If you have no manufacturer's instructions, you can take a chance. I have washed stuffed animals filled with beads this way and all have come through. Most pillows are washable and what have you got to lose if you are going to pitch it? Put it in a pillow case, tied and wash it in a load of like colors. The red may bleed. Don't use bleach as it can damage the beads. Hand washing would work on most, too. I would place it over a heat vent, at my house to dry, but it doesn't get too hot. I would move it around periodically to get the inside dry. If the furnace is on, the humidity is probably low and will help it to dry otherwise put it out in the sunshine if warm outside.

A dryer rack would work too but I would keep the temp low and move the beads around periodically.

Aren't those microbeads just little styrofoam pellets? Or are they the little plastic beads? In either case, I don't think the beads would really absorb water so I would hand wash and hang it to air dry. If you have a gas water heater and open space near it, I've found that things hung near the ceiling there dry really quickly. Mine is in the basement and the ceiling is pretty low.

Can you just buy a new pillow cover and open the old one and remove the beads. If you wash it put it in a garment bag just to be on the safe side....check first how much bleeding the red velvet will do. Than use gentle cycle.

I have a rag rug with a lot of red in it..one day I spilled water on it and red dye ran everywhere..I don't dare wash it in my machine as it will probably dye the washer lol.

Thanks, guys. I believe I will give it a try. Either hand wash or pillow-case method. I love the fabric so must try to salvage the case itself. When I bought it, I slit open one seam and took out about 25% of the beads to make it fit me. I find most travel pillows are too fat, so that is why I love this one so much. I don't have a gas water heater, but the low heat setting on my Speed Queen dryer is barely warm, so I think flipping it around and around on the drying rack will do it. I will let you know how it comes out.

You would have to have a garment bag with holes small enough so that if the beads escape from the pillow they do not get into the washer. None of mine are that small except one that is almost like tulle and even then I am not sure about it.

Has anyone used the color catchers? Someone told me they worked but I am going to try them this week with some vintage fabrics that have a light background and red.

If you handwash, which might be the easiest, you might briefly spin it in your machine to get the most water out after the last rinse.

bought a used pouff with polystyrene beads . took it out and thecover for the beads need to be laundered -- can I just throw it in the washer and soak it or in a laundry tub with bleach and detergent?