How to Wash a Dakimakura Cover: 2-Way Tricot Care
We've seen a lot of dakimakura covers. The ones we see looking rough (faded prints, pilled fabric, mysterious spots that never quite leave) usually got there the same few ways: hot water, harsh detergent, dryer heat, too much friction, or being stored before they were fully dry.
This guide covers how to wash, dry, and store a 2-Way Tricot dakimakura cover without damaging the print. It comes from what we've learned sourcing, printing, and quality-checking anime body pillow covers, plus the care habits the dakimakura community has settled on after years of trial and error. Not just "be gentle" but why gentle, and what actually happens to the fabric when you're not.
Short answer: Wash a 2-Way Tricot dakimakura cover in cold water with a small amount of neutral detergent. Hand washing is safest. Machine washing is okay on a gentle cold cycle if the cover is inside out, zipped almost closed, and inside a zippered mesh laundry bag. Don't use bleach, fabric softener, dryer heat, or direct ironing.
Why 2-Way Tricot Needs Gentle Care
2-Way Tricot (2WT) is a smooth, dense polyester knit with stretch in both directions. It's the premium standard for dakimakura covers because it holds fine print detail and feels better against skin than cheaper fabrics like peach skin or basic polyester.
For washing, the important part is the print process. Most 2WT covers use dye sublimation: heat and pressure bond the ink into the polyester fibers instead of sitting on top like paint. That makes the print durable, but it also means heat, harsh chemicals, and heavy friction are the things most likely to damage it.
If you want the full fabric breakdown, including how 2-Way Tricot compares with other dakimakura fabric options, read our fabric options guide. This guide sticks to care.
The Rules for Washing 2-Way Tricot (With the Reasoning)
Cold water only.
Dye sublimation is a heat-transfer process. Hot water can partially reactivate that process, causing dye to release from the polyester fibers and migrate. The result is gradual color bleeding and loss of definition. Cold water keeps the dye stable and locked in place.
No bleach. Ever.
Bleach doesn't fade dye sublimation prints gradually. It attacks the chemical bonds directly. The result isn't an even, faded look. It's patchy, asymmetric, and permanent. There's no recovering from it.
Avoid the dryer.
Two problems at once: dryer heat can reactivate the sublimation process, causing dye to release and migrate. On top of that, the tumbling motion creates mechanical friction that degrades the fabric surface. 2WT is a knit. The loops can snag and distort. If you need to use one, keep it short and low, but air drying is always the safer choice.
Turn it inside out.
Protects the printed side from friction during agitation. This is standard for any printed garment, but it matters more with 2WT because the surface finish is part of what makes the print look good.
Zip it (almost) all the way closed.
An open zipper becomes a snag point. It can catch on the fabric itself and pull threads, or damage whatever else is in the wash with it. But don't force the slider all the way to the very end of the track. We can tell you from personal experience, a fully closed zipper can be extremely difficult to reopen without stressing the fabric around it. Leave a small gap at the end. Enough to get a grip on the pull tab, not enough for anything to snag.
How to Hand Wash a Dakimakura Cover
If you have the time, hand washing is the safest method. It gives you full control over agitation and means the cover is never subjected to mechanical stress.
You'll need:
- A clean bathtub or large basin
- Neutral, pH-balanced detergent (something designed for delicates)
- Cold water
- A clean dry towel
Steps:
1. Remove the inner pillow first.
Don't try to wash the cover with the insert still in it. Strip the cover off.
2. Turn the cover inside out and zip it almost fully closed.
Both steps matter. Do them before the cover touches water. Leave a tiny gap at the end of the zipper so you can reopen it without a fight.
3. Fill with cold water and add a small amount of detergent.
Small is the right word. More detergent doesn't mean cleaner. It means harder to rinse and more residue left in the fibers.
4. Submerge and soak for 5–10 minutes.
Let the water do the work. Soaking loosens body oils and surface dirt without any agitation. This is the step most people skip, and it's the most important one.
5. Agitate gently with your hands.
No scrubbing, no wringing, no twisting. Move the fabric through the water. Think of it less like washing and more like rinsing something delicate.
6. Drain and rinse with clean cold water.
Repeat until the water runs completely clear, usually two to three passes. Detergent residue left in the fabric dulls the print over time and can irritate skin.
7. Press out excess water with a towel.
Lay the cover flat on a clean, dry towel. Roll the towel with the cover inside and press firmly. Don't wring. The towel absorbs a significant amount of moisture this way, which speeds up drying.
How to Machine Wash a Dakimakura Cover
Machine washing is fine as long as every setting is dialled down as far as it goes. The machine isn't the problem. Aggressive cycles, high heat, and fast spin speeds are.
Settings:
- Cycle: Delicate or hand-wash cycle
- Water temperature: Cold. The coldest option available
- Spin speed: Low or off entirely if your machine allows it
Non-negotiables:
- Use a zippered mesh laundry bag. This is what makes machine washing safer. It limits friction, prevents tangling, and keeps the zipper from catching on the drum or another garment. Don't skip it.
- Wash alone or with true delicates. Nothing with zippers, hooks, Velcro, rough textures, or heavy seams should be in the same load.
- No fabric softener. It leaves a coating on the fibers that dulls the print and changes the fabric's texture.
One thing we've noticed from talking to customers: pilling after machine washing almost always comes down to skipping the mesh bag or washing with something abrasive. The bag doesn't make machine washing risk-free, but it fixes the most common cause.
How to Dry a Dakimakura Cover
Air drying is the safest option and what we recommend. It avoids heat exposure entirely and puts zero mechanical stress on the fabric.
How to do it right:
Hang in a well-ventilated area. A drying rack, shower rod, or indoor clothesline all work. The goal is airflow around the whole cover.
Keep it out of direct sunlight. UV exposure fades dye sublimation prints over time, the same way it fades anything. If you're near a window, put the cover in the shaded part of the room or rotate it periodically.
Don't hang by the corners. Wet fabric is heavy. Hanging a wet 2WT cover from its corners puts all that weight on a small section of knit and can stretch it unevenly. Drape it over the rod so the weight is distributed.
Expect it to take a while. 2WT is a dense knit and holds moisture more than woven fabrics. A fan aimed at the cover speeds things up safely.
Before you put it back on the pillow: make sure it's completely dry. Putting a damp cover on an insert and leaving it traps moisture and creates conditions for mildew. That smell doesn't wash out.
If you use a dryer anyway: keep it short, 10–20 minutes, on the lowest heat setting your machine offers. Remove the cover from its mesh laundry bag first so it can move freely and dry evenly. This is still a trade-off. It works in a pinch, but repeated dryer cycles will wear the fabric and print faster than air drying.
How to Store a Dakimakura Cover
For covers you're rotating out or putting away for a while:
Do:
- Store somewhere cool, dry, and dark. A wardrobe or drawer away from windows is ideal
- Roll or fold loosely. Sharp, compressed creases can become permanent in 2WT over time
- Make sure the cover is completely dry before storing. This is the single most important storage rule. Damp fabric in any container — breathable or sealed — leads to mildew, and mildew is permanent
- For short-term storage (a few weeks), a breathable cotton or linen bag works well
- For long-term storage or humid climates, a sealed plastic bag (ziplock or vacuum bag) with a silica gel desiccant packet is the community-standard method. It keeps out dust, pests, and moisture, as long as the cover went in completely dry
Don't:
- Leave it in a hot attic, garage, or car. Sustained heat affects the fabric
- Store it even slightly damp. This applies double for sealed bags, since trapped moisture has nowhere to go
- Leave it compressed under other items for extended periods
Daily Habits That Prevent Pilling and Wear
Washing is the obvious part. But most cover damage we've seen comes from daily wear, not laundry mistakes.
Nails, stubble, rough skin.
2WT is a knit fabric with visible loops in its structure. Sharp edges like fingernails, coarse stubble, and dry cracked skin catch those loops and create micro-snags. They're small individually, but they accumulate. The texture of the printed surface starts to look different before you can see actual damage. It's not fragile, but it's not denim either.
Rotation.
If you always sleep on the same side, that side wears faster, both the cover fabric and the fill underneath. Flip the cover every week or two. Simple, and it meaningfully extends the lifespan.
Wash before first use.
New covers come off the production line with residual chemicals from the printing and finishing process. A single gentle wash before the first use removes those and softens the fabric noticeably.
Spot cleaning.
Not every spill needs a full wash. For a small stain: dab gently with a damp cloth and a tiny amount of neutral detergent, then let it air dry. The key is dabbing, not rubbing — rubbing spreads the stain and abrades the surface.
How Often to Wash
| Use Pattern | Cover |
|---|---|
| Nightly use | Every 1–2 weeks |
| A few times a week | Every 2–4 weeks |
| Occasional or display | Every 1–2 months |
| After spills or heavy sweat | Immediately |
When It's Time to Replace the Cover
Even with careful handling, 2WT covers don't last indefinitely. With proper care we typically see quality covers hold up for two to five years of regular use. Here's what signals it's time for a replacement:
- Print fading or cracking, especially in high-contact areas like the center
- Persistent pilling that keeps coming back after fabric shaving
- Loss of stretch. The cover feels loose and doesn't recover its shape
- Odors that survive washing. Usually means the fiber has broken down enough to be holding bacteria
- Visible thinning or holes. The knit structure is gone at that point
When it gets there: the art deserves a better canvas. And we'll have something worth putting on it.
TL;DR
- Water: Cold only. Heat breaks dye sublimation bonds.
- Prep: Turn the cover inside out. Zip it almost closed. Every time.
- Machine washing: Use a zippered mesh laundry bag, delicate cycle, cold water, and low spin.
- Detergent: Use neutral detergent for delicates. No bleach, brighteners, or fabric softener.
- Drying: Air dry out of direct sunlight. Avoid the dryer if you can.
- Before re-fitting: Make sure the cover is completely dry. Damp cover + pillow insert = mildew.
- Storage: Cool, dry, and dark. Store loose, not crushed.
The rules aren't arbitrary. They come from how 2WT is knit and how dye sublimation printing works. Follow them and a good cover stays good for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fabric softener on a dakimakura cover?
No. Fabric softener leaves a thin coating on the fibers, which can dull the print and change the feel of 2-Way Tricot. Neutral detergent is all you need.
What's the best detergent for a dakimakura cover?
Use a pH-neutral detergent made for delicates, with no bleach or optical brighteners. In Japan, Kao's Emal (エマール) is a common recommendation for knits and delicate fabrics. In Western markets, look for a gentle liquid detergent labeled for delicates.
Can I put a dakimakura cover in the dryer?
Air drying is safer. Dryer heat and tumbling add wear, especially on 2-Way Tricot. If you use a dryer anyway, use the lowest heat setting, keep the cycle short, take the cover out while it's still cool — and don't make it a habit.
My cover has a stain that won't come out. What do I do?
Spot treat with cold water and a tiny amount of neutral detergent, then dab instead of rubbing. If two gentle attempts don't lift the stain, it's probably set. Harsh stain removers and enzyme cleaners can damage dye sublimation prints, so they're not worth the risk.
Can I iron my dakimakura cover?
Avoid direct ironing. 2-Way Tricot is a synthetic knit, and direct iron heat can distort the fibers or damage the print. Most wrinkles relax after the cover is back on the pillow for a day. For stubborn wrinkles, use light steam from a safe distance instead.
Why is my dakimakura cover pilling?
Pilling is usually friction damage. On 2-Way Tricot, the knit loops can catch on nails, stubble, rough skin, abrasive fabrics, or the inside of a washing machine. A fabric shaver can remove existing pills, but preventing new ones means reducing friction.
How do I get wrinkles out without ironing?
Put the cover on the pillow and give it a day. Most 2-Way Tricot wrinkles smooth out under light tension. If you need help sooner, hang the cover in a steamy bathroom for 10–15 minutes, then let it air dry fully.
Can I dry clean a dakimakura cover?
We wouldn't. Most dry cleaners aren't familiar with 2-Way Tricot or dye sublimation prints, and the solvents can affect both the print and the fiber. Cold water and neutral detergent are safer and more predictable.
A Note on Why This Matters
Every cover we ship started as a proper brief, a weeks-long back-and-forth with a real artist, and a color calibration process designed specifically for how ink behaves on 2-Way Tricot fabric. The artist made choices about expression, about color, about the specific moment they were capturing. That work deserves more than a hot wash and a spin cycle.
Good care isn't complicated. It's just worth doing deliberately.
Related Guides
- What Is a Dakimakura? — start here if you're new to anime body pillow covers.
- Dakimakura Inner Pillow Guide — sizing, fill types, firmness, and how to choose the right insert.
- Dakimakura Fabric Options — how 2-Way Tricot compares with our other fabric options.
Resources
This guide draws from care practices developed by the broader dakimakura community. For additional perspectives on storage, inner pillow maintenance, and fabric-specific care, see:
- Dakidex Dakimakura Care Guide
- A Comprehensive Guide to Dakimakuras as a Hobby — the "Daki Bible", a community-favorite resource covering inners, storage, and more
About Heart Club
Heart Club is a dakimakura cover brand that commissions exclusively human artists for every design. No AI generation, no AI upscaling, no exceptions. Every cover is illustrated by a credited professional illustrator whose style is matched specifically to the character. We ship worldwide in discreet, unbranded packaging.
