Have You Ever Wondered Why Your Pillows Turn Yellow? You Aren't Alone

There are a surprising number of people on TikTok making videos about their pillows turning yellow, and folks are asking why their pillows are turning yellow in the first place.

TikTok user @rutttyy01 exposed her fiancé's yellow pillow on the platform on June 4, and she wondered how he has clear skin when he sleeps on the pillow every night.

"My fiancé has a pillow that is so horribly disgusting that I fear even being in the same bed as it," she said. "I fear laying beside it, because I think I could probably catch something from it ... This man has no pimples on his face laying on this thing ... I have no clue how."

We are also wondering how he remains pimple-free given the state of his pillow, and it begs the question: Why do pillows turn yellow?

Pillows turn yellow due to several things, including moisture and humidity. Pillows eventually turn yellow from the moisture in your hair, skin, and saliva. According to the Down & Feather Company, this can happen from sweat or if you go to bed with your hair wet. People who drool in their sleep are also at risk for the dreaded yellow pillow, and lotions used on your skin may also contribute. Extended exposure to the sun can also result in a yellow pillow.

So, how do you prevent a yellow pillow? The answer is fairly easy — wash your pillows and pillow cases regularly. However, not all those with yellow pillows advise laundering the pillows. TikTok user @simmie.jack made a video about her pillows turning yellow, and she encouraged people to throw theirs away.

She shared the video with the caption, "These yellow-stained pillows are making me break everything in my house!"

"If I come 'round your house, and you bloody pillows look like this, best believe I'm bloody leaving straight away," she exclaimed. "What do you mean your pillows look like this? ... Yellow sh--te stains ... put them in the bloody bin."

While most TikTokers were offended by the yellow pillows, some relished their filthy pillows. "Yellow pillows are the best. They're so comfy," wrote one. "Yellow pillows the best," added another.

One TikToker who did wash their yellow pillow, user @thelaundrylab, shared a video on the platform and noted that the pillow hadn't been washed in a decade. The post was captioned, "#TheLabChallenge Part 1: The Yellow Pillow. Can our machines clean 10 years of sweat and stains? How would your washers fare??"

Text over the video read, "This pillow hasn't been washed for a decade. Time to put these washers to the test." The pillow required more than one wash, and one person left a comment giving some apt advice.

"Bleach, sir," wrote one user.

Another TikTok user replied, "You need to soak it in borax or other washing soda first."

We would have to concur with the bleach/baking soda (with laundry soap) combo. That is, unless you're taking the advice of @simmie.jack and throwing them in the trash bin.