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Try these 12 clever pillowcase hacks you’ll wish you knew sooner

<p><strong>Use a pillowcase as a laundry bag while travelling </strong></p> <p>When you travel, you always want to keep your dirty laundry separate from your clean clothes. Stick a pillowcase in your suitcase and toss in the dirty laundry as it accumulates. When you get home, just empty the pillowcase into the washer and throw in the pillowcase as well.</p> <p><strong>Use a pillowcase to dust ceiling fan blades</strong></p> <p>Have you ever seen dust bunnies careening off your ceiling fan when you turn it on for the first time in weeks? Grab an old pillowcase and place it over one of the ceiling fan blades. Slowly pull off the pillowcase. The blades get dusted and the dust bunnies stay in the pillowcase, instead of parachuting to the floor.</p> <p><strong>Turn a pillowcase into napkins </strong></p> <p>Who needs formal linen napkins that need to be pressed every time you use them? Pillowcases are available in a wide array of colours and designs. Pick a colour or design you like, and start cutting. Prevent fraying by sewing a hem on each side, or simply finish with iron-on hemming tape. You’ll have a new set of colourful napkins for a fraction of the cost of regular cloth napkins.</p> <p><strong>Use a pillowcase to keep matching bedding together </strong></p> <p>Your recently arrived overnight guests want to go to bed, but it’s not made. You run to the linen closet, but you can’t find a matched set of sheets. Next time, file away your linens. Place newly laundered and folded sheets in their matching pillowcase before putting them in the closet.</p> <p><strong>Prepare travel pillows</strong></p> <p>Family road trips can be a lot of fun, but they can also get a little grimy too. Your youngsters may want to bring their own pillows along for the ride, but after several days in the car, they’re likely to get dirty with candy, food and markers. Take their favourite pillows and layer several pillowcases on each. When the outside one gets dirty, remove it for a fresh start!</p> <p><strong>Use a pillowcase to wrap a present </strong></p> <p>Trying to wrap a basketball or an odd-shaped piece of art? Is your wrapping paper not doing the trick? Place the gift in a pillowcase and tie closed with a ribbon.</p> <p><strong>Use a pillowcase to store your jumpers</strong></p> <p>Stored in plastic, winter jumpers can get musty. But stored in a wardrobe, they’re prey to moths. The solution can be found among your linens. Put the sweaters in a pillowcase for seasonal storage. They will stay free from dust but the pillowcase fabric will allow them to breathe.</p> <p><strong>Use old pillowcases as garment bags </strong></p> <p>You’ve just laundered a favourite dress shirt or skirt and you know you won’t be wearing it again for a while. To protect the garment, cut a hole in the top of an old pillowcase and slip it over the hanger and clothing. Psst – you can also use this trick when you’re packing for a holiday.</p> <p><strong>Use pillowcases as dust bags </strong></p> <p>You reach up to pull a leather purse or suede shoes down from a shelf. Of course, the item is dusty and now you have to clean it. Save yourself the time and hassle next time by storing infrequently used items in a pillowcase. They’ll be clean and ready to use when the occasion arises.</p> <p><strong>Wash your delicates in a pillowcase </strong></p> <p>Jumpers and pantyhose can get pulled out of shape when they twist around in the washer. To protect these garments during washing, toss them into a pillowcase and close with string or rubber band. Set the machine on the delicate setting, add the soap, and worry not about knots.</p> <p><strong>Machine-wash stuffed animals in pillowcases</strong></p> <p>Your child’s favourite stuffed animal is cute, but mighty dusty. Time for a bath! Place it in a pillowcase and put it in the washer. The pillowcase will ensure it gets a gentle but thorough wash. If any parts fall off the stuffed animal, it’ll be caught in the pillowcase so you can reattach them after the washing machine bath.</p> <p><strong>Use a pillowcase to clear out cobwebs </strong></p> <p>There’s a cobweb way up high in the corner of your dining room. Before you take a broom to it, cover the broom with an old pillowcase. Now you can wipe away the cobweb without scratching the wall paint. It’s also easier to remove the cobweb from the pillow than to pull it out of the broom bristles.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/home-tips/12-clever-uses-for-pillowcases-youll-wish-you-knew-sooner?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Home & Garden

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How often should you be washing your pillowcase?

<p>Time to face the facts, the best part of everyone’s day is bedtime, when you can drift off into a deep sleep and wake up the next morning looking forward to doing it all over again.</p> <p>But have you ever stopped to think about the bacteria that has accumulated on your pillowcase over time?</p> <p>I mean, think about it, you sleep for seven hours a day, every day, so if you aren’t washing them regularly, you may end up dealing with a number of issues.</p> <p>Dirty pillowcases are said to cause several skin problems such as breakouts, irritation and face acne – so if you have a new friend on your face every morning, think of it as your skin telling you it’s time to give your pillow case a good wash.</p> <p>Throughout those blissful hours of relaxation, your pillowcase is collecting remnants of skin, bacteria, fungus and oils from your face and hair.</p> <p>So how often should you replace your pillowcases?</p> <p>Speaking to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/not-washing-pillowcases-nearly-often-043030630.html" target="_blank"><em>Yahoo Lifestyle</em></a>, Jordana Mattioli, an aesthetician, says you should ideally wash your sheets every day.</p> <p>But if that sounds too excessive, turn your pillowcase inside out to get an extra night’s use.</p> <p>Ms Mattioli also recommends wrapping your hair in a scarf while you sleep so your pillowcase remains free from hair products and leftover residues.</p> <p>How often do you wash your pillowcase? Left us know in the comments below.</p>

Caring

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Should you take your own pillow on a cruise?

<p>Going on a cruise, no matter how long your journey may be, requires you to pack some essential items to make it through the trip.</p> <p>One cruiser has asked other travellers on <a href="https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=833016" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Cruise Critic</strong></em></span></a> if it is necessary to pack his pillow for his sea adventure.</p> <p>“I was wondering if anybody every brings their own pillows. If the pillows are good, I won't worry about it. I just don't want to have neck cramps all week,” he asked.</p> <p>Here are the responses he received from a community of avid cruisers.</p> <p>CruiseDude_83 said: “Yes every cruise. It is not because I feel that the ones on the cruise are dirty i just sleep on my own better…”</p> <p>ChristieNJ wrote” “Never! It's sad that the cruise pillows are WAYYY more comfortable than my own!”</p> <p>CL-JW agreed: “We’ve found the pillows to be good on board.”</p> <p>Tika shared: “I always take my little travel pillow with me when I travel. It is about half the size of a standard pillow and scrunches real small so easy to pack. I know some folks have asked their cabin stewards for different pillows and they always accommodate their requests. One line we cruised on actually asked us in a pre-cruise questionnaire what type of pillows we wanted and bed duvet or standard spread.”</p> <p>Retiredawacs said: “I’ve travelled all over the world and I don't leave home without my pillow. I always find a way to make room for it. I've been told though that on our cruise in three weeks that there is a pillow menu to select from. We are staying in a GS. I still think I will take my own.”</p> <p>Cruiser starlake shared his tricks to travelling with his pillow.</p> <p>“I always take my own pillow. I don't have any problem with the ship's pillows, I just like my own,” he wrote. <br /> “I have a standard size pillow and either make room for it in my checked luggage, or if there is no room there I have simply tied it to my carry-on and go through airport security. I have never been asked to find room inside the carry-on and have never had anyone even say anything about it. It is amazing if you look around airports and see how many people carry their own pillow.”</p> <p>Do you pack your pillow when you go on a cruise? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Cruising