organic millet growing in a field

Our natural grain pillows are popular for many reasons - the shucks mold to the contours your head and neck, helping to relieve muscle aches and back pain, and the gaps created between the husks allow air and moisture to circulate creating the best environment to give you a restful and restorative night's sleep.   Our range of buckwheat, millet and spelt husk pillows allow you choose from the different levels of support and depending on your needs.  And, because our grains and pillow cases are 100% organic, you're avoiding any kind of pesticide residues and toxic chemicals such as dyes and finishing agents used in non-organic pillows.  

However, one question we get asked a lot about our natural grain pillows is:  Do grain pillows attract insects and bugs, such as dust mites?  Surely bugs and mites would enjoy a tasty snack of organic grains?  The short answer (and good news) is: no, our grain pillows do not attract dust mites, and this blog will help you understand why.

What are dust mites and why should I avoid them?

Dust mites are microscopic insects that enjoy living in warm and humid places including carpets, rugs, furniture and especially bedding. Whilst they don't bite or sting, they do leave behind dead skin and excrement that can cause allergic reactions and irritations, including sneezing, itchy eyes and runny noses.  They can also make symptoms of conditions like asthma significantly worse.  Good news: Dust mites do not like our grain pillows! Because our spelt, millet and buckwheat pillows are made up of the husks (shells) of the grain, there's no nutritional value to them so insects and bugs won't be attracted to them. The other bonus of having de-hulled seeds is that they allow for maximum air flow between the husks, ruining the warm sweaty atmosphere that dust mites like to nest in, whilst creating a cooler, dryer, much more comfortable environment for you, helping you get a great night's sleep.

But... I've heard from friends that they have had dust mites in their grain pillows?

If you've found bugs in your pillows before, it's most likely that the filling wasn't properly deshucked or dehulled, or cleaned properly. Getting a great quality grain pillow is essential to ensure that the seed part of the grain has been completely removed, to prevent bugs being attracted to them and to provide you with air flow. Whilst cheaper priced pillows can be tempting, you might be risking attracting dust mites into your bed.

a field of spelt before harvesting

spelt growing before harvesting 

How do I clean my grain pillow?

If you suffer from night sweats, or have spills on your pillow or simply want to refresh your pillow, here's how you can clean your grain pillow.   Our grains aren't washable, so you'll need to remove them first to wash the cover. Our organic buckwheat, millet and grain pillows are contained in an organic cotton case, with a full length zip at one end making them easy to undo. 

  • Unzip the organic cotton pillow case and remove the filling - we recommend putting the husks on a large tray or container.
  • It's worth turning the case inside out to remove any stragglers or husks stuck to the cover
  • Hand wash or machine wash the cover, up to 40 degrees
  • We always recommend using a natural detergent, free from synthetic chemicals such as the Sonett natural detergent range.  It's brilliantly effective at cleaning, whilst being skin friendly and eco-conscious. 
  • Allow the pillow case to dry naturally (do not tumble dry)
  • Once the case is fully dry, put the grains back in and zip up.

 

Buckwheat plants in flower

buckwheat flowers on the plants 

Extra protection and comfort levels:

For even easier pillow care, our organic cotton pillow protectors fit snugly over your grain pillows, providing an extra protective layer to catch any spills, sweat and stains. You can then easily remove the protector and wash it, without having to take the grains out. For an extra level of comfort on your grain pillow, our quilted organic pillow cases are created with an organic cotton layer with organic cotton filling, use these over your pillow, and underneath a regular pillow case.

We've been making natural pillows for nearly 30 years and create many of our pillows right here at Greenfibres in Totnes Devon to the optimum comfort levels for sound sleep, but if you find them not quite right for you, it's good to know our grain pillows are completely adjustable. If it's too firm, simply unzip and remove the filling you don't need (either save for another pillow, or dispose of it on your compost heap), if you need extra support then you can top up with more fillings.  Our organic spelt, organic buckwheat and organic millet grain are available by the kilo just here.