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"Embarrassing" travel pillow frequent flyers swear by

When it comes to travelling in economy, looking glamorous usually takes a back seat, with many people prioritising comfort over anything else. Travelling in cattle class presents its own issues with getting comfy on a plane, especially when sitting in the middle seat. However, a committed frequent flyer has discovered the "travel hack of the year" with an unusual looking travel pillow that means you can get comfy anywhere. “When you got the middle seat for a 13-hour plane ride,” wrote adventurer Annie Wright, 23, in the captions of a viral TikTok testimonial dedicated to the strange-looking, yet in-demand inflatable travel pillow. In the video, which has racked in a whopping 26.6 million views, Ms Wright, a law student in the US, shared footage of herself puffing into the plushy prop that’s offered by <a href="https://www.kmart.com.au/product/inflatable-front-travel-pillow-43238989/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a>. For Aussies, you can snag the innovative travel pillow from <a href="https://www.kmart.com.au/product/inflatable-front-travel-pillow-43238989/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kmart</a> for a breezy $18. “I wasn’t sure if I’d like it and omg SO worth it!” cheered Ms Wright in the clip’s caption. “Total upgrade.” This new pillow puts the round-the-neck pillows to shame, as the expandable cushion, designed with an ergonomic 45-degree angle, offers support to the head and neck and inflates in just seconds. Once inflated, users are meant to position the pillow — created with a face cutout at its apex and two arm holes on its sides — on their passenger tray tables and lean forward into a relaxed position. The hot commodity’s details also noted that it can “help you stay away from injury and insomnia, make you rest more comfortable during the journey, easier to fall asleep, and sleep longer,” according to Amazon. According to the online Kmart reviews of the product, one traveller said it was “awkward looking” but “really comfortable” and perfect for long-haul flights. Folks under the #InflatableTravelPillow TikTok hashtag have hailed the headrest the “travel hack of the year.” However, haters of the portable bedding have deemed it an “embarrassment.” “My back just hurts watching this,” said one commenter beneath Ms Wright’s post. “Yeah I have social anxiety I would be too embarrassed to use it,” penned another. But in response to the criticisms, Ms Wright wrote, “People keep saying this [pillow] is embarrassing, but what’s more embarrassing is being caught with your mouth open just knocked out.” Image credits: TikTok

Travel Tips

Woman avoids baggage fees with genius neck pillow hack

While many travellers love to take advantage of cheap airline seats, the deals often come hand in hand with hefty baggage fees. One savvy TikTok user has devised a unique way to avoid the extra charges for luggage, using a travel neck pillow. The traveller, who shares videos under the name @anayotothe on TikTok, uses the cheap neck pillow as a secret carry-on bag to get out of those pesky extra fees. "Trying the Spirit and Frontier pillow hack cuz I ain't tryna pay $60 for a carry on," the woman wrote on the video, referencing two American airlines. She captioned the video, “My flight is in three hours let’s see how this goes!” The woman picked up the travel pillow for just $9 from the US supermarket Walgreens, and proceeded to take the pillow stuffing out of the case. She then stuffed all the clothes that wouldn’t fit in her backpack into the pillowcase, which could still be used to stay comfortable during her flight. "Everything fits except for this shirt!" the woman exclaimed, while showing followers her clever technique. After sharing the video with her followers, the woman later confirmed that she boarded her flight successfully with her hidden carry-on luggage. "On the way to Vegas and the way back, I didn't have to pay, with my travel pillow and my backpack," she said. While dozens of people commented to thank the savvy traveller for the tip, others also questioned if it was worth it to save money. When questioned about her methods, the woman responded, "It took five minutes, also it was an hour flight… there was no reason I should pay $300 for a flight if you can just take one of the budget airlines." Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Tips

How often should you be washing your pillowcase?

Time to face the facts, the best part of everyone’s day is bedtime, when you can drift off into a deep sleep and wake up the next morning looking forward to doing it all over again. But have you ever stopped to think about the bacteria that has accumulated on your pillowcase over time? I mean, think about it, you sleep for seven hours a day, every day, so if you aren’t washing them regularly, you may end up dealing with a number of issues. Dirty pillowcases are said to cause several skin problems such as breakouts, irritation and face acne – so if you have a new friend on your face every morning, think of it as your skin telling you it’s time to give your pillow case a good wash. Throughout those blissful hours of relaxation, your pillowcase is collecting remnants of skin, bacteria, fungus and oils from your face and hair. So how often should you replace your pillowcases? Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/not-washing-pillowcases-nearly-often-043030630.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Lifestyle</a>, Jordana Mattioli, an aesthetician, says you should ideally wash your sheets every day. But if that sounds too excessive, turn your pillowcase inside out to get an extra night’s use. Ms Mattioli also recommends wrapping your hair in a scarf while you sleep so your pillowcase remains free from hair products and leftover residues. How often do you wash your pillowcase? Left us know in the comments below.

Caring

Should you take your own pillow on a cruise?

Going on a cruise, no matter how long your journey may be, requires you to pack some essential items to make it through the trip. One cruiser has asked other travellers on <a href="https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=833016" target="_blank">Cruise Critic</a> if it is necessary to pack his pillow for his sea adventure. “I was wondering if anybody every brings their own pillows. If the pillows are good, I won't worry about it. I just don't want to have neck cramps all week,” he asked. Here are the responses he received from a community of avid cruisers. CruiseDude_83 said: “Yes every cruise. It is not because I feel that the ones on the cruise are dirty i just sleep on my own better…” ChristieNJ wrote” “Never! It's sad that the cruise pillows are WAYYY more comfortable than my own!” CL-JW agreed: “We’ve found the pillows to be good on board.” Tika shared: “I always take my little travel pillow with me when I travel. It is about half the size of a standard pillow and scrunches real small so easy to pack. I know some folks have asked their cabin stewards for different pillows and they always accommodate their requests. One line we cruised on actually asked us in a pre-cruise questionnaire what type of pillows we wanted and bed duvet or standard spread.” Retiredawacs said: “I’ve travelled all over the world and I don't leave home without my pillow. I always find a way to make room for it. I've been told though that on our cruise in three weeks that there is a pillow menu to select from. We are staying in a GS. I still think I will take my own.” Cruiser starlake shared his tricks to travelling with his pillow. “I always take my own pillow. I don't have any problem with the ship's pillows, I just like my own,” he wrote. “I have a standard size pillow and either make room for it in my checked luggage, or if there is no room there I have simply tied it to my carry-on and go through airport security. I have never been asked to find room inside the carry-on and have never had anyone even say anything about it. It is amazing if you look around airports and see how many people carry their own pillow.” Do you pack your pillow when you go on a cruise? Let us know in the comments below.

Cruising

Why you should never travel without a pillow case

An empty pillow case is probably the last thing you’re thinking about bringing on your next overseas trip, particularly if you’re planning to stay at a hotel that offers a turndown service. But, with a bit of creativity, they can be quite useful. If you’ve ever bemoaned the way dirty clothes become entangled with clean ones on a long journey, an empty pillow case is the answer you’ve been looking for, providing a makeshift dirty-laundry bag that takes up no extra space. Not worried about dirty clothes? Well an empty pillow case is also a handy way to keep socks and underwear organised, and separate from the rest of your items. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/axIwbpMdqZk" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> And what’s more, an empty pillow case can also come in handy if you’ve been shopping overseas. If you’ve purchased any breakable souvenirs on your travels, and empty pillow case is the perfect way to wrap and protect them on the trip home. So, do you think you’ll bring an empty pillow case on your travels? Do you have any tips you would like to share? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.

Travel Tips

How many pillows is too many?

During our two seasons on The Block, I was given the illustrious title of “bedroom queen” as we had lots of positive feedback from the judges about the styling of our beds. Since then, the question of how many pillows should be used on a bed is one that I am most frequently asked. So how many is too many? When are you at risk of looking cushion crazy? Here are my tips for getting the balance just right. Style Decide what style you want for your bed. A casual, slightly undone bed looks better with less pillows and little to no decorative cushions. Think three or four standard pillows in natural linen with a throw loosely draped over the end of the bed. The next level up would be a more dressed bed that includes European pillows and decorative cushions. This style is an everyday look that requires a little bit more effort for a more finished result. Finally, the formal bed goes all out with layers of European pillows, multiple standard pillows and at least three decorative cushions to finish it off. The result is dramatic, plush and polished. This option is every significant other’s worst nightmare as it takes considerable time, and many laps of the bed, to remove all of those pillows each night. Size The obvious rule of thumb is the smaller the bed, the fewer pillows it needs. I have gone one step further and created a basic guide. Single bed: one European pillow plus one standard pillow or two standard pillows. One or two decorative cushions at the most. Double/Queen bed: Two European pillows plus two to four standard pillows. A maximum of three decorative cushions. King size bed: Three European pillows plus two to four standard pillows. A maximum of three decorative cushions. Pillow arrangement There are many ways to arrange pillows, some more formal than others. Decide whether you prefer the pillows to be the same on both sides of the bed or slightly different for an interesting twist. A classic option for double and queen beds is to start with two European pillows at the back, followed by two standards on both sides and one large decorative cushion in the centre. Alternatively, you can have two decorative cushions that sit on either side or three layered across the middle. Another option is two European pillows at the back with two standard pillows stacked on top of each other on one side and two standard pillows sitting one in front of each other on the opposite side to throw the symmetry off. Both of these work well on a king sized bed with an extra European pillow to fill in the gaps along the back. For a king-sized bed, a clean and simple arrangement is to stack two standard pillows on each side and then stand one European pillow in front on both sides and a third European in the middle. European pillows are a must for any beautifully made bed as they add all important height. The combinations really are endless so don’t be scared of your pillows. Have fun playing with different arrangements until you find the one that feels right. Written by Dea Jolly. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank">Domain.com.au.</a>

Home & Garden

The easy trick to whiten old pillows

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, so it’s natural that our pillows will turn yellow because sweat – even in winter. We try to cover those nasty stains with white pillowcases, but if the stain is really bad, it can still be seen through the case. Thankfully, there’s a simple way to banish those yellow marks once and for all. You will need: <ul> <li>Very hot water</li> <li>1 cup laundry detergent</li> <li>1 cup dishwasher detergent (powder)</li> <li>1 cup bleach</li> <li>½ cup borax</li> </ul> How to: Now that you have the essentials, follow the steps in the video above to get your pillows looking brand new. Source: Onegoodthingbyjillee.com Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/cleaning-secrets-your-mother-taught-you/">13 cleaning secrets your mother taught you</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/why-you-should-never-make-your-bed/">Why you should never make your bed</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/5-very-dirty-things-in-bedrooms-people-arent-aware-of/">5 very dirty things in bedrooms people aren’t aware of</a>

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"Embarrassing" travel pillow frequent flyers swear by

Woman avoids baggage fees with genius neck pillow hack

How often should you be washing your pillowcase?

Should you take your own pillow on a cruise?

Why you should never travel without a pillow case

How many pillows is too many?

The easy trick to whiten old pillows