A spore is structure of protein encapsulating bacterial DNA. It is formed by certain species of bacteria in conditions of low moisture, nutrients, temperature, etc.

They are metabolically inactive and are incredibly tough to destroy. Once a spore finds itself in a suitable environment (like your nose or throat), it can germinate into a single bacterium and attempt to multiply. They can cause many problems, including sinus trouble and dangerous infections.

So the answer is not to rush off and clean you pillows in your washing machine as hot, and even boiling water, will not kill spores. Spores require a temperature of about 121 degrees (Celsius) to be destroyed, and boiling water only reaches 100 degrees (Celsius).

Hospital supplies have to be autoclaved for 15 minutes to be sterilized. Basically, autoclaving involves superheated steam at high pressures to reach the required temperatures. Also, remember there are various levels of disinfectants. A cleaning agent doesn't kill spores unless it specifically says it's a sporicide, which is different from it being "antibacterial."

If you believe that spores are dangerous and you are determined to kill them bleach is a good sporicide. However the bleach solution should be about 1:5, or at least 1:10 (You want a minimum of 2,500 ppm of chlorine in your solution, and normal household bleach is 5 percent available chlorine).

So the question becomes what is more toxic, inhaling toxic chlorine fumes are fungal spores?

This is a no win question, similar to do you prefer getting hit in the head with a hammer or a baseball bat.

Before you bathe all your household pillows in bleach, though, you might want to take a look at the list of contributors to the Fungal Research Trust, the "charitable organization" that funded the research covered in the article:

Fujisawa Corp., Oxford Glycosciences, F2G Ltd, Chronic Granulomatous Disorder Research Trust, Aventis, Janssen Research Foundation, Roche, Schering Plough Corporation, The Liposome Company, Merck, Imedex, Bristol Myers Squibb, Aronex Ltd, Vestar Inc, Eli Lilly, BioMerieux, Alza Corporation, Pfizer Inc, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Phairson Ltd., GlaxoWellcome, The Gossett Trust, The Clear Group, British Medical Association, Basilea, Valeant and Orthobiotech.

Are the pharmaceutical companies funding this trust out of the kindness of their hearts, or is it a way of maximizing shareholder value? They want to frighten you so that you will purchase one of their expensive and toxic drug based solutions.

In the meantime rather than using toxic approaches, I believe there is a better solution. I recommend using a mechanical barrier and purchasing a high quality water, mold and spore proof pillow cover (not pillow case) that you can wash regularly (even with a bleach) to keep it clean. You can even purchase new pillows every year as they are relatively inexpensive.