How do I remove mildew from down cotton pillows?
Down pillows and bedding must be thoroughly dried in order to prevent mildew from forming. If your pillows became wet either through high humidity, washing, or some other way, lay them in the sun for many hours. Do this over the course of several days. That should dry the pillow out and freshen the smell. If they still smell, you could spray Fabreeze on them and leave them in the sun until the spray has dried.
Molds and mildews can grow whenever get moisture in the environment. As you live near ocean, the moisture in the air will be high causing mildew growth. It will be good to put your pillows under the sun for many hours for many days. This will reduce moisture from the pillows and will not allow mildew to grow. For washable clothes use chlorine bleach in hot water to wash. In case of non washable clothes, soak the items in oxygen base bleach and add borax in hot water for 30 minutes. Then squeeze the water and place in dryer.