The Best Commercial Stain Removers For Your Well-Loved Pillows

Your pillows are the unsung heroes of your home. Every night, they give you a safe place to rest your head, offering both support and comfort. And while these soft squares (or rectangles) are resilient for any number of purposes, dirt can sometimes become their downfall. Over time, your pillow builds up grime, oils, dander, and skin cells, which can create a very unappealing petri dish of bacteria that relays back to your face when you sleep. It's important to care for and clean your pillows, so if your cushions are in need of some TLC, especially in the stains department, finding the best stain removers is imperative. Tried and tested brands like Shout and OxiClean seem to be the top options for people when it comes to cleaning marks and debris off of their pillows. Drycleaner @jeeves_NY recommends mixing OxiClean with hot water in a bath and soaking the pillow overnight. However, different types of stains require different cleaners to remove them.

There is a science to finding the best stain removers, and it involves understanding the enzymes needed to fight certain stains. This can help you purchase the ideal product. You might not realize that every type of stain falls under one of four categories. Particulate stains are the general type you would usually imagine, made up of dirt and grime. Whenever you spill intensely colored drinks like tea and coffee or some juices, these fall under the Oxidizable category of stains, as does sweat. Enzymatic stains are the results of substances like blood or even outdoor elements, like plants, and grease stains are caused by food items.

Different stains require different solutions and products to remove them from fabrics and fibers. Your pillow is most likely stained by a variety of elements, such as sweat, saliva, oils from your skin, and makeup. Because of this, you might need to fight each of these with a product that can break down the different types of stains, so understanding which cleaners contain the correct enzymes for this job is important.

If you're trying to combat sweat stains on your pillow, brands like OxiClean are helpful because the oxygen bleach counteracts the oxidized sweat that has discolored your pillow. This product also works to pull up makeup stains, which require an enzymatic remover. For sweat and makeup, it's best to soak your pillow, if the material allows for it, in hot water with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oxygen bleach before washing in the machine. If the stains come up, you can dry the pillow in the dryer and let it air dry, depending on the instructions.

Brands like Carbona offer stain removers that target specific types of stains. The Stain Devils set includes formulas specifically for sweat, makeup, blood, and oils. SweatX is also a highly-rated product made to remove sweat marks.

Spray stain removers are helpful for makeup too, but cleaners with enzymes do need time to soak in, so it's recommended you spray the dirty areas and allow these products to set. OxiClean Max Force and Shout Triple Acting Stain Remover are both sprays that work on everything from waterproof mascara to concealers, foundations, and even lipsticks. If a stain is particularly tricky, try reapplying the sprays or oxygen-based bleach several times, as even the toughest cleaners might need a few applications to pull out deep or intense stains.

If you prefer to supplement with a household stain remover, you can combine equal parts baking soda with water to give your pillow a deep clean. Like with the other products, it's best to leave this on for at least 30 minutes to allow the ingredients to soak. Your pillowcase can protect your pillow against general wear and tear, but it's important to wash this at least once a week to keep dirt and substances from seeping through the fabric onto your pillow.

There is a proper method for washing different pillows, and this should be done at least twice a year. Most pillows made of synthetic materials, down, and feathers can be washed in a washing machine and either tumble dried or air dried after stain treatment. If you happen to have a gel pillow or buckwheat filled cushion, spot treatment is the best way to get rid of these stains.