Care

Most wool pillows should never see a washing machine, and the ones that survive one were built for it and say so on the label.

What ruins a wool pillow?

Agitation with heat and moisture together, which is the precise recipe for felting and it is irreversible.

Woolmark explains the mechanism: heat and moisture lift the scales on each fibre, and agitation then locks them onto their neighbours (Woolmark). Airing, spot cleaning and sunlight do most of what people hope washing will do, without the risk. The guide on why a wool pillow felts ranks everyday handling by risk.

What do makers allow?

Of 13 seller care pages read for this site, 7 limit the fill to spot cleaning, 2 allow a hand soak and 4 allow a machine cycle.

The machine group mostly describes wool treated to resist felting, and your own maker's instructions outrank any count. The guide on washing a wool pillow gives the cold soak method step by step.

How long does a washed pillow take to dry?

Plan on a day or two lying flat. A pillow closed up while it is still damp inside can grow mildew.

One maker says to allow 24 to 48 hours of flat drying and never to tumble dry, even without heat (The Woolshire). Check the centre by hand before the case goes back on.

Is settling the same as wear?

No. Wool packs down under a head and partly springs back with airing. Felted wool stays matted.

Shepherd's Dream expects its batting to compress 30% to 40% in six months and says airing on a sunny day brings some height back (Shepherd’s Dream). A tuft of packed wool loosens when pulled gently; a felted one holds together as a pad.