I am washing mine for the first time today. I think the allergens trapped inside are getting to me (kept waking up with sinus issues!). I was able to wash both pillows in my agitator washer and used nothing but hot water (cold rinse) and vinegar. Pillow #1 is now in the dryer with 3 small dryer balls (medium heat). Pillow #2 is sitting crosswise on the lines in front of the furnace register until #1 is dry.

How long is it going to take for pillows to be dry?

How often do people really wash these pillows? (I saw a posting saying 1x a year; this is my first time in YEARS). 

Mine aren't feather pillows, but some kind of synthetic. I've never been able to wash them successfully, so buy new ones when necessary. Edey

We don't use feather pillows but synthetic poly filled ones. The cheaper ones wash better then the more expensive ones.  I wash them all the time.  especially the homestay ones between kids. teenage boy funk gets into everywhere :)  plus I think it is more hygenic with different students.   Since dd has wet the bed a few times bad enough to soak pillows, those get washed alot too.  The key is fluffing them so the filling doesn't get balled up. 

They say you are suppose to get new pillows very couple of years. That if they aren't washed the weight of a pillow will double in a couple of years from dust mites etc.

I am a HUGE down fan. (Down jacket, down boots, down single comforter, down qn supersize comforter, down pillows... 2 $$expensive$$ and 4 from Wal-Mart). It's the expen$ive ones that I don't want to throw. (They were ~ $80 gifts).

I was able to dry pillow #1 in ~3hrs on low heat (so the down doesn't burn).

Luvd_Lioness:

I am a HUGE down fan.

I too am a huge down fan. We have a feather comforter, a feather tick, which is what the old folks called them, now they are called feather mattress covers,  and two make that four feather pillows. I haven't washed them for so long, I forgot how long it takes to get them dry. I think I will now wait till spring, and allow them to hang on the line all day, then if they aren't completely dry, put them in the dryer.

 I don't have down, only polyester fill, except for my neck pillow, which is memory foam. I wash them every so often, but I keep them in hypoallergenic, mite-proof, water-proof cases, so I will wash the cases more often.

 My dad loves his down pillow. My mom washed it for him but missed that it had a water proof cover that could be zipped off. After she pulled it from the dryer it felt dry to her, but it really wasn't completely dry. After sleeping on a damp down pillow for 2 weeks my dad got a really bad sinus infection and throat infection. So the only advice I can give you is to make sure it's really dry befor sleeping on it or you sinus' won't thank you!

cyn

 I take my down comforter to the laundramatt and use their biggest washing machine to wash mine. I wash it in hot water and a little bleach, then it goes in their biggest tumble dryer. I toss 2 tennis balls in the dryer with the comforter, it makes it fluffy. Been doing this for years with no problem, comes out beautifully every time.

Newfs:

I wash it in hot water and a little bleach

must me a light color/white... I would be scared in using bleach!

I take mine also to the laundromat and just fill up a downy ball full of vinegar and use nothing else. Don't have tennis balls but spend time shifting it myself when it comes to the dryer.