Caring for a buckwheat pillow mainly means keeping the hulls dry and occasionally aired out, washing the removable cover on its own, and topping up the fill every so often — you don't machine wash the hull-filled insert itself. Get those basics right and a well-made buckwheat pillow can last for years.
What Not to Do
Never put the hull-filled insert through a washing machine or soak it in water. Buckwheat hulls need to stay dry to hold their shape and stay fresh; a soaked insert can develop an odor, and there's no reliable way to dry thousands of small hulls all the way through once they're wet. If the insert ever gets damp, spread the hulls out somewhere dry and airy as soon as possible rather than waiting for them to dry inside a sealed pillow. Avoid direct high heat on the fill as well, such as a hair dryer or a radiator, which is a harsher fix than simply giving it time in open air.
Airing Out the Hulls
Every so often — many people do this every few months — unzip the outer cover and let the hull-filled insert sit somewhere with fresh air moving through it for an hour or two, out of strong direct sun for extended periods. This helps keep the fill smelling fresh and lets any trapped moisture from everyday humidity evaporate. It's a light-touch habit, not a deep clean, and it takes only a few minutes of your time. Humid climates or seasons may call for airing the insert out a little more often than a dry climate would.
Washing the Cover
The outer cover is designed to come off and be washed on its own, separately from the hull-filled insert. Wash it according to the care instructions on the specific product, using a gentle cycle and mild detergent, and let it air dry rather than using high heat, which can be harder on natural fibers like cotton and linen over time. Keeping a spare cover on hand means you're never without a clean one while the other is being washed.
Keeping the Fill Fresh
Buckwheat hulls have a faint natural scent that's usually strongest when a pillow is new and fades with airing over the following weeks. If a pillow starts to smell musty rather than simply earthy, that's usually a sign moisture got into the fill, and it's worth airing the hulls out thoroughly, spread out rather than balled up inside the cover, before using the pillow again.
A Simple Seasonal Routine
Rather than trying to remember a strict schedule, it helps to tie pillow care to something you already do regularly, like changing sheets for the season or a seasonal closet clean-out. At that point, unzip the cover, air out the insert for an hour or two, wash the cover if it's due, and check whether the fill still feels the way you want it to. A few short check-ins a year is usually plenty for a pillow that's used every night. Jotting the date on a small tag or note can help you keep track of when a pillow is next due for attention.
Traveling With a Buckwheat Pillow
If you bring a travel-size buckwheat pillow on trips, pack it in a breathable bag rather than a fully sealed one, especially if it's likely to sit in a warm car or overhead bin for a while. When you get to where you're going, giving it a few minutes of open air before use is a good habit, the same as you would at home after any period of being packed away tightly.
Topping Up Over Time
Hulls compress very slightly with years of regular use, so a pillow that once felt full may gradually feel a little lower. When that happens, adding fresh hulls restores the original height rather than requiring a new pillow. Our buckwheat hulls are sold separately in a range of bag sizes for exactly this.
Storage Tips
If you're not using a pillow for a while — during a move, or a seasonal swap — store it somewhere dry, away from damp basements or attics where humidity swings are common. A breathable bag or pillowcase is a better choice than a sealed plastic bag, which can trap any residual moisture against the hulls.
Signs It's Time for a Refresh
- The fill smells musty rather than lightly earthy, even after airing it out.
- The pillow feels noticeably lower than when it was new, even after fluffing and kneading it.
- The cover is worn, stained beyond washing, or the zipper no longer closes securely.
The first two are usually solved with airing and topping up the fill. The third is a good reason to pick up a replacement cover rather than a whole new pillow.
When to Top Up vs. Replace
Most of the time, a buckwheat pillow that feels low just needs more fill, not a replacement. Consider a new insert only if the cover has worn through in a way that can't be fixed, or if the hulls themselves have been exposed to significant moisture and developed a persistent odor even after thorough airing. Otherwise, topping up the fill is the simpler and more economical fix.
Need a replacement cover rather than more fill? Our covers and refills collection has options to match your pillow. For anything else, our FAQ covers common questions about care and longevity.