Advantages  |  Use  |  Maintenance

Buckwheat hulls are used to stuff cushions, pillows and headrests of various shapes and sizes (travel pillows, car cushions, back rests, etc.). Buckwheat hulls are obtained when the outer casing is removed from buckwheat kernels being made into groats. The hulls are sieved and cleaned with forced air to remove fragments and dust. They are not fumigated or treated in any other way. Aliments Trigone inc. offers two different qualities of buckwheat hulls, depending on whether they are organic or not.

Advantages

Pillows and cushions stuffed with buckwheat hulls are very comfortable. They are generally smaller and heavier than their conventional counterparts. Buckwheat hull pillows and cushions adapt to the shape of the body and provide firm, even support. They help to alleviate neck stiffness, back pain, muscular tension, insomnia and headaches, enabling those who suffer from such problems to enjoy a restorative sleep. These pillows and cushions do not accumulate humidity or heat from the body and remain cool and dry. They are very durable and can last for over 10 years. As a fill, buckwheat hulls make good sense ecologically, since they come from a renewable source and are compostable. Unlike animal down, buckwheat hulls are not allergenic, and only in extremely rare cases cause a reaction in certain sensitive individuals.

Use

As a general rule, the amount of hulls required to fill pillows and cushions of various sizes is as follows :

• Small cushion 30 cm x 35 cm – 1.3 kg hulls
• Small pillow 30 cm x 40 cm – 1.5 kg hulls
• Large pillow 35 cm x 50 cm – 2.2 kg hulls

The quantity required to fill a pillow or cushion depends on the desired thickness, personal preferences and the size of the user. Normally the thickness of a pillow or cushion is 5 cm for a child and 8 cm for an adult. The firmness of a pillow or cushion is determined by the quantity of hulls in proportion to the volume provided by the item. There is no advantage to making oversized items. It is best if the pillow or cushion is slightly curved along its length and is provided with a zippered opening along one seam.

Maintenance

After a new pillow has been used for a few months, hulls settle and the volume is reduced by between 5% and 10%. When this occurs, extra hulls can be added to obtain the original volume. Be sure to remove the hulls before washing the pillow, since hulls should never be put in water. The hulls simply need to be aired and can then be used again.

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