Washing covers without wrecking them

Every cover on our shelves is meant to meet a washing machine, that is the whole point of a removable layer. But the membrane and the fill each have one enemy in the laundry room, and both are avoidable.

Before the drum

Close the zipper all the way. An open zipper chews fabric, catches on the drum and bends its own teeth. Shake crumbs off outside, and if something soaked in, rinse that spot under the tap first so the stain does not just relocate in the wash.

Water and soap

Warm or cool water, gentle cycle, ordinary detergent. The waterproof backing is a thin sheet of polyurethane, and its enemy is chlorine bleach: it turns the film brittle, and a brittle film cracks. Fabric softener is the other thing to skip on protectors, it coats the fibers and the surface stops pulling moisture down into the pad the way it should.

Drying

Low heat or air dry. High heat is how membranes die and how elastic skirts lose their grip. Toppers want a big drum and a couple of dryer balls so the fill breaks up and lofts instead of clumping; pull the topper out slightly damp and let it finish flat on the bed.

How often

Pillow protectors and mattress protectors ride along with the sheets every second or third wash, and after a spill, right away. Toppers need the machine two or three times a year, plus a shake and an hour of air whenever you change the bed.

No iron, ever, on anything with a backing. If a cover comes out creased, it flattens overnight under the sheet on its own.