枕頭真的會“過期”嗎？

Have you ever discovered that a pillow comes with an expiration date printed on it？ While some manufacturers may indeed offer a \"best by” date on a pillow， can they really \"expire\"？ Not exactly-but you may want to heed their advice anyway.

你是否曾經發現枕頭上印有有效期？雖然一些制造商確實可能在枕頭上提供“最佳使用期限”，但它們真的會“過期”嗎？并不完全是這樣 但無論如何，你可能還是想聽從他們的建議

Why Do Pillows Need to Be Replaced？為什么枕頭需要更換？

Pillows have a big job to do. They have to support your head for several hours every night keep your head and neck aligned with your spine， and tolerate all the skin oil， dander， and drool you share with them. All that wear and tear means pillows generally have a finite life expectancy before they sag or turn into a lumpy bag of polyester.

枕頭承擔著重要的任務。它們每晚必須支撐你的頭部數小時，保持你的頭部和頸部與脊柱對齊，并接觸你沾染上去的皮膚油脂、皮屑和口水。所有這些磨損意味著枕頭會塌陷或變成一團團聚酯纖維，因此它們的使用壽命通常有限。

How Long Do Pillows Last？ 枕頭能用多久？

Broadly speaking， pillows should be replaced every two years. That's enough time to get your money's worth while still heading off any deterioration that may happen so gradually that you don't notice.

一般來說，枕頭應該每兩年更換一次。這段時間足夠讓你物有所值，同時還能避免枕頭損壞而你卻毫無察覺的情況。

Two years isn't a strict rule， however， and it's easy to tell if a pillow needs replacement by checking in with your neck in the morning. If it's stiff or sore， you're probably not getting the proper support.

然而，兩年并不是一個嚴格的標準，通過早晨檢查你的頸部很容易判斷枕頭是否需要更換。如果頸部僵硬或疼痛，你可能沒有得到適當的支撐。

You can also do what sleep experts have dubbed “the shoe test\". Take your pillow， fold it in half， and then put a shoe on top. A functional pillow should snap back into shape， pushing the shoe off. A worn pillow will likely remain folded in place.

你也可以做睡眠專家所說的“鞋子測試”。拿起你的枕頭，對折，然后在上面放一只鞋。一個功能正常的枕頭應該會彈回原狀，把鞋子推掉。而一個磨損的枕頭很可能會保持折疊狀態。

How to Maintain Your Pillows？如何保養你的枕頭？

A pillow geting bent out of shape isn’t the only potential problem. Dust mites， skin oils， personal hygiene products， and other contaminants can lead to pillows geting fairly disgusting over time. A reliable sign that it's absorbing excess goo is the yellowing of the pillow cover.

枕頭變形并不是唯一潛在的問題。隨著時間的推移，塵螨、皮膚油脂、個人衛生用品和其他污染物會導致枕頭變得相當惡心。枕頭套變黃是它吸收過多污物的確切跡象。

Unlike structural damage， a dirty pillow can be remediatedsort of. Pillows that have washing instructions on the tag can be tossed into a washing machine， but many memory foam and latex pillows cannot.While it's sometimes possible to spot-clean them， they likely need to be replaced.

Of the various pillow types， polyester tends to be the least durable： You might find yourself seeing one begin to sag within a year. Down pillows， meanwhile， might last up to three years. You can extend their lifespan by washing them regularly.

在各類枕頭中，聚酯纖維材質的往往最不耐用：你可能會發現這種枕頭在一年內就開始塌陷。而羽絨枕頭的使用壽命可能長達三年。你可以通過定期清洗來延長它們的使用壽命。

與結構性損壞不同，臟枕頭在某種程度上可以修復。標簽上有洗滌說明的枕頭可以扔進洗衣機，但許多記憶海綿和乳膠枕頭則不行。雖然有時可以局部清潔它們，但它們更可能需要更換。

WordBank

finite/'fainait/adj.有限的 stiff/stif/adj.僵硬的 excess/ik'ses/adj.過度的；過量的 durable/djo?r?bl/adj.耐用的；持久的