be fluffed and perfect for a good night’s sleep. Try this method only if you haven’t been able to fluff the pillow by hand.^{[4]
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- For cotton fill pillows, put the pillow in a dryer on low for 20 minutes, as this will take the place of you hitting your pillow repeatedly. The pillows should be completely dry when you remove them, and you can fluff them more by doing the fist blows. Use a low heat or air setting.^{[5]
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Leave the pillow out in the sun. Usually pillows lose their volume because of moisture, so the sun can help dry them and increase fluffiness.
- When fluffing pillows by hand (patting and molding the pillow) doesn’t do the trick, you should leave your pillow out in the sun for a couple of hours. You could hang the pillows outside on a clothes line, if you have one.
- About three to four hours should be enough time to make sure the sun absorbs the moisture. By the way, it’s also possible to wash your pillows, depending on the type of pillow.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Knowing When to Replace Pillows

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Regularly fluff your pillows. Fluff pillows daily to maintain their shape.
- By fluffing the pillows daily, air can circulate to keep them from getting permanently deflated. You won’t have to replace them as fast.
- Wash your pillowcases regularly too. Who wants to sleep on a dirty pillow case? Washing your pillowcases every week is a good idea.^{[7]
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Replace your pillow every few years. Some pillows cannot be fully restored and should be replaced.
- Experts suggest replacing pillows every 4-6 years, primarily for removal of dust mites. Place your pillow on a flat surface. If it has lumps, bumps or dents, it’s probably time to replace it. If you wake up with a sore neck, it’s probably not providing you with enough support.
- Once pillows have been repeatedly crushed and the stuffing is flat due to moisture (likely sweat), you probably won't be able to return them to their original fluffiness. If the pillow smells of mildew, replace it. Fold your pillow in half and then see if it pops back into place. If it doesn’t, it’s probably time to replace it.

Expert Q&A

Question

What does fluffing your pillow do?

Karen Parziale
Home Stager & Interior Designer
Karen Parziale is a Home Stager, Home Organizer, and the Founder of The Real Estate Staging Studio based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Karen has over 15 years of home staging and decorating experience and has staged over 5,000 homes. She specializes in project management, space planning, material selections, and builder, architect, and client relationships.

Karen Parziale

Home Stager & Interior Designer

Expert Answer

Well, pillows tend to flatten out over time. It's just a simple way of breathing some life back into your pillows!
Question

How often should you fluff your pillows?

Karen Parziale
Home Stager & Interior Designer
Karen Parziale is a Home Stager, Home Organizer, and the Founder of The Real Estate Staging Studio based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Karen has over 15 years of home staging and decorating experience and has staged over 5,000 homes. She specializes in project management, space planning, material selections, and builder, architect, and client relationships.

Karen Parziale

Home Stager & Interior Designer

Expert Answer

Whenever you want! This isn't a mandatory kind of thing; it's just something people do to make their pillows more comfortable whenever they flatten out.
Question

Whenever I fluff my pillow, it doesn't seem any softer or fluffier. It's new. Is this normal?

Community Answer

It depends on what it's made out of. If it's feathers, then yes, that's weird, but foam is not fluffable and denser polyfills can be harder to fluff.