What to do with old pillows (13 uses)

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Do you feel bad about getting rid of old pillows because you “never know when you might need them”, so your storage now contains anything from the grossly stained 10-year-old ones to the barely used and unwanted pillows? I’m here to help. There’s actually a lot you can do with your old pillows; scroll down to see!

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Ideas for what to do with old pillows

Heavily stained pillows, unsupportive pillows, smelly pillows, pillows you absolutely hate… All have to be washed first if you want to do anything with them. As for those of you who don’t know how, feel free to check our guide on cleaning pillows.

After you’ve cleaned them, you can use pillows or their materials to:

• Donate old pillows
• Recycle old pillows
• Upcycle/Repurpose old pillows (in at least 13 ways)
• Throw them away

Donate old pillows

You can donate pillows only if they are in very decent condition, practically good as new. Although a lot of homeless shelters or even animal shelters tend to have a constant need for pillows, bedding, and mattresses, they are likely to decline unsanitary items.

You can check out any local shelters, charities, thrift stores, and even wildlife rehabilitation centers and ask if they’re accepting pillow donations and are in need of pillows at the moment.

USAgain might have a drop box near you – this organization accepts pillows, household textiles, and other bedding. Just make sure the pillow is safely tied in a bag.

Last but not least, do you personally know anyone in need? A struggling neighbor, a student, an elderly person? You can find a polite way to ask and see if they would be willing to accept help from you.

Recycle old pillows

You can compost your pillow stuffing if it’s made of 100% natural materials (wool, feathers, down, cotton). Natural latex is probably not a good idea to place in your compost bin because it takes much longer to decompose than other materials.

You can take pillow covers to a textile-recycling facility, and see which of the nearest recycling facilities will take memory foam. All foams used in pillows are recyclable.

But honestly, I’d rather stick to composting or upcycling than drive all the way to any recycling plant only to drop off such a small amount of material. I guess recycling pillows makes sense if you already have heaps of other similar stuff.

Upcycle/Repurpose old pillows

This one’s my favorite!

There are lots and lots of ways to repurpose your old pillows. Look below to find a total of 13 ideas on what to do with old pillows, and unless you’re creatively challenged, your options are practically limitless!

Throw them away

Finally, if the old pillow is falling apart, with pillow stuffing being so damaged and/or smelly or even moldy, you might have to just throw it away. Your pillow will end up in a landfill, which is really not a big deal at this stage.

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Ways you can re-use/upcycle old pillows

First, look inside your pillow. Is the stuffing made of natural materials or not? Is it shredded foam or in one big piece?

Check out the pillow cover. Does it have an interesting texture? Is it made of cotton or polyester? All factors are important because they determine your options.

And some of them are:

• Packing material
• Pet beds
• Children’s toys
• Crafts
• Dog toys
• Throw pillows
• Fill another pillow
• Travel pillow
• Seat cushions
• Cleaning rags
• Insulation
• Knee pads
• Door sealant

Packing material

Here’s one for all you practical, minimum-effort people out there.

Whether you’re sending a package or moving house, you need something to preserve your belongings.

You can fill a package with shredded foam or polyester filling, or use the entire pillow and cushion large objects to prevent them from scratching or scuffing. For example, you don’t want your chair to touch your bicycle in transportation because this can damage both items. When you squeeze a pillow in between, your problem is solved!

Pet beds

You can turn your old pillow into a pet bed. You don’t even have to make any changes to it. If you want to give your pet more cushioning, you can use one pillow as the bottom support, and materials from other pillows to make a soft edge where your pet can rest his head.

Alternatively, if your paw pal is bigger than a Yorkie or a cat, you can use pillow stuffing from several pillows and make a pet bed that is just the right size.

Stitch the old pillowcases or pillow covers together so they can hold all the contents, and then make a case from a nice fabric to make the bed look cool. You can use old sheets for this if they have pretty patterns, just add a zipper or make use of the buttons from an old duvet cover to make the cover itself easily removable and washable.

Children’s toys

You can use the materials from a pillow to make toys for your kids!

Old pillow stuffing can help you make anything. Your skills are the only thing that limits you here. Browse for some ideas online and pick what you like, whether it’s a soft football, a stuffed animal, or a cute shape – anything is possible. You might use the pillowcase for the outside part of the toy, but you can also repurpose old T-shirts or buy some nice colorful fabric that would work best with your design.

Crafts

Get your kiddos involved, too! They can make small stuffed animals for themselves or their pet, cute holiday decorations, or even a gift for their friend.

This way, your little ones learn to repurpose old things and make something new. They play and have fun while doing something wholesome and exercising motor skills and developing their imagination at the same time. This can be a great activity for playdates or when you want to keep them occupied and away from screens.

Can you find a better way to achieve so many things?

Pet toys

Your furry friend will be happy with a new toy!

You can make a small mouse (on a thread, maybe?) for the cat or something bigger for the dog. I’d recommend you save that plastic squeaky part when your pup tears up his next toy and use it to make a new one.

First, cut out some fabric in the shape of an animal (or a random shape, not that your pet will care much), stitch it together leaving a small opening, fill it up with pillow stuffing, and optionally, insert a squeaky toy. If you have a small puppy, probably no toy is going to last long, so you might as well save a few bucks this way.

You can make the toy more durable if you use fabric from your old denim clothes or if you just double the layers.

Throw pillows

Your old pillows can get a new life as throw pillows.

This one’s quite obvious, right? Turning a bigger pillow into a smaller pillow. Pretty easy, too. Experiment with the pillow shape but make sure you have enough filling to make it comfy. It would be great if you had enough stuffing for at least two pillows, so they can match.

Fill another pillow

If you have two uncomfortable pillows, you can open one up and use the pillow filling to stuff the second pillow. Ideally, both would be made of the same material. Down feathers go well with other down feathers, polyester fiber with polyester fiber, etc.

But if all you have is a lump of synthetic materials and a feather pillow, you can make a small flat cushion of synthetic materials that you can insert into the feather pillow. You’d have to unstitch an entire side of the pillow so you can slip the insert in, and then stitch it back. The insert will remain firm and supportive and you’ll feel like you got yourself a new pillow.

Travel pillow

You don’t need insane sewing skills to make a travel pillow. It can be the shape of a regular pillow or any shape you think would be useful for you. Just cut two identical pieces and stitch them together. Then invert the newly stitched case and fill it up with a filling.

Seat cushions

Seat cushions don’t require a large amount of fill and you can even use a thin layer of memory foam – use a bread knife to cut the foam to the perfect thickness and make it in the shape of your chair seat. Make sure the fabric you’re using is durable enough for the purpose.

Hint – it should support lots of heavy bums with buttons on back pockets.

Cleaning rags

This one’s also easy – use old pillowcases and covers to make rags. Just cut them into large or small squares. If you don’t need any for the house, your spouse might need them in the garage!

Insulation

According to Earth911, you can “use old pillows to insulate the inside of your home’s foundation”. If you have any ideas of what other things around your house (or your pet’s house) might use extra insulation, you can open up your old pillows and use the filling.

If you know how to make a jacket, perhaps feathers and down can be a good way to make it warm.

Knee pads

Everyone needs a good set of knee pads now and then, and you can make a pair for yourself or your kids. You can use them when you’re gardening, for example.

Door sealant

Prevent drafts with a special draft stopper made of old pillows. You can make a snake-like cushion that will prevent that stream of cold air.

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Signs that you should get rid of your old pillow

All some bed pillows need is a good wash and they are good as new.

I can confirm because once I had an old feather-down pillow that got smelly and no amount of fluffing helped. After I washed it, it returned back to its original shape and to my absolute surprise, it was no different than when it was new. Even the smell of down and feathers came back. I was not a fan of that, though.

But here’s now you’ll know that you definitely need a new pillow.

It’s more than two years old

This mainly goes for polyester pillows. Natural materials last longer and even memory foam pillows can still be very decent after two years. So, let’s say that polyester and low-quality pillows are very likely supposed to be replaced after two years, and high-quality ones from natural materials and (quality) memory foam after about four years, provided that they also give you pain and smell bad.

Lack of shape

Here’s how you know you’re experiencing a lack of shape. There’s absolutely no way you can get your pillow to be fluffed up or to be/remain supportive throughout the night. Lack of shape is the single most important reason to replace a pillow. It means that your pillow broke down to the point of being unusable, which also means you’re probably waking up in pain.

Head and neck pain

Whether you have a new or an old pillow, you mustn’t settle for head or neck pain. Don’t even let it go on for long – as soon as you’re sure it’s the pillow itself that’s giving you the pain, replace it for one which suits you better.

Yellow stains

If your pillow cover has yellow stains so bad that they are impossible to remove, definitely consider replacing the pillow.

I’d personally do whatever it takes to try and salvage it, but sometimes you just can’t. Or don’t have the time. Or you’re not willing to spend a portion of your life getting rid of old stains from a pillowcase.

Well, in that case (pun intended), it’s better to get a new pillow.

Bad smell

Smelly pillows are a big no-no.

They are full of skin oils, dust mites, bacteria, and their excrement, dead skin cells, dust, and lots of yucky stuff that you end up inhaling while sleeping. In a parallel universe where we’re all perfect, we’d be washing our pillows as soon as we notice the first sign of bad smell. But we are where we are and many people postpone washing their pillows until they get an obnoxious reek of vinegar-like horror. If you can’t get rid of bad smell after washing and drying it properly, get a new pillow.

FAQs

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Conclusion

Old pillows don’t go to heaven, but there are many places where they can go. They can be donated, recycled, repurposed, or just thrown away.

If you decide to repurpose your old pillows, you’re in for lots of fun and you can enjoy your new creations for a long time. For example, you can make toys for kids or pets, you can make various types of cushions and even isolation.

You should know when to get rid of your old pillow, though. Strong smell, pain, and lack of shape are some reasons to say goodbye to the old one and welcome a new pillow into your bed.

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Next step: Read our guide to the best cooling pillow. If you decide that your pillow is too old and you need to get a new one, then we highly recommend choosing a cooling pillow for a better night’s sleep. We rank the top 5 and list the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself which one is right for you.

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