A pillow protector protects more than just your pillows

Don’t under-estimate the level of protection that a quality pillow protector covers, friendships included.

Ever stayed overnight at a friend’s place and had to change the pillowcase, only to discover a disgusting stained yellow pillow underneath? Yuk, it’s revolting to say the least. You’re actually shocked, but can’t say anything because that might come across as rude. You stare at the stains in disbelief . . . what is that? Gross. Now, why wouldn’t they put a pillow protector on it? ‘Too late now,’ you sigh.

Do you really have to sleep on this tonight?

 

You don’t even want to look at the pillow stains too long in case you get a disease or something. Let alone touch it! All you can do is put a pillowcase on it and cover it up again as quickly as possible. Just pretend it’s fine because you can’t see it now, which is what your friend probably did. ‘Should’ve brought my own pillow,’ you think, or at least snuck in a pillow protector.

It’s almost bedtime but in the back of your mind you can’t help thinking about what’s on the pillow, waiting for you later. Still trying to work out what caused the stains, you can’t help it . . . is it saliva? or maybe sweat? Hope it’s not some other kind of body fluids!

Maybe it’s just a really old pillow and they never bothered putting a pillow protector under the pillowslip. Hope so. Then you remember they had a kitten . . . could it be a wee stain? Oh, please don’t let it be poo! Or maybe it was the kid’s old pillow, and now it’s a spare . . . but their little boy used to have terrible incontinence. The mind boggles. Surely they had a waterproof pillow cover on it then? When he had a waterproof bed.

So you decide to improvise, and put some extra covers over the pillowcase from bits of your bedclothes, sheets and doona. And try, try, try, to go to sleep. But it’s just too hard. You can almost feel the bacteria, slime and bedbugs just waiting for you to let them in. So close to your face and mouth and eyes, so unhygienic! Yuk! You rearrange the bed again for the sixtieth time and mutter . . .

Lesson for the guest – Next time, bring your own pillow protector!

But then just to top it off, you remember the time when you had to put someone up unexpectedly and got the spare pillow out. You handed a fresh pillowcase to your guest, completely forgetting that pillow had some old stains. The rest you can probably guess. How embarrassing. The table turned and now you think . . .

Lesson for the host – Keep pillow protectors on your pillows!

Ok, lesson learnt, now go buy some good pillow protectors. And we all sleep well!