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Signs You Need a New Pillow

You’ve been using the same cotton pillow for years, and you’re finally just starting to notice the weird stains, the grating lumps, and the strange odors. Is it finally time to replace the old thing? According to the article you read on the internet recently, you’re supposed to replace pillows every six months — or at least wash them regularly — but is that really necessary? Why can’t you just keep your current pillow and put off the replacement for a few more years?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Although you may think your dirty pillow is still doing its job, it is far past its prime and probably has been for quite a while. At Spry Therapeutics, we understand that a clean sleep plays a critical role in your overall health and well-being. Here are a few signs to look for when determining whether it’s time for a new pillow:

Pillow Expiration Dates

Despite their cost, regular pillows do indeed have an expiration date. The time frame for keeping any particular pillow depends on the material it’s made out of, but no pillow in your home should be considered a life-long purchase — they should be viewed as temporary sleep aids that should be replaced regularly (some more than others!).

Below is a list of the average lifespan of various pillow types:

Buckwheat — 3 years
Down — 2 years
Feather — 18-36 months
Latex — 3-4 years
Memory foam — 16-36 months
Polyester — 6-24 months
Synthetic/alternative down — 18-24 months

A pillow’s lifespan can be extended if you take extremely good care of it by washing it regularly and using a pillow protector to slow the buildup of detritus, dust mites, and body fluids, but no pillow will last forever. Eventually, you won’t be able to ignore the weird smells or the lumps and you’ll be forced to buy a replacement.

Lumps And Bumps

If laying your face down on your pillow feels like resting it on top of your lawn, then it’s time to buy a new one. No matter what type of material a pillow is made from, it will eventually start to lose its shape, causing lumps and ridges that make it hard to get comfortable.

With some pillows, smoothing out the lumps and bumps is as easy as fluffing them back into shape — but that only works for pillows that use “loose” material as a filling, such as down or buckwheat pillows.

When no amount of fluffing or washing will get rid of those lumps, it’s time for a new pillow purchase.

Funny Smells

When it comes to keeping pillows past their prime, many of us are like a child with a favorite stuffed animal — no matter how dirty it gets or how bad it smells, we’re unwilling to replace it until it starts falling apart. It’s no surprise we’re hesitant to get rid of an item that plays such an integral role in our lives Afterall, the average person spends ⅓ of their life sleeping. That’s a lot of time spent on a pillow!

Like a carton of milk past its expiration date, a smelly pillow is trying to tell you something. When a pillow is used for an extended period of time, it collects all kinds of nasties that can trigger bad smells — dead skin cells, saliva, mold, and mildew being the biggest culprits for that off-putting aroma, which can begin after using a pillow for just a few months.

You may feel like your pillow is a part of the family, but it’s in your best interest to pay attention to it when it starts giving off funny smells, especially if you’re an allergy sufferer. Our best advice to you: trash that smelly pillow immediately and get a replacement, like the Spry Pure pillow from Spry Therapeutics. The Spry Pure pillow uses a special lab-tested Nano-Barrier to prevent particles like skin cells, bacteria, and mold spores from getting into the pillow, giving you a particle-free (and smell-free) sleeping experience every night.

Permanent Stains

Commercial pillows naturally tend to lose their coloring after a period of use, so it can be hard to tell when there are honest-to-goodness stains on them that are reason for concern. Biological remnants such as saliva, body oil, blood, and skin cells can all cause significant staining on the outside of a pillow, even when a cloth pillow case is being used — resulting in dark spots, rings, and streaks where you rest your head.

Not only are stains on a pillow visually unappealing, they can also indicate that other problems exist within the pillow’s interior. Saliva, for example, that has dried and made its way into the inside of a pillow makes a great treat for dust mites. Body oils collecting on a pillow’s surface make contact with your face every night, leading to clogged pores and acne. Fluids that find their way into the inside of a pillow will eventually start to decay, leading to bad smells and attracting mold and mildew. A dirty, stained pillow is a health hazard, and should be thrown away if the stains can’t be washed out.

One way to avoid stains is to purchase a pillow that uses an easy-to-clean, stain-resistant cover, like the pillows from Spry Therapeutics. Using Pureshield technology, Spry Pure pillows are waterproof (the cover is actually part of the pillow), stain resistant, and extremely easy to clean. In addition, the Pneumapure filtration system works to prevent bacteria and viruses from living and growing on the surface, giving you a pillow that blocks the bad stuff and only allows air to enter the inside. Find out more about them here.

Get High Quality Pillow Replacements from Spry Therapeutics

If you’re convinced that your old, unhealthy pillows finally need to go, Spry Therapeutics can offer you a quality pillow replacement that is superior in every way. Created to block out bacteria, viruses, allergens, and mold, Spry Pure pillows are the perfect solution for anyone seeking a cleaner, healthier sleep.