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I decided today to wash L's pillows as she wasn't here - so they will be dry in plenty of time. I don't think I have ever washed pillows before - I just buy new.

But I noticed that you can wash them when I looked at the label and I googled it and it said as long as your machine has a big drum it is fine. It recommended that you then tumble dry them to get them nice and fluffy.

I have washed one and just taken it out of the machine. It is absolutely sodden so I have put it on a fast spin and will put it in the drier. But it feels really horrible and lumpy - I do hope the drier resolves that or it looks like a shopping trip for a new pillow tomorrow.

You know Debbie, I've always done the same - thrown them away - but the last time I bought new ones which was a few weeks ago I noticed a washing label on them so might give it a try. Hopefully the drum is big enough, though I stripped the cover off the sofa bed in the spare room the other week, manhandled it down two flights of stairs to the utility room and the flippin' thing wouldn't fit in the machine and then it was a struggle to get it back on again

I wouldn't bother Jo - its completely ruined a perfectly good pillow!

It has come out all lumpy and horrible and I can't get it back into shape. It is as though the filling (which was nothing fancy, just a foam pillow) has separated and collected in big lumps.

We have a 9kg drum so it should have been plenty big enough.

I am very disappointed and cross!

I replace ours every year - Harry and I are both sensitive to dust mites, and washing is such a faff when they are so cheap to replace...............

I also do the same with our quilts - Sainsbury's basics replaced spring and autumn.......so cheap it isn't worth laundering them.

I washed the girls single duvets and they have come up really nice. They smell lovely and fresh.

When I had a feather pillow I used to wash it and it worked perfectly - had to be a nice hot summers week though and I just left it outside on a clothes horse to dry, fluffing it up and turning it regularly. I have also washed a 'normal' pillow and been OK with it, but it did come out a bit lumpy. I now have a memory foam pillow that I don't think can be washed so it just gets a good airing whenever possible.

I have an all season feather duvet; you know the one where you've got one thin and one thicker one that you can button together - and I've often put the summer one into the washing machine. Unfortunately the winter one is too fat and won't fit so it has to go to a dry cleaner. But they do both get washed once a year

I'm another one in the just buy new ones camp.

I can buy a four pack of good hypoallergenic pillows for under £10 in the outlet centre here, and Sainsbury's duvets for £8............at that price it isn't worth laundering them

I do the same with pillows and duvets. I replace them rather than wash them because I had the same result as you Debih when I washed pillows. They were lumpy and horrible and completely ruined. I suppose it's not very environmentally friendly but if they are supposed to be washable then they damn will should be.