Restore stained pillows by adding 1 natural item to washing machine

Pillows often turn yellow or become stained by summer's end due to natural sweating during warmer spells. Nevertheless, there's no need to throw away that cushion, according to Carrie Higgins, author of 'Organisation Hacks' and founder of the lifestyle and cleaning blog Making Lemonade, as reported by Wales Online.

She said: "I won't go into too much detail, but needless to say pillows are hotbeds of junk collected in the six to eight hours you spend on them every. Single. Night. Multiply that by how many nights you've slept on them and... yeah. Body oils, hair product residue, sweat, drool, dust mites, exfoliated skin... clean 'dat pillow!"

Contrary to what one might think, reviving grubby pillows doesn't require significant time or money.

Carrie emphasised that the most effective stain remover is simple white vinegar.

The high acidity makes it an incredibly potent natural cleaner, capable of breaking down organic stains like sweat and oils, which accumulate on pillows.

Aside from removing stains, vinegar acts as an antimicrobial agent and odour eliminator, thus killing bacteria and unpleasant smells from fabric.

Carrie said: "As dirty and droolly as my pillows were, I didn't need to run ANY of them through a second time, the vinegar... worked like magic!"

How to restore your pillows to cleanliness

Make sure you check the care label to confirm the pillow can be machine-washed - memory foam pillows aren't suitable for washing. Place them in the washing machine - maximum 2 per wash cycle.

Pour 250ml of white vinegar into the fabric conditioner compartment of your washing machine, followed by your usual detergent.

Choose the highest water temperature recommended on the pillow care label and set it to a delicate cycle.

Once that cycle is complete, run the machine on a spin cycle to extract as much moisture as possible.

You can then place the pillows in a tumble dryer on a low-heat setting. Wool dryer balls can help to fluff up the pillows again.

Alternatively, if it's a sunny day, you can air-dry them outside. The sun can naturally help to whiten fabric and remove stains.

Make sure the pillows are completely dry before using them again to prevent mould and unpleasant odours.