Feather cushions may smell a little even if they’re brand new. Whether they have been used or kept in storage, then the cushions hold in smells from sweat, pet hair, cigarette smoke — you name it. Remove those beautiful scents by providing the cushions a dose of fresh air and a trip through the washing machine.
Remove the pillowcases from the pillows. Set the pillows outdoors on a non-humid day to air them out, flipping or rotating them every hour or two to expose all of the surfaces to new air over a few hours. If you are concerned about their getting dirty, keep them on the porch or on a table beneath a patio umbrella. Fresh air helps eliminate all types of scents from cushions, new and old.
Examine the seams of their cushions to make sure there are not any holes. Search for masks along the seam, which signal a hole. Stitch the seam closed again, if necessary, with a thread and needle.
Set the cushions, two at a time, in the washing machine. Pick a delicate or fragile wash cycle along with cool water. Insert a small amount of a mild laundry detergent — less than half of what you use for a regular load; otherwise, the soap may be tough to rinse from their cushions.
Run an extra rinse cycle following the cushions finish a single wash, and rinse. If your washing machine has an option for an elongated spin cycle, then select it, since this will force a lot of the water from their cushions.
Remove the pillows from the washing machine and fluff them up a little. Independent any clumps you believe, then set the pillows in the dryer.
Pick the lowest heat setting on the dryer and include a few tennis balls into the load to maintain the cushions fluffy. Open the dryer partway through the cycle and then fluff the pillows up before putting them back in the dryer. If the cushions still feel wet after a whole drying cycle, then run them through a different drying cycle.
Remove the cushions from the dryer and texture them to determine if they’re completely dry. If they are still slightly damp, hang them over a clothesline or even sweater-drying rack to air dry, or set them back in the dryer for a partial drying cycle.
Wait an hour or so before using or storing the cushions; this allows enough cooling time following the dryer for you to tell if they really are dry, or still damp. Merely use or store the cushions if they’re completely dry; otherwise, they can develop musty smells.