Relvay makes a pregnancy pillow. We also tell you below when you should not buy one.
The short answer
Hand over the cover and the insert as two separate items, each with its own care label, and ask the service to confirm it can follow both. A big commercial machine only helps when the insert's label allows machine washing at all. Dry cleaning is not a safe default either.
- Bring: both labels, photographed.
- Ask: machine type, temperature, drying heat.
- Check on pickup: fully dry inside.
How do you hand a pregnancy pillow to a laundromat or cleaning service?
Separate the pieces, read every label, and give the service written instructions they can say yes or no to. Do this before you leave home, not at the counter.
- Take the cover off. It usually has its own label and its own rules.
- Find the insert's label and photograph it. If it says spot clean only or do not machine wash, the insert does not go to the laundromat at all.
- Photograph both labels and save them in one note on your phone with the pillow's brand and model.
- Check for loose parts. Remove straps, small cushions or clips that the label says to wash separately or not at all.
- Look for damage first. Open seams, a weak zipper, or a thin patch can split in a big machine. Photograph them before handover.
- Write a one-line instruction per item, copied from the label, and hand it over with the bag.
Why can't you just say "wash this, please"?
Because cover and insert often have different care, and a service follows its default unless you say otherwise. A default hot wash and hot dry suits towels, not every pillow.
Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
Our building's coin washers are the small top-loaders, and my long pillow would not even go round the drum. I was 27 weeks. So I bagged the whole thing and took it to the wash-and-fold place on the corner.
The guy at the counter asked, "Regular?" and I said yes, because I did not know what else to say. It was only on the walk home that I realized I had never looked at the insert's label, and that "regular" there probably meant hot.
I went back the next morning with photos of both labels. They had not started it yet. The insert label turned out to say gentle cycle, low heat. Regular would have been neither.
The service can only follow the label you give them.
Your handover sheet: one line per item
Copy this into a note, fill it from the labels, and show it at the counter. If a line is blank because the label does not say, write "label unclear, do not machine wash".
| Item | Copy from its label | Ask the service |
|---|---|---|
| Outer cover | Water temperature, cycle, bleach or not, dryer heat | Can you wash it separately on that setting, zipped closed and inside out if the label suggests? |
| Insert | Machine wash, hand wash or spot clean only; drying method | Do you use a front-loading machine? Can you keep dryer heat low and dry it fully? |
| Loose parts (strap, small cushion) | Their own care, if any | Wash with the cover, separately, or not at all? |
| Existing damage | Photos of seams or zipper | Will you note it on the ticket before washing? |
| Stains | What it was and roughly when | Will you spot treat, and with what? Is a stain guaranteed to come out? Usually it is not. |
Is a big commercial washer always fine for a pregnancy pillow?
No. A bigger drum gives a bulky pillow room to move, but it does not change what the filling can take. The label still decides.
Puffy's laundromat guide points out that large commercial machines give pillows more room, prefers front-loaders because top-load agitators can damage pillows, and says memory foam is spot clean only because it may break apart in a machine. Some makers go further: Boppy, for example, lists commercial-size equipment for one of its total-body inserts, which tells you that model's insert is too big for most home machines, not that every insert suits a commercial wash. The same product page also says do not dry clean.
Dry cleaning is the same story. Unless the label shows the dry-clean symbol, do not assume the chemicals and heat suit the fabric or filling. For a full read of the symbols, see how to wash a pregnancy pillow, and for home machines, will your pillow fit the washing machine.
What should you check when you pick it up?
Check that it is fully dry inside, and that nothing was damaged or left behind, before you take it home.
- Squeeze the thickest part of the insert. Cool or heavy spots mean it is still damp inside.
- Smell it. A musty note means it needs more drying.
- Run your hand along the seams and zipper. Compare with your before photos.
- Count the parts: cover, insert, strap, small cushion.
- Check the cover still fits before the service closes for the day.
If the insert is damp, ask them to dry it longer on low heat, or take it home and air it fully before the cover goes back on. Sleepybelly's care guide is clear that dampness left in a cushion or seam is what leads to mould and musty smells.
Frequently asked questions
Can I wash a pregnancy pillow at a laundromat?
Often the cover, yes, on its label setting. The insert only if its own label allows machine washing. A larger front-loading machine gives a bulky insert room to move, but it does not make a spot-clean-only insert washable.
Should I use a top-loader or a front-loader for a pregnancy pillow?
If the label allows machine washing, a front-loader is usually gentler on bulky pillows. Top-loaders with a central agitator can twist and strain them.
Can a pregnancy pillow be dry cleaned?
Only if its care label shows the dry-clean symbol. Do not assume it. Ask the cleaner to check the label with you before accepting it.
What should I tell a wash-and-fold service about my pregnancy pillow?
Give them the cover and insert separately, with a photo of each label and one line of instructions per item: temperature, cycle, and dryer heat. Ask them to note existing damage on the ticket.
How do I know the pillow is dry when I pick it up?
Squeeze the thickest part. It should feel the same temperature as the rest and smell neutral. If it feels cool, heavy or musty, it needs more drying before use.
If one long pillow keeps sending you to the laundromat
Relvay does not make long body pillows, so we cannot offer one that fits a bigger or smaller drum. If you want something smaller to handle on wash day, our 3-Piece set is what we make: separate pieces rather than one long pillow. Its cover is listed as removable and washable. Follow the care label that comes with it for each piece, as you would with any pillow here.
Two wedges for bump and back, joined by a flat strap, about as wide as your torso. Keep a regular pillow between your knees. $79.99, 90-day returns.
Zara's story is a composite based on real reviews and public posts from pregnant side sleepers. Names and details are changed.
