It's a question that may not come to mind often, but it's an important one. Pillows aren't made to last forever, and they will eventually need replacing. But when? And why? Let us tell you!

How Often Should You Replace Pillows?

It's no mystery that your child’s pillow will need to be replaced eventually. We all have our favorite pillows and if we’re honest, we should have probably tossed them long ago. But this is our kids we're talking about, and we are typically more discerning. So how often should a toddler pillow be replaced? Depending on usage, a good rule of thumb is about once per year. 

Why Replace a Pillow that is Washable? 

I’ll be honest, I never washed a pillow in my life until I had kids. Somehow, kids manage to get things dirty even when they sleep! Plus, we suddenly start to worry about all the things science tells us to be concerned about what we may or may not have considered before like allergens and dust mites. And of course, kids just seem to be more snotty, drooly, and… well, you get the idea. So washable is important when there is only a pillowcase between body parts and our every night pillow. So why replace it if it seems fine?

Over time, the very thing that keeps those pillows cleaner is the thing that adds to the deterioration of the pillow’s structure. When we want to keep our clothes super nice, we wash on gentle and hope they last longer. A pillow is no different. But if you wash it a lot, it is definitely going to wear out sooner. The filling may clump or get out of alignment making the original shape unrecognizable. And, the tight weave the keeps out those allergens and dust mites may become looser with months of frequent washing. Spinal alignment is important for all of us, and it’s even more critical to our kids’ growing bodies.

So if it’s been a year or so, definitely give your child’s pillow a good once over to decide if it’s time for a replacement.

How to Get the Longest Life from a Toddler Pillow 

Although replacing your pillow yearly is the standard, there is proper care and maintenance to keep in mind that it can lengthen the lifetime of your pillow. Taking care of a toddler pillow isn’t difficult to do when you follow these steps: 

• BUY GOOD QUALITY – Premium materials and quality manufacturing make sure the pillow will stay “like new” longer.
• WASH & FLUFF – Choose a toddler pillow that can be machine washed and dried so you can keep it clean and fluffed up. Make sure to dry completely. Gently fluff up the pillow after cleaning and use.
• USE A PILLOW PROTECTOR – Using a pillow protector alleviates the need to wash the pillow at all, naturally extending its life. This puts a waterproof barrier between any elements touching the pillowcase and the actual pillow.

The Little Sleepy Head toddler pillow is made in the USA of high-quality materials, is washable, and contains NO chemicals whatsoever. It is naturally hypoallergenic! Their pillow protector is waterproof, also hypoallergenic, and allows for no washing of the actual pillow. Its side zipper closure makes sure that nothing will make its way past the barrier. It makes any accidents or spills easy to switch out without disrupting sleep for too long if in the night.

If you have any questions about how to care for your child’s toddler pillow, or about pillow protectors, we would love to hear from you!