We all know the importance of keeping our homes clean, but with so many nooks and crannies to clear out, there are bound to be some things that we just miss, or that we don't think need cleaning.
For many of us, one of those areas is our pillows - as while we might be on top of changing our sheets and pillowcases regularly, how often do we wash the actual pillow itself?
According to one cleaning expert, we're not washing them often enough, as they should be thrown in the washing machine "at least twice a year" in order to kill germs and dust mites that might be lurking in the fibres.
Carolina McCauley shared a video in which she ran through her pillow-washing routine, which involves her using products such as baking soda and vinegar.
The woman said in a video shared to her @carolina.mccauley account on Instagram that she only ever puts two pillows in at a time so as not to "overcrowd" her washing machine, and she always reads the label for washing instructions before doing anything.
Next, she adds half a cup of baking soda to the drum of her washing machine, before putting a "gentle" washing detergent and a quarter of a cup of hydrogen peroxide into one compartment of the machine's drawer.
In the other compartment, she adds half a cup of vinegar, which replaces softener in her wash, and a few drops of eucalyptus oil, which Carolina claims "kills dust mites".
Finally, she adds a few dryer balls to the drum to help the pillows keep their shape.
She captioned the video: "Clean your pillows at least twice per year to prevent nasty bacteria and dust mites!"
However, there were concerns raised by some commenters over her decision to use hydrogen peroxide as well as vinegar, as the two products can be "toxic" when mixed together to create peracetic acid.
But Carolina responded to say that because she put the products in different compartments, they will be dispensed at different times and won't mix.
According to BulkPeroxide: "You should never mix the two liquids together in one bottle. The mixture turns into peracetic acid – an unstable one with questionable potency, and this could be dangerous.
"The right way to use the disinfectant powers of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar is to use them as a cleaning 'tag team' like they are partners. You do not have to mix them together."
Other commenters on the video loved the hack, with many saying they would be trying it out themselves.
One person said: "Thank you SO much! I didn't know any of this!"
While another added: "What an awesome idea! Thank you!"
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