The quick answer: most cotton and linen pillow covers are machine washable on a cold, gentle cycle — while velvet, silk, wool, and embellished covers need hand washing, spot cleaning, or dry cleaning. The single most common mistake is treating every cover the same. This guide walks through the right method for each fabric, so your covers stay soft, saturated, and crisp for years.
First: Always Check the Care Label
Before anything touches water, check the care tag sewn into the cover seam. If a cover says dry clean only, believe it — especially with velvet and silk, where water can permanently crush the pile or leave rings. If there's no label, test any cleaning solution on a hidden corner first and wait for it to dry fully before committing.
Cotton & Cotton-Blend Pillow Covers
The workhorse fabric — and the easiest to care for.
- Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle with mild detergent
- Skip bleach — it weakens fibers and fades printed patterns
- Air dry or tumble low, and remove while slightly damp to press out wrinkles
- Zip the zipper closed before washing so it doesn't snag other items
Cold water matters more than people think — it's the main defense against covers shrinking and colors bleeding.
Linen Pillow Covers
Linen is durable but behaves differently wet: it wrinkles readily and can shrink in heat.
- Machine wash cold, gentle cycle, mild detergent — or hand wash for heirloom pieces
- Never hot water or high-heat drying — heat is what shrinks linen
- Air dry flat or hang, then iron on medium while slightly damp if you want a crisp finish — or leave the relaxed wrinkle, which is part of linen's charm
Velvet Pillow Covers
Velvet is the fabric people ruin most often. The pile — the raised, plush surface — is what makes velvet luxurious, and water plus agitation is what crushes it.
- Default to spot cleaning: blot (never rub) spills immediately with a dry white cloth, then dab lightly with cold water and a drop of mild soap
- Steam, don't iron: a garment steamer held a few inches away lifts crushed pile and removes wrinkles; an iron pressed to velvet flattens it permanently
- Brush the pile gently with a soft clothes brush in one direction to restore the nap
- Deep cleaning = dry cleaner, full stop, for cotton and silk velvets; some performance polyester velvets tolerate a cold gentle machine cycle if the label allows
Wool & Textured Covers
Wool felts and shrinks with heat and agitation. Hand wash cold with a wool-specific detergent, press water out gently (never wring), and dry flat. We've written a dedicated walkthrough in our guide to washing wool pillow covers.
Silk, Embroidered & Embellished Covers
Anything with embroidery, beading, tassels, fringe, or metallic thread should be spot cleaned only or taken to a dry cleaner. Machine agitation pulls stitching loose and snags trim — damage that can't be washed back out.
Vintage & Artisan Textiles
One-of-a-kind pieces — mudcloth, vintage weaves, hand-dyed fabrics — follow their own rules: spot or dry clean only, never machine wash. Our African mud cloth care guide covers the technique in detail.
Stain Removal Basics (Any Fabric)
- Act fast and blot — rubbing pushes the stain deeper and abrades fibers
- Work from the outside in so the stain doesn't spread
- Cold water first — heat sets protein stains (food, wine, coffee) permanently
- Mild soap before anything stronger, and always spot test
Drying Without Damage
Air drying is the safest default for every fabric. If the label allows machine drying, use low heat only and pull covers out slightly damp. High heat is responsible for most shrinking, fading, and pile damage — not the wash itself.
Designer tip: size your insert up 2 inches.
While your cover dries, it's the perfect moment to check the insert. A 20×20 cover takes a 22×22 insert — that extra fill is what gives pillows the full, “karate-chop” designer look. Our made-to-order down-alternative pillow inserts come in every size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you machine wash velvet pillow covers? Usually no — cotton and silk velvet should be spot cleaned or dry cleaned to protect the pile. Some polyester performance velvets tolerate a cold gentle cycle if the care label allows it.
How do you clean linen pillow covers without shrinking them? Wash cold on a gentle cycle and air dry — heat is what shrinks linen, not water. Iron on medium while slightly damp for a crisp finish.
How often should you wash pillow covers? About once a month for covers in daily-use rooms, every 2–3 weeks with heavy use, and immediately for spills. Full schedule in our guide to washing throw pillows.
How do you get wrinkles out of velvet? Steam from a few inches away, then brush the pile in one direction. Never press an iron directly onto velvet — it crushes the pile permanently.
What's the safest way to clean an embellished or embroidered cover? Spot clean only, or take it to a dry cleaner. Machine agitation pulls embroidery loose and snags beading and trim.
Build a Set That's Easy to Care For
Removable covers are what make all of this simple — zip off, wash by fabric, done. Rated 4.97★ across 385+ reviews:
