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How to Wash Blankets at Home? Tips and Tricks

On cold winter nights, the fuzzy blankets serve as the perfect companion to cuddle while sleeping or watching movies. The warmth and cosiness of the weighted blankets are unparalleled in providing comfortable sleeping experiences.

However, you need to wash your blankets regularly to prevent the dirt and dust from piling up. A dirty blanket smells awful, and it may ruin your comfort. Over time, it may also affect your blanket fabric and colour.

Whether you have a quilt blanket, a woollen blanket, a mink blanket, a cotton blanket, a fleece blanket, or another weighted blanket, every blanket needs cleaning. While most blankets can be washed in the washing machine, some fragile ones require washing my hands.

Read this article to find out the safe ways of washing your blanket that helps you to take great care of its fabric and maintain its fluffiness.

There is no universal blanket cleaning method that works great with all types of blankets. It depends primarily on the fabric of the blanket.

To ensure that the blanket’s fabric stays in the best shape, you need to apply a specific way for washing woollen blanket, cotton blanket, fleece blanket, mink blanket, and other heavy blankets.

Let’s discuss the different cleaning methods for washing various types of blankets.

Woollen Blankets

The woollen blankets are warm and soft blankets that possess enhanced durability. You can use a brush for cleaning the dirty woollen blanket. You should wash these blankets at least a few times every year. Avoid using harsh detergents for washing your woollen blankets.

Things needed to clean woollen blankets

• A soft bristle brush
• A mild detergent
• A washing machine

Steps for cleaning woollen blankets

• Lay your woollen blanket on a flat surface and brush along its entire length using a soft bristles brush.

Ensure to brush in one direction for aligning the woollen fibres in the same direction. Moreover, this reduces any abrasion and maintains the fibres’ structural strength.

• If your woollen blanket gets any liquid stains, act swiftly to clean it within the first few minutes of the incident, as the dense woollen material may absorb these stains.

To clean such stains, you should use warm water and a mild detergent. Avoid scrubbing the stains and instead soak and blot the stains by using a piece of clean cloth.

• If your woollen blanket gets heavily soiled, you should wash it in a washing machine. Ensure to use a mild wool-friendly detergent and cold water.

• Soak your blanket for 15 minutes in this cleaning mix inside the machine. Next, run the washer on a gentle cycle for two minutes. Now switch to the rinse cycle.

• Don’t dry your woollen blanket in your machine’s dryer, as it can adversely affect its softness. Instead, dry it by hanging outside but avoid direct sunlight as it can damage the woollen fibres.

• Ensure to store your woollen blanket in a clean, cool, and dark place.

Mink Blankets

Mink blankets are suitable for washing in a washing machine. It comprises fine long acrylic fibres that require careful washing in a heavy-duty washing machine.

Things needed to clean mink blankets

• A tumble dryer
• A mild detergent
• A heavy-duty washing machine

Steps for cleaning mink blankets

• If you wash your mink blanket in a home washing machine, it may get heavy with moisture and result in the clogging of the machine. Thus, you should wash your mink blankets in a commercial washing machine that is found in Laundromats.

• Ensure to use mild and soft detergent for cleaning mink blankets, as harsh detergents may hamper the durability of these blankets.

• Run your washer on a gentle cycle and use only cold water for washing your mink blankets. Using warm or hot water may leach out its colour and weaken its fibres.

• Once you have washed your mink blankets, ensure dry them in the tumble dryer while keeping the cool air setting.

Don’t use hot air for drying as it may melt the acrylic fibres. Remember, mink blankets take more time to lose moisture and hence need a long drying time.

Fleece Blankets

As the name suggests, fleece blankets are made of fleece fabric. You need to exercise more caution while cleaning these blankets to retain fibres’ softness and structural strength. Don’t attempt to wash your fleece blanket like a cotton blanket.

Things needed to clean fleece blankets

• A dishwashing liquid
• A mild detergent
• A dryer
• A washing machine

Steps for cleaning fleece blankets

• If you get stains on your fleece blanket, ensure to add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the stains and keep it for 10 minutes.

Now, use a paper towel for blotting the stained area and removing the stains. Avoid rubbing the liquid against the stains as these may go deeper into the blanket.

• Run your washing machine by keeping the setting at a gentle cycle for washing the fleece blanket. If you use a strong cycle, it may cause knots in your fleece blanket. Ensure to use a mild detergent and warm water for washing your fleece blankets.

• Don’t use fabric softeners for cleaning fleece blankets, as these may reduce the water-repellent finishing on the blankets.

• For drying your washed fleece blankets, tumble dry them on low heat in your machine’s dryer. This prevents damage to the fleece fibres.

• To avoid the appearance of wrinkles, fold your fleece blankets as soon as you have dried them. Don’t iron your fleece blankets as its heat may create marks and damage the fibres.

Cotton Blankets

Cotton blankets are suitable for washing in a washing machine. If they are smelly, simply hang them in the sun for a few minutes to restore their freshness.

Things needed to clean cotton blankets

• A mild detergent
• A dryer
• A washing machine

Steps for cleaning cotton blankets

• Place your cotton blankets in your washing machine.
• Use cold water, add soft liquid detergent, and run the washer on a gentle cycle wash.
• Rinse the blanket with cold water to avoid shrinking the blanket.
• Ensure to dry the washed cotton blanket in your machine’s dryer while keeping the air settings to medium heat.

Weighted blankets provide immense comfort for enhanced relaxation and deep sleeping. However, it’s not so easy to clean them and keep them stains-free. Let’s discuss the easy steps for cleaning your weighted blankets in your washing machine at home.

Preparing weighted blankets for washing

Before throwing your weighted blankets in your washing machine, ensure to check for stains.

Wet the stained area and rub the stains with your finger to eliminate them.

In case of hard stains that don’t go away easily, you may use vinegar for removing them if your blanket is made of a soft material like silk or fur. Use dish soap for cleaning grease stains. Ensure to rinse the stained area before placing the blanket in the washer.

Washing weighted blankets in a washing machine

• Check for the washing instructions in the laundry care tag before washing your weighted blankets.
• If your blankets weigh 9.07 Kgs or less, you can wash them in your washing machine at home.
• If you have a front-loading washing machine, run it on the gentle cycle. If you have a top-loader washing machine, run it at the normal wash cycle.
• Use only cold water for washing the blankets.
• Add only a mild and soft detergent.
• For retaining the colour of bold-coloured blankets, add a half-cup of salt or vinegar in the first wash.
• Don’t use fabric softeners or bleach as they may damage the blanket fibres.
• If your blanket weighs more than 9.07 Kgs, wash it in a commercial washer at the Laundromat. Your normal home washing machine is not capable of washing such bulky blankets.

Washing weighted blankets with hands

You can hand-wash your weighted blankets by following the below-mentioned steps.

• Ensure that your bathtub is clean enough for washing your dirty blankets.
• Fill your bathtub with cold water up to the halfway mark.
• Add a half-cup of mild detergent and swish it hard to create a nice mix.
• Immerse your blanket completely in the detergent mix.
• Agitate the blanket with your clean hands or feet for a few minutes.
• Drain the dirty water from the bathtub.
• Fill the bathtub again with clean water. Agitate the blanket and rinse it.
• Drain the water and fill the bathtub again.
• Again agitate the blanket one more time and drain the water. Ensure that the blanket does not contain any soap.
• Lay the blanket flat, fold it in half, and roll it to remove the water.
• Repeat the steps until you have drained most of the water.

The best way to dry your washed blankets is to hang them outside in the sun. Turn the sides after every hour. As these are heavy blankets, ensure that your clothes hanging rope is sturdy enough to bear their weight.

• Ensure to read the instructions before throwing your blanket in a washer. It helps you to avoid damage to your blanket’s fabric.
• Always remove the accumulated dust by using a soft bristle brush before washing your woollen blanket. Alternatively, you can vacuum your blanket by using a vacuum cleaner.
• Don’t use fabric softeners or bleach as they may damage the fibres and reduce the water-repellent coating on the blanket.
• Don’t try to squeeze your washed blanket manually for wringing out water. Instead, hang it in the sun or dry it in a dryer at a low heat setting.
• Before you wash your blanket, ensure to remove any liquid stains by blotting gently with a paper towel dipped in a liquid soap solution. This helps in the easy removal of stains.