You’ve found the perfect pillow for your optimal sleep – congratulations! How can you best protect that pillow for an optimal pillow life?

First and foremost, use a pillow protector. One quick zip on of a pillow protector and this extra layer can help minimize how much body oil, residue, dust and dust mites gather in your new siesta facilitator.

Next, care for your pillow as well as it cares for you. Check the product label. If your pillow is made of a material that can be machine washed, then your pillows should be washed twice a year, and more often during warmer (and sweatier) seasons. Most down and synthetic pillows can be machine washed, but be sure to check your care label. Wash your pillows in twos, because it helps to balance out the rotation of your washing machine. A handy tip for synthetic pillows: roll them up lengthwise and secure the ends and middle with rubber bands during the wash to minimize the clumping of the synthetic fibers inside.

Next, wash your pillows according to the temperature and other care label instructions on your pillows. Using mild liquid detergent instead of powder can limit suds overload and the resultant residue. A half cup of baking soda in addition to detergent is an excellent freshener, and hot water, bleach and borax are also helpful additions if you need to whiten your pillows as well as wash them. Jillee from One Good Thing provides the full recipe and steps here.

Afterwards, run the rinse cycle a few times to make sure you’ve gotten rid of as much soap residue as possible.

Finally, dry your pillows back to their pillowy plumpness. If your pillows are allowed in the dryer, throw in some tennis balls or wool dryer balls to fluff evenly and without chemicals. Synthetic pillows should always be dried on a low heat setting. If they can’t be thrown in the dryer, lay pillows flat to dry. Bonus points for laying out in the sun, which can help whiten the pillows closer to their original pristine colour.

Now that you can rest easy that you know how to care for your perfect pillow, the final step is to slip on a silk pillow case and get yourself a perfect hair day to boot!