How Long Should A Memory Foam Pillow Last?

How Long Should A Memory Foam Pillow Last?

Memory foam pillows are a great alternative to their more traditional down and synthetic pillows made in the traditional way – they do wonders for your back and neck, make you wake up feeling energized and refreshed instead of like you have just survived a car crash, and can actually help reduce the risk of injuring your upper spine.

Most people are unaware of the need to replace a pillow on a regular basis and it’s common to see pillows being used for extended time periods ranging in 510 years.

On an average, a person spends a third of his lifetime in bed and on close inspection that we spend more time with our pillow then with friends, in car or in office.

As such, anything affecting your pillow can have negative repercussions for your health and this is especially true for people suffering from neck and head issues, allergies and respiratory diseases such as asthma.

With the passage of time pillows get infested with dust mites, oils and human dead skin and this is further compounded by the common problems associated with human hairs as pillows are constantly in contact with our hair and head.

Thus, it’s necessary to replace your pillow at regular intervals once you make sure that your pillow has run its course and now it’s time to buy a new pillow.

Helping Article: Is Memory Foam Pillow Better?

How can you tell if it’s Time to Replace Your Pillow?

You will know it is time to replace your pillow if you notice any of the following:      

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noticeable lumps in the foam or filler materials noticeable, permanent stains from body sweat and oil up with aches and pains, particularly in your neck or shoulders up tired due to aches and pains interrupting your sleep up with headaches or are developing tension headaches up sneezing from the dust mites

 

You constantly have to re fluff your pillow to get comfortable If you fold your pillow in half, it stays that way instead of expanding back out

Sometimes you need to change your pillow for other reasons than old age.

Other factors that can affect the longevity of your pillow include health conditions like allergies, or if you’ve recently changed sleeping positions.

For example, if you have switched from sleeping on your side to your back, you will need a new pillow with a different height. Different sleeping positions require different heights to keep the spine, neck, and head aligned.

If you have allergies, you will need to replace your pillow more regularly than the suggested lifespan, simply because you are more sensitive to dust mites.

How To Maintain Your Pillow and Prolong Its Lifespan?

To use your pillow maximally and make it last longer you need to maintain it properly. Here is how you can do it: You should always use a pillow cover. It will protect the pillow from absorbing all of your body oils and sweat at list a little and keep allergens at bay. You can use a pillow protector as well. It will further prevent some of that dead skin cells, body oil and sweat from getting into the pillow. Using a protective case can double the lifespan of your pillow and you should wash your cover every 3 to 4 weeks.

To get rid of any odor, dust mites, oils, and dead skin cells and prolong the lifespan of your pillow, you should wash it every 6 months. But, before you wash it, you should check its label and see if it is washable because not all pillows are washable. There you will find detailed instructions on how you can wash it. In most cases you should use only a mild liquid detergent and warm water.

Once you wash it, you should dry it on low heat setting or on air only and keep drying it until it is fully dry. If any moist remains inside, this will leave room for mold to grow.

As for non washable pillows, you can vacuum them or throw them into the dryer on air only setting for some 15 minutes. You can clean stains with a cloth lightly moistened with mild soap and water.

Is It Time For A New Pillow?

If it takes a long time for your memory foam pillow to return in its original shape, then it’s time to replace the pillow with a new one.

There are some other factors also which can guide you when it comes to replacing a memory foam pillow such as the elasticity and temperature sensitivity of a pillow.

Manufacturers use high quality memory foam for constructing memory foam pillows as these are considered crucial for the health of your neck and shoulders.

But, like other types of pillows, memory foam pillows will also lose their shape and other features with continued usage.

Temperature sensitivity of memory foam is also affected with time and this often serves as the perfect reminder for time when you need to change your memory foam pillow.

Most people can feel the difference when their memory foam pillow is no longer adjusting per the body contour and is not absorbing heat from the body and surroundings.

Related Article: That Memory Foam Smell This often leads to a coldness and lack of warmth which is often associated with memory foam pillows and mattresses.

Regardless of these changes most health advisers and medical practitioners recommend changing the memory foam pillows after 2 to 3 years of continuous use.

Some memory foam pillows may last a bit longer but these are generally of very high quality and quite expensive.

Most memory foam pillows sold across the world have a life of two to three years although some companies claim a higher life even for low or average quality products.

With continued usage memory foam pillows along with mattresses and other products made of memory foam lose their ability to quickly return to their original shape and when you observe that your memory foam pillow is not returning to its original shape it means that it’s time to replace your pillow with a new one.

The life span of your pillow largely depends on the material used in the pillow.

There is no exact science when it comes to replacing a pillow as there is no commonly accepted definition of a dead pillow. So, a decision to change a pillow often comes down to personal choice.

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