StaminaFibre Pillow - Review

I often listen to my hubby complain about waking with a stiff/sore neck. We were assuming he slept wrong or his pillow was just getting old and needed to be replaced again. I know the same thing happens to me from time to time. Perhaps it's just that we are getting old and it's just a part of aging to have aches and pains that we have never had before.

One evening before bed I told hubby I had a gift for him. Not sure what he was expecting but he seemed genuinely surprised when I tossed a StaminaFibre pillow at him. I encouraged him to try the new pillow to see if it helped his sleep. Perhaps he'd even wake up without this persistent neck pain .He pulled it out of the zippered storage bag and gave it a squeeze. The first thing he said was "wow, that's really firm". I agreed that it was firm but thought it would be a good thing but he was really skeptical. As with every other pillow he was certain that after a month or 2 of use it would be just as flat as all the other pillows he's been through but he slid it into a pillow case and dropped it at his spot in the bed.

The next morning I asked him how his neck was. It was fine but he thought it was just a coincidence. He did mention that it was just too stiff for him. I had another look at the packaging to see if it had any info on washing. I figured if I washed it it might loosen up a bit. According to the package it said it was washable, durable and wouldn't flatten or clump so I threw it in the washer. It washed really well but took two cycles in the dryer to become fully dry to the centre. I was pleasantly surprised that it was just as full and puffy. Hubby used it that night again and agreed that while it was still really full it had a bit of give for his head now. He's actually been using the pillow every night since and has noticed an improvement in his sleep and his stiff neck is gone. When I asked him to share his opinion of the pillow he said "it's like I stole the pillow from a luxury hotel".

I had always heard that the key to a good sleep is your mattress and I do agree, but I also think the pillow plays an important role as well. No more buying the $10 cheapo pillows. The StaminaFibre pillow is definately a bit more money but it has proven to be a worthy investment. With a 3 year Guarantee you can't really go wrong. I have bought new pillows every 6 months or so because they never wash well. so if I add that up over 3 years I would have spend more on cheap pillows that what the StaminaFibre Pillow sells for. If you go to their website you can find this pillow  any many other products.

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How to soften towels

You know that feeling when you get out of the shower and your grab your brand new, big, fluffy, bath sheet and wrap it around your body? It's like a soft, warm hug! If you are anything like me you want them to stay that way forever, but they don't. No, it's not as easy as washing them with your favourite detergent and adding a great fabric softener then tossing them in the drying on the "fluff cycle".

In fact those things actually contribute to roughing up your towels. All those great smelling laundry products build up in the fibres over time. So what do you do? Find a new, better product? Sure, and you might even get them a tad softer. Or you could go buy new towels every few months? Um, no. I can't afford that!

After scouring the web for ideas I was surprised to see that the answer might be very simple. I saw people recommending the following things:

• Soaking in hot water with fabric softener for an hour before each wash (who has time for that?!)
• 15 Easy Steps to soft towels! (I'm not buying that. If there are FIFTEEN steps it ISN'T easy)
• Sodium tripolyphosphate. (What now? If I can't say it and I'd have to go to a chemistry supply store it's WAY too much effort for me.
• Adding a cup of salt to the wash cycle. (I salt my fries, not my laundry.)

I guess you are starting to see a trend here. I'm looking for a sure fire way to do it with as little effort as possible. After trying all sorts of combinations here's what I can say worked really well for me.

1. Go shopping! Buy a pack of tennis balls from your local dollar store. Three seems like a good number. Then hit your grocery store and get a big box of baking soda and a big bottle of white vinegar. You can get the Big box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda at a big box store for next to nothing. Same with the vinegar.
2. Start your machine on your favourite cycle using warm or hot water.
3. Add your detergent, 1 cup of the baking soda and 1 cup of the vinegar.
4. Toss in your towels, but not too many. They need room to swirl around and get clean.
5. Avoid the temptation to use liquid fabric softeners. They build up, making towels crunchy and therefore less absorbent.
6. When your load is finished, transfer to your dryer along with the tennis balls and a fabric sheet (if you MUST have that extra scent added)
7. Dry them on your heat setting but remove them just before they are fully dry. You don't want to cook them.

You should find they are dramatically improved! It certainly works for me! 

I'd love to hear your tips! Have any tried and true methods, please share them in the comments.