First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Soak reddish marks in cold water, never hot.
- Blot, don't rub.
- Test any remover on a hidden spot first.
- Keep the pillow out of the dryer until the stain is gone.
Bug splatter on a pillow usually shows up as reddish smears from crushed bed bugs or small dark spots of waste that can bleed into the fabric. Heat is a problem here, since machine-drying a stained item makes the mark more permanent. If a stain or smell won't come out, replacing the pillow may be the better call, and a down pillow with a dry-clean-only shell should be discussed with a dry cleaner first.
Pretreat bed bug blood stains on a pillowcase with an enzyme laundry pretreater, and let it sit before you wash. For a bed bug stain on pillow fabric that has set, repeat the cold-water blotting and check it before the dryer. A stain that reaches foam or down fill is harder to lift, so look at how far it went before you commit to cleaning.
Before you start
What pillows can take
Use with care6
- Water
- Soaking
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
- Heat, once the stain is out
Avoid2
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
5 items
What you'll need
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- Cold or lukewarm waterHot water can set blood-based bug marks, so keep the water cool from the start.
- Mild detergentA little dabbed on the stain works for polyester, down-alternative and hollow-fiber pillows. (opens Amazon)
- Detergent made for downOnly for down or feather pillows, and only if the label allows a machine wash. (opens Amazon)
- Soft brushFor working problem spots on a down pillow during hand washing. (opens Amazon)
- Warm, soapy waterFor sponging the foam in a foam or hybrid pillow, without submerging it. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Remove the cover and read the label
Take off the pillowcase and any protector, then read the sewn-in care label before you do anything else. The label shows whether a machine wash is allowed, and you also need the fill type: foam, hybrid, polyester, down-alternative, hollow-fiber, down or feather.
Tip. If the label is missing or unreadable, stick to cold water, dab with a little detergent and keep the pillow out of the dryer.
Step 2 of 6
Pretreat the stain in cold water
Work with cold or lukewarm water only, and blot the mark rather than rubbing it. Reddish marks from crushed bugs should be soaked in cold water first, then blotted with a clean part of the cloth. Test any remover on a hidden spot before you use it on the stain.
Careful. Hot water can set blood-based bug marks.
Step 3 of 6
Wash the pillow for its fill
Foam or hybrid: unzip the cover, machine wash it cold on a delicate cycle, then sponge the foam itself with warm, soapy water. Polyester, down-alternative or hollow-fiber: dab a little detergent on the stain, then machine wash cold on a gentle or delicate cycle, with a second pillow in the load to keep the machine balanced. Down or feather: machine wash only if the label allows it, using detergent made for down, a low temperature and an extra rinse.
Tip. For a down pillow you hand wash, use lukewarm water and a little detergent, work problem spots with a soft brush, rinse until the suds are gone, and press out the water.
Careful. Never machine wash or fully submerge a foam or hybrid pillow.
Step 4 of 6
Check the stain before the dryer
Once the pillow is out of the wash, look at the spot in good light. If anything is still visible, leave the pillow out of the dryer and pretreat the spot again.
Careful. Dryer heat makes a visible stain more permanent.
Step 5 of 6
Dry on low until fully dry
Tumble dry on low, air-fluff or use no heat until the center is completely dry. Foam and hybrid pillows should lie flat to dry instead, and down may need several low-heat cycles. Feel the center for cool damp spots, clumps or odor before you put it away.
Careful. Don't store a pillow until its center is completely dry, since trapped moisture causes clumping and odor.
Step 6 of 6
Replace the pillow if it won't clear
Some stains and odors won't come out, even after a careful wash and dry. In that case, replace the pillow rather than spending more time on it.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for bug splatter on pillows
Use a detergent made for down on down pillows, and a plain mild detergent on polyester or down-alternative pillows. Skip any product type the care label rules out.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on pillows, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
A fully cleaned pillow shows no reddish or dark mark when you check it in daylight. The center feels dry all the way through, with no cool damp spots, clumps or odor.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your pillows
Bed bug on a pillowcase
A pillowcase has no fill, so skip the foam and down steps and wash it on its own. Pretreat the stain in cold water first, then wash it cold, following its care label.
Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone, since dryer heat makes it more permanent. Check it in good light before it goes near the dryer.
Foam or hybrid pillow
Foam can't be submerged, so only the cover goes in the machine on a cold, delicate cycle. Sponge the foam itself with warm, soapy water instead, and lay the pillow flat to dry rather than using the dryer.
If the stain still shows after that, the pillow may need replacing.
Down or feather pillow
Machine wash only if the label allows it, using detergent made for down at a low temperature with an extra rinse. Leftover detergent can reduce fill power, so don't skip that rinse.
Never bleach or iron it, and press the water out instead of wringing. Dry on low in several cycles until the center is completely dry.
Polyester or down-alternative pillow
Dab a little detergent on the stain and wash two pillows together in cold water on a gentle or delicate cycle. The fill can take the machine wash, so the main job is getting the stain out before the dryer.
Check the spot before it goes near the dryer, and dry on low until the center is fully dry.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old bug stain that has already set needs more patience than a fresh one. Pretreat it with a product containing enzymes in cold or lukewarm water, then wash the pillow as usual.
If the mark dried before you noticed it, repeat the enzyme pretreatment before the wash, because a stain that has gone through the dryer is harder to lift.
If the stain still shows after that, don't reach for a harsher remover, since you can't be sure the fabric will take it. Repeat the enzyme pretreatment once more instead. If the stain or smell still won't come out, replace the pillow.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on bug splatter on pillows?
Most household remedies are made for other stains, so most of them won't suit this one. Skip oxygen bleach; the only soapy water used is the warm wash on the foam.
Skip6
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub the stain
Rubbing spreads the mark and can work it deeper into the fill. Blot with cold water instead, and move the cloth to a clean spot as it picks up color.
Don't reach for chlorine bleach
Chlorine bleach isn't safe on these pillows, and it must never be mixed with ammonia, vinegar, rubbing alcohol or other cleaners. If you need more than one remover, rinse thoroughly between them.
Don't iron or bleach a down pillow
Down can't take bleach or an iron, so skip both even for a stubborn mark. Let the stain lift in cold water and a gentle wash instead.
Don't wring a wet down pillow
Twisting or wringing a wet down pillow is never the right move. Press the water out by hand instead, then dry it on low.
When to call a professional
If a down pillow's shell fabric is dry-clean-only, take it to a dry cleaner and talk through the method first, because dry cleaning can strip the down's natural oils. A feather pillow can also go to a professional cleaner, who removes the feathers and sterilizes them with UV light. If a new pillow arrives damaged, contact the maker before cleaning it.
Questions
What do bed bug blood stains on a pillow look like?
Reddish or rusty marks come from crushed bugs and should be treated like blood. Small dark spots are bed bug waste that can bleed into the fabric like a marker, so check both before you start.
Can I machine wash a foam or hybrid pillow?
Not the foam itself. You can unzip the cover and machine wash it cold on a delicate cycle, then lay the pillow flat to dry without a dryer.
Can I put a down pillow in the dryer?
Only on low heat, and only after the stain is gone. Down may need several low-heat cycles until the center is completely dry.
Is hot water ever safe on these stains?
Stay with cold or lukewarm water. Heat locks in blood-based marks, so a stain you can't identify is better left cold.
How do I know a pillow is fully dry?
Feel the center for cool damp spots, clumps or odor. Down in particular may need several low-heat cycles before it's ready.
When should I replace the pillow instead?
Replace it if the stain or the smell won't come out after a careful wash and dry. That's the one case where more cleaning isn't worth the effort.
Bug Splatter on other materials
Other stains on pillows
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.