A dakimakura cover takes more skin contact than anything else in a bedroom, and almost nobody washes one often enough. Here is how to do it without wrecking the print.
How often
Every two to three weeks in daily use. If that sounds frequent, consider that the cover spends every night against a face and a pair of arms, which is more contact than a pillowcase gets.
The wash itself
- Take the insert out. Never wash the cover with the pillow inside it.
- Turn the cover inside out, so the printed face is protected from the drum.
- Cold water, gentle cycle, mild detergent.
- No bleach, and no fabric softener. Softener leaves a residue that dulls a printed surface over time.
- Air dry if you can. If you must tumble, use the lowest heat your machine has.
- Never put an iron on the printed face.
2 way tricot needs a laundry bag
The stretch that makes tricot look good also lets it distort. A mesh bag stops the drum pulling it out of shape. Do not wring it by hand afterwards, which does more damage than the wash. Peach skin can go in as it is.
Stains
Deal with them cold and quickly. Warm water sets most things. Dab rather than rub, because rubbing a printed surface with any force is how you get a dull patch that no amount of washing will bring back.
Avoid stain removers containing bleach entirely, even the ones sold as colour safe.
Fading is usually not the washing
This surprises people. The covers that fade first are the ones parked in a sunny window, not the ones washed most often. Dye based ink pushed into the fibres survives a machine cycle easily and does not survive six months of direct afternoon sun.
If the bed is under a window, turn the pillow occasionally so the same face is not always exposed.
Looking after the insert
The cover gets the attention and the insert is what actually fails. Every few weeks, take it out, hold it at both ends and shake it along its length. That redistributes the fibre and does more for the life of the pillow than anything else.
When an insert has gone permanently flat in the middle, replace it and keep the cover. The cover is the expensive part and it usually outlives two inserts.
Why owners end up with two covers
A single cover that is washed and put straight back on never gets a rest. Two covers rotating outlast three bought one at a time, and it means the pillow is never sitting bare while something dries.
It is the most common piece of advice long term owners give, and it is the reason a cover only market exists at all.
Where to go next
- Dakimakura covers, for ordering a second one and measuring your insert.
- Peach skin or 2 way tricot, if you are choosing a fabric for the next one.
- Dakimakura explained, the format in full.