Can you heat a buckwheat pillow in the microwave?

ComfyComfy ComfySleep buckwheat hull pillows

My first buckwheat pillow was years ago, when we were just out of collage and all our belongs could fit in the back of the car. We didn’t really know what to do with it. If it was chilly at night we often heated it up in the microwave.

This was a bad idea.

It didn’t take very long for our buckwheat pillow to start giving off a barbecue smell. A strong smell of wood fire might sound nice, but it really isn’t (unless you’re actually sitting around a campfire with some s’mores!).

What happened to our buckwheat pillow? Buckwheat hulls are the dry shell around buckwheat seeds. Heating them up in the microwave or putting them in the dryer will cause these dry hulls to burn. They won’t all burn at once, it’s more of a slow roast. 

Don't microwave a buckwheat pillow - ComfyComfy

Check out the photo above - can you tell which pile of buckwheat was microwaved for just two minutes? If you guess the pile on the left - your right! After just 2 minutes they are noticeably darker. You can't smell through the internet yet, but if you were here, you'd know the windows are open in the kitchen to let out the burned smell.

What have learned so far? 

Do not put buckwheat pillows in the microwave or the dryer.

Also, ComfyComfy buckwheat pillows have metal zippers on them, so don’t even be tempted to try putting your pillow in the microwave. It will cause sparks! If you need a heat wrap, try one of our flaxseed-filled ones. 

What should you do if you have burned your buckwheat pillow?

  • Turn off the microwave or dryer.
  • Let everything cool all the way down. 
  • Open your pillow and assess the buckwheat hulls. Do they look darker? Is there any burned odor? If you answer 'yes' to either of these questions, it might be a good time to buy some new buckwheat hulls for your pillow.
Shop Buckwheat Hulls here!

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Claire Collie is jill-of-all-trades at ComfyComfy.com, a family business dedicated to helping everyone find restful sleep through supportive, natural buckwheat pillows. 

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