Clean a Yellowed Pillow Insert in Five Minutes — Vacuum, Wipe, Peroxide

The Problem

Pillow inserts yellow — body oils soak in and oxidize — and most people either live with it, run the pillow through a washing machine that clumps the fill, or throw it out. A dry cleaner's approach treats the surface without soaking the insert.

The Technique

1. Vacuum the insert to pull off hair, lint, dust, and loose fill debris.
2. Wipe it down with a solution of warm water and a few drops of dish soap. This captures and lifts the body oils — and wetting the fabric makes the yellowed, oxidized areas stand out so you can see what you're treating.
3. Spray the entire insert with hydrogen peroxide and let it air dry indoors overnight. The peroxide breaks down the oxidized staining as it dries.
4. Severely yellowed areas may need a second peroxide pass after the first dries.

Five minutes of work, and the drying does the rest.