People debate whether it’s unsanitary to sleep on yellowing pillows

‘I got rid of my yellow pillows maybe a year ago and I legit haven’t rested comfortably since,’ one X user writes

People are debating whether a stained yellow pillow is suitable for a good night’s sleep.

Over the weekend, a frenzy errupted on X, formerly known as Twitter, when one user posted a picture of a distressed and lumpy pillow that had gone from entirely white to yellow and brown. “Girlfriend is mad at me because I have revealed to her The Yellow Pillow. Fellas, I’m sure you all know that this thing is magic,” Cam Thomson wrote.

The post, which has now received over 4.5 million views on the platform, didn’t expose his own pillow. Rather, Cam published an image of a similar pillow taken from Getty.

He added: “It’s not my fault the pillow is yellow and bestows upon me the most peaceful slumber.”

To his dismay, Cam’s girlfriend had criticised his choice of padded support. However, he insisted that other men would understand his sentiment of wanting to stick with the faded pillow instead of getting a new one.

Hundreds of online users flooded the comments section of his post, arguing over whether Cam’s or his girlfriend’s opinion was justified.

“Part of being a man is using the same pillow since the age of 10 and never washing it,” a verified account holder said.

“It’s natural, in fact some dye their pillows yellow to achieve the illusion of higher zzz mileage,” another Cam supporter jokingly added.

One X user remarked: “I got rid of my yellow pillows maybe a year ago and I legit haven’t rested comfortably since.”

“My life has been a downward spiral since I threw away mine when I was like 23,” another man agreed.

While a number of viewers seemed to understand Cam’s point of view, others questioned how his pillow got to be so faded in the first place.

“Do none of you use pillow protectors?” a confused viewer asked.

A critic commented: “Disgusting lmao you should buy them cheap on sale and just throw away or wash as needed.”

“The yellow pillow is the most important thing I got in our divorce,” one viewer noted.

Another quipped: “It’s me or the pillow.”

“I have dust mite allergies and this photo alone triggered an asthma attack,” someone else proclaimed.

Among the string of comments, there was a noticeable discrepancy between men and women. A lot of the users who agreed with Cam that their yellow pillow was all they wanted to sleep well at night were men. That being said, the individuals questioning the argument was mostly composed of women.

Speaking with NBC News, Cam admitted he thought the internet’s response to his honest admission was funny. Additionally, he explained how his pillow had been around for years, and he only switched his pillowcase once every year.

“To me, it’s my most comfortable pillow and a sign of a well-loved item,” he confessed before noting that his girlfriend had finally made him get rid of it. “I’ve tucked it away into storage. I don’t think I can bring myself to throw it out.”

As for why pillows turn yellow, Time notes that it is due to moisture “in all forms”. According to the outlet, the yellowing can be the result of sweat, face lotions, drool and saliva, skin and hair oils, or going to bed with wet hair.

The Independent has contacted Cam for a comment.