Can You Wash a Memory Foam Pillow?
Short answer: no, not in a washing machine — and not in a dryer either. Memory foam is a soft open-cell structure held together by thin cell walls, and the tumbling action of a washer tears those walls apart. Once that happens the pillow never regains its shape, no matter how carefully you dry it. But memory foam pillows do get dirty, and they can be cleaned properly. Here is the method that works for solid foam, shredded foam, and the covers on both.
In this guide
Why the washing machine destroys memory foam
Two things kill it. The first is agitation: the drum's tumbling and the spin cycle shear the foam's cell walls, which is what causes the crumbly, lumpy texture people find after washing. The second is water weight. Dry foam is light, but saturated foam holds several times its weight in water and collapses under its own mass, and it can take days to dry through the middle — long enough to grow mould inside where you cannot see it.
This applies to solid contour pillows, cervical foam pillows and shredded-fill pillows alike. Shredded fill survives a wash better than a solid block, but it still clumps permanently and most manufacturers void the warranty.
How to clean a solid memory foam pillow
Spot cleaning by hand is the correct method, and it takes about ten minutes plus drying time.
- Remove the cover and wash that separately in the machine, cold, on a gentle cycle.
- Vacuum both sides of the bare foam with an upholstery attachment to lift dust and skin cells.
- Mix a teaspoon of mild liquid detergent into a bowl of cool water and whisk to a light foam.
- Dip a cloth in the suds — not the water — wring it almost dry, and blot the stained area. Never rub or wring the foam itself.
- Blot again with a clean, water-damp cloth to lift the detergent, then press with a dry towel to draw out moisture.
- Air dry flat, away from direct sun and heat, until completely dry to the touch in the centre. Allow a full 24 hours.
How to clean a shredded memory foam pillow
Shredded fill has one big advantage: you can usually take it out. Unzip the inner liner, empty the fill into a clean pillowcase or bin liner, then wash the empty liner and outer cover in the machine. Vacuum any foam dust from the fill container while it's empty.
If the fill itself smells, spread it on a clean sheet in an airy room for a few hours, or in indirect sun for 30 minutes. Do not wash the shreds — they clump and never fully separate again.
Deodorising without water
Baking soda is the most effective tool for smell, and it is completely dry.
- Sift a thin, even layer of baking soda over the bare foam.
- Leave it for at least one hour — three is better, overnight is best.
- Vacuum it off thoroughly with an upholstery attachment.
- Repeat on the other side. For stubborn odours, do the whole cycle twice.
Drying: the step people get wrong
Never use a tumble dryer, a hair dryer, a radiator or a heat gun. Heat melts and hardens memory foam, and the damage is instant and irreversible. Lay the pillow flat on a drying rack or clean towel with air moving around it — a fan pointed across the surface, or a window and a breeze — and be patient. If the middle still feels cool or heavy, it is still wet.
This is the single most common cause of ruined foam pillows: an impatient hour with a hair dryer.
How to avoid ever needing this
A zippered pillow protector under your pillowcase absorbs everything that would otherwise reach the foam — sweat, oils, drool, dust mites — and it goes straight in the washing machine. Wash the protector every two to four weeks and the pillowcase weekly, and your foam core will likely never need cleaning beyond an occasional vacuum and baking-soda pass.
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