Use Ice To Save Your Pillow From A Sticky Stain (& Other Spot Cleaning Tips)

Replicating a seemingly effortless TikTok or YouTube DIY in bed seems like a good idea until you fluff your pillows to get some sleep and come face-to-face with an adhesive stain. A stain on the pillow case will force you to step out of the comfort of your bed and hunt down a clean cover. But things will take a turn for the worse if the sticky stain is actually on the pillow itself. Fortunately, ice can save the day and your pillow from a sticky and uncomfortable situation.

Naturally, you can't sleep on a pillow with adhesive on it (just think about your hair) or sweep it under a cover in good conscience. You also don't want to have to scrub at the stain relentlessly, begging it to come off — or check the care label to wash your bed pillows at an ungodly hour. Using ice will harden the adhesive and allow it to be removed from the pillow. However, there are other types of stains you need to think about, including blood, red wine, and other dried stains you don't know the source of. In most cases, a mild detergent and water concoction is the secret to keeping your bed pillows clean.

Though you might be tempted to give your pillows a much-needed deep clean with a few household staples, it won't solve your adhesive problem. So, grab an ice cube from your refrigerator's freezer and rub it gently on the adhesive stain on your pillow. Take care to rub the stained area only, as you don't want to soak the rest of your pillow unnecessarily. To err on the side of caution, place a clean towel underneath to avoid dampening your mattress or the pillow's surface. Keep rubbing until the adhesive stain starts to harden and turns solid beneath your touch.

Now, get a knife — shouldn't be too dull or too sharp — to slowly scrape the hardened stain off your pillow. Be careful or you could end up scratching the fabric or damaging the fill inside. Alternatively, you can use another sharp item, like a plastic card, to get the stain off your beloved pillow. However, if you still notice a stain after you've scraped off the solidified adhesive, head into your laundry room and grab the detergent container from the shelf.

Have you ever been too tired to scrub the makeup off your face or slide a cover over your pillow before hitting the hay? If yes, such incidents might have left unsightly marks on your pillow. To spot clean them, mix a little detergent with water — use warm water for dried stains and a more powerful, not abrasive, detergent for red wine marks — in a bowl or another container. Now, soak a clean microfiber cloth in the solution and wring out the excess soapy water. Ensure the cloth is white since darker colors might bleed and stain your pillow's fabric.

Once you have the damp cloth in hand, blot the stain in a circle, making you way from the outside-in to keep the mark contained. Continue working on the stain until it fades away. Remember, it might take some time for the stain to visibly fade away if it's too old or stubborn (like blood). After the stain is out, soak another lint-free cloth in water before wringing out the excess water and use it to dab the detergent out of the pillow fabric. Finally, lay the pillow in the sun or put it in the dryer (if the material is dryer-friendly) to help it dry.