How to Care for Your Pillowise Pillow: Cleaning, Washing, and When to Get Remeasured

Last updated: October 2026

To care for a Pillowise pillow, spot clean the foam only, never put it in a washing machine or dryer, and wash the removable cover by hand or on a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag, then let it air dry thoroughly. The care keeps the pillow's shape and the height it was fitted at, and height is the variable that changes cervical alignment and neck muscle activity (Kim et al., 2015; Jiao et al., 2025). The second half of this article covers how the fitting works, when to get remeasured, and what providers can tell patients at dispensing.

Key takeaways

Spot clean the Pillowise foam only, and never wash it or place it in a washing machine or dryer.
Wash the removable cover by hand or on a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag in warm water, then let it air dry thoroughly.
A Pillowise fitting uses three measurements plus sleeping position and bed type to choose from seven sizes, so a new bed is a reason to get remeasured.

Why does pillow care matter?

Proper care helps preserve the pillow's shape, comfort, and clean condition. A pillow that keeps its shape keeps the height your fitting selected.

Height is not a detail. A radiographic study of 16 adults found that as pillow height increased, T1 slope and C2-7 Cobb angle increased while neck tilt decreased (Kim et al., 2015).

Each Pillowise pillow carries a 5-year manufacturing warranty from the date of purchase. For health and hygiene, we recommend replacing your pillow every 3 to 5 years.

How do you clean the foam?

Our pillows are made from premium Dutch memory foam that should never be washed or placed in a washing machine or dryer. Instead, gently spot clean the foam if needed, following the care instructions on the pillow cover tag.

Avoid rubbing stains to prevent damage. Avoid exposing the foam to moisture, which can compromise its integrity.

How do you wash the cover?

The pillow cover is made of 60% polyester and 40% Tencel and is designed to protect the foam. Remove the cover and hand wash or machine wash on gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag in warm water.

Please follow these guidelines to maintain the cover's quality:

Do not bleach
Do not tumble dry
Iron on medium heat if necessary
Professional dry cleaning is allowed with any solvent except trichloroethylene

After washing, allow the cover to air dry thoroughly before placing it back on the pillow. Replacement covers are available, so a worn cover does not have to mean a new pillow.

When should you get remeasured?

If you get a new bed, it is a good idea to get remeasured for your pillow. Bed type is one of the inputs to the fitting, so a change of bed changes one of the variables your size was chosen from.

Your provider can repeat the measurements and check whether your current size still fits.

What does pillow height change?

Pillow height changes how pressure is distributed across the head and neck, as a crossover study of 10 adults using finite element modeling showed (Ren et al., 2016).

Muscle activity follows height. In a pilot study of 15 adults using surface EMG, a height matched to shoulder width produced the lowest activity in the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius during side sleeping, and was rated most comfortable (Jiao et al., 2025).

Why do generic pillows miss?

A standard contoured pillow, not fitted to the individual, performed no better than ordinary shapes in a randomized study of 106 side sleepers (Gordon et al., 2009). No single optimal pillow height can be specified, because it depends on four variables that differ from person to person: cervical alignment, body dimension, contact pressure, and muscle activity (Lei et al., 2021).

What we measure

Pillowise is a fitted cervical pillow that licensed healthcare providers measure and dispense, made in seven sizes. Our sleep specialists take three measurements: shoulder width, neck circumference, and neck length. Combined with sleeping position and bed type, an algorithm identifies the best-fitting pillow from seven sizes.

Shoulder width is the measurement the EMG study found mattered most. A height matched to it produced the lowest neck and shoulder muscle activity during side sleeping (Jiao et al., 2025), and body dimension is what drives the individual optimum (Tian et al., 2025).

Pillowise pillows are made from premium Dutch memory foam and are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, which means components were tested against the standard's limits for harmful substances.

What does the research not show yet?

The pillow studies are small, and the most recent systematic review screened 29,091 records, included five studies covering 239 patients, and found no clear advantage for any pillow type in chronic neck pain (Ghosh et al., 2025). We position a fitted pillow as an adjunct to exercise, manual therapy, and other conservative care, not as a treatment for a condition.

For providers: what should patients hear at dispensing?

Walk through the care basics when the pillow goes home: spot clean the foam, wash only the cover, and air dry the cover before it goes back on. A patient who knows the foam must stay dry is less likely to put the whole pillow in the machine.

Ask patients to tell you if they change their bed, since bed type is part of the fitting. A quick remeasure keeps the size matched to the inputs it was chosen from.

A fitted pillow extends the work of the visit into the hours between visits, alongside the exercise, manual therapy, and other care you are already delivering.

Common questions

Can I put my Pillowise pillow in the washing machine?

Not the foam. The foam should never be washed or placed in a washing machine or dryer, only spot cleaned. The cover can be hand washed or machine washed on a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag in warm water, then air dried.

How often should I replace my Pillowise pillow?

For health and hygiene, we recommend replacing it every 3 to 5 years, and each pillow carries a 5-year manufacturing warranty from the date of purchase. If you change beds before then, ask your provider about a remeasure.

Do I need a new fitting if I buy a new bed?

It is a good idea. Bed type is one of the fitting inputs, and no single pillow height suits everyone because the optimum depends on variables that differ from person to person (Lei et al., 2021). Your provider can repeat the measurements.

Is a contoured pillow from a store enough?

Not reliably. A standard contoured pillow, not fitted to the individual, performed no better than ordinary shapes in a randomized study of 106 side sleepers (Gordon et al., 2009), and no single optimal height can be specified because it depends on four variables that differ from person to person (Lei et al., 2021). A contour helps only if its height matches the person using it. That is what the fitting settles, in a provider's office.

Find a Pillowise provider or become one

Pillowise pillows are clinically measured and dispensed exclusively through licensed healthcare providers as part of broader sleep, posture, and recovery education.

To locate a Pillowise provider near you, visit: Find a Reseller

Licensed healthcare providers interested in offering Pillowise may register here: Become a Reseller

References

Ghosh, S. K., Goyal, M., & Goyal, K. S. (2025). Effect of pillow on pain, disability and sleep quality in patients with chronic neck pain: A systematic review. Rehabilitación, 59(3), 100922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rh.2025.100922

Gordon, S. J., Grimmer-Somers, K., & Trott, P. (2009). Pillow use: The behaviour of cervical pain, sleep quality and pillow comfort in side sleepers. Manual Therapy, 14(6), 671-678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2009.02.006

Jiao, R., Xiao, W., Wang, M., Yu, S., & Li, H. (2025). The impact of pillow height on neck muscle activity: A pilot study. Sleep and Breathing, 29(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-024-03219-6

Kim, H. C., Jun, H. S., Kim, J. H., Ahn, J. H., Chang, I. B., Song, J. H., & Oh, J. K. (2015). The effect of different pillow heights on the parameters of cervicothoracic spine segments. Korean Journal of Spine, 12(3), 135-138. https://doi.org/10.14245/kjs.2015.12.3.135

Lei, J.-X., Yang, P.-F., Yang, A.-L., Gong, Y.-F., Shang, P., & Yuan, X.-C. (2021). Ergonomic consideration in pillow height determinants and evaluation. Healthcare, 9(10), 1333. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9101333

Ren, S., Wong, D. W.-C., Yang, H., Zhou, Y., Lin, J., & Zhang, M. (2016). Effect of pillow height on the biomechanics of the head-neck complex: Investigation of the cranio-cervical pressure and cervical spine alignment. PeerJ, 4, e2397. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2397

Tian, S., Yao, C., Wang, Y., Cao, X., Sun, Y., Wang, L., & Fan, Y. (2025). The individualized optimal pillow height and neck support design for side sleepers. Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing, 63(2), 535-544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-024-03204-x