How to Wash and Maintain a Pregnancy Pillow

You spend six to eight hours pressed against your pregnancy pillow every night. Over two to three months, that adds up to 500 hours of sweat, skin contact, and body oils soaking into the cover and fill. If you are not washing it regularly, you are sleeping on a bacteria and dust mite breeding ground — something that matters more during pregnancy, when your immune system is intentionally suppressed and your skin is often more reactive than usual. The good news is that maintaining a pregnancy pillow is not complicated. The bad news is that getting it wrong — putting the fill in a hot-water machine wash, for example — can turn a $65 pillow into a lumpy, ruined mess overnight. This guide walks through exactly what to wash, when, how, and with what — including the common mistakes that shorten a pillow's lifespan and the easy fixes that keep it fresh for all three trimesters and into postpartum. If you are shopping for a new pillow with care in mind, our best pregnancy pillows guide flags which models have the easiest covers to wash.

Why Cleaning a Pregnancy Pillow Matters More Than You Think

Dust mites colonize bedding within two to three weeks of regular use. They feed on dead skin cells and thrive in the warm, slightly humid environment inside a pillow fill. During pregnancy, elevated estrogen and progesterone levels can amplify allergic responses, meaning a woman who never had dust mite sensitivity before may suddenly notice nasal congestion, itchy eyes, or sneezing when she goes to bed. Regular cover washing at 140°F kills dust mites; washing at cold temperatures removes them but does not kill them. If you have known allergies, ask your OB-GYN whether a hypoallergenic pillow protector underneath the cover is worth adding.

Understanding Your Pregnancy Pillow's Components

Almost every pregnancy pillow has two distinct parts: the outer cover and the inner fill. They have completely different care requirements.

The Outer Cover

This is the part that touches your skin. Most covers — whether jersey knit, velvet, bamboo-rayon, or cotton — are designed to be removable and machine washable. A full zipper around the entire perimeter is the sign of a properly designed cover. Half-zip designs can be awkward to remove but are still manageable. Covers with no zipper at all should be avoided — they are practically impossible to clean properly.

The Inner Fill

Poly fiberfill (the most common), shredded memory foam, solid memory foam, microbeads, or buckwheat hull — these are the fills you will encounter. Poly fiberfill is the most forgiving to wash. Shredded memory foam can tolerate gentle machine washing in a front-loader on cold. Solid memory foam should never be submerged — water gets trapped inside and can cause mold within the casing. Always check your specific pillow's tag before washing the fill.

Step-by-Step: Washing the Cover

Remove the cover by unzipping the zipper all the way around. Shake out any loose fill material before loading the cover into the machine. Wash on a gentle or delicate cycle in cold water with a fragrance-free, dye-free liquid detergent — powder detergents sometimes leave residue on textured fabrics like velvet. Avoid fabric softener; it degrades elastic fibers over time and creates a residue that can trap heat. Tumble dry on low, or lay flat to air dry. High heat will shrink most jersey and bamboo-rayon covers by one size, making them too tight to zip back onto the fill.

Step-by-Step: Cleaning the Inner Fill

For poly fiberfill that is machine washable: load into a large front-loading machine (top-loaders with agitators can tear the fiberfill batting), set to delicate and cold, and add a small amount of gentle detergent. Transfer to the dryer with two dryer balls or clean tennis balls to prevent clumping. Check every 20 minutes and fluff any damp clumps by hand. Dry completely on low heat — this may take two to three dryer cycles.

For memory foam fills — shredded or solid — do not submerge in water. Instead, spot-clean with a damp cloth and a small drop of dish soap, working from the outside of the stain inward. Wipe away with a clean damp cloth. Squeeze gently; do not wring. Air dry the spot completely before re-covering. For odors, sprinkle baking soda, wait 30 minutes, and vacuum off.

How Often to Wash Each Part

Cover: every 10 to 14 days, or more frequently in summer or if you sweat heavily. If you have a protective liner between the fill and the cover, you may be able to stretch this to every three weeks. Inner fill: spot-clean as needed; full wash (if permitted) every one to two months. Pre-wash: always wash the cover before first use to remove manufacturing residues, warehouse dust, and chemical finishes. See our article on common pregnancy pillow mistakes for more on why the pre-wash matters.

Dealing with Specific Stains

Sweat Stains

Pre-treat with a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda before washing. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then launder normally. Enzymatic cleaners like Bac-Out work well for sweat stains on cotton and jersey covers.

Blood Stains

Cold water only — hot water sets blood permanently. Hydrogen peroxide on a white or light-colored cover is effective; test on a hidden area first for colored fabrics. Do not scrub; blot from the outside in to prevent spreading.

Discharge or Bodily Fluid Stains

Enzymatic detergent on a cold gentle cycle. If the stain has dried, rewet it with cold water before treating. Avoid hot water at all stages of cleaning these types of stains.

Extending Your Pillow's Lifespan

A waterproof liner or protector beneath the outer cover adds years to a pillow's life by keeping the fill dry and stain-free. You will still wash the outer cover regularly, but the fill stays clean and odor-free for much longer. Some moms buy a second outer cover for rotation — one on the pillow, one in the wash. The Queen Rose and Leachco Snoogle both sell official replacement covers, making this easy to set up. Our pillow finder quiz can help you narrow down which pillow models have the best cover systems for your needs.

Signs Your Pillow Fill Needs Replacing

Poly fiberfill compresses over time. When you can feel your hip through the pillow while lying on your side, or when the fill no longer springs back after compression, the fill has lost its structural integrity. Some brands sell replacement fills by the pound, which is a more economical option than buying a whole new pillow. Shredded memory foam fills last longer — typically 18 months to two or three years of nightly use before noticeable compression. If restuffing is not an option, plan to replace the pillow before the third trimester when support needs are highest.

Storing Your Pregnancy Pillow Postpartum

If you plan to save the pillow for a future pregnancy or for postpartum nursing, store it clean and completely dry in a large breathable cotton bag — not a plastic bag, which traps moisture and promotes mold. Vacuum storage bags work for flat storage but can permanently compress poly fiberfill. Store in a cool, dry closet rather than an attic or basement, where humidity and temperature swings can degrade foam and foster mildew growth.