# HELP! Febreze on my pillow!



## clemrose (Dec 20, 2006)

I accidentally left my favorite (and not-cheap!) down pillow at my MILs house when we visited her for Mother's Day. She sent to me UPS but must have Febrezed it first (she loves the stuff, her whole house smelled of it and fabric softner) because I stripped the pillow and have hung it outside for two days but it still smells just as strongly!

Since my pillow is down I can't soak it like suggested in this thread I found.

Any suggestions?


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

Maybe spritz it with vinegar and put it in the dryer on the fluff setting. Good luck! I can't stand the smell of Febreeze.


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## clemrose (Dec 20, 2006)

Thanks for the reply, I will try this!


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## katiesk (Nov 6, 2007)

ew sick! i hate febreeze


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## hibana (Jun 9, 2006)

Why can't you soak it? I had a down pillow and used to wash it (by hand) very occasionally. It survived just fine- I put it in the dryer on "air fluff" to plump it back up again. It's a last-resort kind of thing, but it shouldn't destroy the pillow.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I hate febreeze SOO much that the thought of it saturating my pillow would be enough for me to toss it and buy a new one (even if I had an expensive one like you).

It literally makes me ill, so I know for sure I couldn't chance sleeping on it.

Anyway, so I guess I'd try everything else before throwing it out, including washing and drying it. But IME, even washing it in a machine may take several cycles to get the smell out, so I'm not sure it would survive.

Good luck. Febreeze should be banned. For real.


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## clemrose (Dec 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Drummer's Wife* 
Good luck. Febreeze should be banned. For real.


I absolutely agree! It's gotta be toxic the way it smells. When we stayed at my mother in laws I swear she febrezed the bed it reeked so bad. I couldn't fall asleep the first night because of it. Disgusting! And between that and the plug in air fresheners, dry sheets and not opening the windows (Palm Springs so the air is on 24/7) I couldn't wait to get out of there and come home! Hence, in my haste I left my pillow!


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## anniegirl (May 17, 2005)

Ewwww bummer! You said you stripped it, but have you washed it with detergent too? If you have any Charlie's soap, even better. It shouldn't hurt it any, I wash our down blanket pretty frequently in detergent and it's in super shape.

I also suggest hanging it outside to dry in the sunshine, then if the smell is gone fluff it up in the dryer with some tennis balls. I think if you put it in the dryer first you'll bake in the smell.


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## clemrose (Dec 20, 2006)

*hibana*
I just assumed I couldn't wash it! All my down stuff says dry clean only (of course, so does some of the clothes I wash...). I was really afraid of damaging it because I depend on it so much! My husband has mistreated his so that it is flat and uncomfortable (to me, he likes it) and I really don't want that to happen to my nice pillow. Of course now I just googled "wash down pillows" and found out that I should be washing it once or twice a year. Oops! Does everyone wash their pillows and I just didn't know about it?









Anyway, I did hang my pillow outside for several days and then tried the vinegar/dryer idea as *LeighB* suggested and it smells so much better. I think I can faintly smell the febreze when I bury my nose in it, but once I put on my clean pillow cover and pillowcase I couldn't smell anything by line-dried goodness! Hopefully that will still be true when I go to bed tonight!

Thanks again to all of you for you suggestions.


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## clemrose (Dec 20, 2006)

I've slept on my pillow with no troubles. The first night I smelled a little vinegar as I was drifting off, but it was so comforting to know it wasn't stinky febreze. Thanks all!


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

so glad you got the stink out!


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## clemrose (Dec 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Drummer's Wife* 
so glad you got the stink out!

Thanks, me too! Although my husband had my pillow this morning after I got up and said it still smells like febreze to him. Fortunately I'm a side/back(when not pregnant!) sleeper and not a front sleeper like he is!


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