How to Wash Your Blankets Properly to Keep Them with You Longer?

Are your blankets filthy? You’ve strived to find a way of washing them to keep clean; however, the result has disappointed you?

What should you do?

When it comes to cleaning your blankets, it can be difficult to know what exactly you need to do because each type of blanket will have its way to be cleaned. If you don't follow the correct method, you destroy your blankets, somehow.

So, to answer all your concerns, in this article, Gossby will provide you with an ultimately step-by-step guide on how to wash blankets properly. It may be long but detailed and you will need it.

What to Prepare Before Washing Blankets?

While there are some types of blankets such as cotton blankets that you can throw into the washing machine, there are other types that only need to be hand-washed, dry cleaned or spot cleaned. You’re wondering why? Because the way you wash blankets is up to the material and weave primarily used.

To clean blankets, following the manufacturer's directions before trying anything else is a must. It will direct you through the best way to wash your blankets without running the item.

If some unforeseen circumstances make you don’t have access to the original manufacturer’s instructions, Gossby will help you. Below, there is something that you need to prepare before washing blankets.

1. Laundry detergent: you can consider Tide Ultra Stain Release 

2. Spot remover: you can try Zout, Shout, or OxiClean for an overnight soak.

3. A roomy washer and dryer: if your blanket is bulky, it may need a lot of room for spin cycles & consistency, even drying. So, in case you don’t have a washing machine at home, or it’s small, consider going to a laundromat to use a commercial one.

4. Space for air drying: Some blankets made of wool can’t go in the dryer. So, to help them dry, you may spread them over railings, large ironing boards, or even tabletops.

How to Wash Every Type of Blanket?

1. Ultimate Guide to Wash Printed Fleece Blankets By Gossby

Perhaps, fleece blankets may be familiar among us but how about printed or personalized Fleece Blankets? For those who have no idea, printed/ personalized fleece blankets are similar to normal ones but you can choose what images will be printed on them. So, your fleece blankets would be unique.

And, how to keep it clean? Let’s reveal the secret.

"I Love You to the Moon and Back" Fleece Blanket

What are the Materials and Specifications of Printed Fleece Blankets at Gossby?

At Gossby, each of them will have: 

• Soft pile texture

• 100% polyester fleece

• 1-inch finished hem on all sides

• High resolution image(s) required

• Customizable front; back is solid cream

• Full color all over print; Prints edge to edge on one side

Washing Printed Fleece Blankets with Gossby’s Guide

• To prevent matting or pilling, remember to wash your printed blankets separately in cold water on a gentle cycle. Also, using a minimal amount of detergent as a greater quantity won’t make you cleaner.

• The fact that the more detergent you use, it will stick to the fleece fivers harder and give you a blanket that coarse, rugged texture.

• Avoid bleach & fabric softeners as they will affect the blanket’s dye & also damage the fiber.

• As polyester fleece is stain-resistant by nature, washing it with cold water & a minimal amount of detergent would be enough.

• If there are tough stains, pre-treat them with a drop of regular dishwashing liquid. Let it soak for about 15’ and then blot it away with a washcloth or paper towel.

• Last, hang them up to air dry or you can place them in the dryer on a no-heat gentle cycle. Exposing your fleece blanket to direct sunlight or high temperatures must be avoided because the fibers will shrink or melt.

2. Washing Weighted Blankets - Should or Should not?

Should you wash a weighted blanket? Probably not. The protective cover keeping the filling inside can rip causing the washing machine to be damaged.

The alternative way is spot cleaning with a wet cloth & mild detergent that helps you to keep your weighted blanket clean. It is suggested weekly.

Some weighted blankets have covers that detach from the weighted portion on them. So, you can throw the cover into the wash -as you would bed sheets or pillowcases.

3. Washing Your Wool Blankets Properly

Before you do, ensure it isn’t dry-cleaned only. The risk that would be caused when you clean your wool blanket is shrinkage. With the following steps, four in total, Gossby will show you how to wash your wool blanket without damaging the material.

1. First, ensure that your blanket is machine washable. In case it’s not, try the handwashing section. If it is. Place mild detergent at the bottom of the drum & the fabric also.

2. Start washing by setting the machine to run on a gentle cycle with cool water.

3. 1’ into the spin cycle, stop the machine so the blanket doesn’t stretch.

4. Finally, hang dry on a rack. Once you place the wool in a heated dryer, it will shrink the material.

4. Washing Heated/ Electric Blankets with a Step-by-step Guide

Indeed, washing heated or electric blankets would be tricky because the wires running through the fabric can be hazardous if the washing isn’t properly done. Normally, you’re recommended to spot cleaning this blanket. And if your heated blanket is under $20, just consider having a new one.

Electric blankets will start fires or electrocute you if the wires aren’t well handled. But, some others are really expensive to get rid of at the end of every winter. Once you have one of them, just follow the following guide.

1. Before you wash, disconnect the cord from the blanket. If your blanket doesn’t detach from the blanket, ensure it isn’t plugged in. Then, check all the wiring in the fabric to be sure none of them have torn.

2. In case your blanket has a detachable cord, place the fabric in the washing machine & pre-soak for 5’ to 15’. You can use both cold and warm water.

3. But if your blanket doesn’t, hand wash the material without getting the control cord wet.

4. You remember the rule that no more than 3’ on the delicate cycle uses a mild detergent once washing the detachable cord blanket in a partial wash.

5. No more than 1’ rinsing cycle.

6. Leave the blanket dry for 5’ to 10’. Then, hang dry the rest of the way.

Old heated blankets won’t have detachable cords so they present a problem once you need them to be cleaned. Everyone doesn’t want the cord control getting wet and you too. We want to agitate the electrical cords in the blanket as little as possible.

• First, soak your blanket in a tub of cool water with mild detergent for 15’. Try not to let the electrical cord dip into the water.

• Rinse in cool water after pressing the soapy one out.

• Do it again and hang it till dry.

5. Washing Crochet Blankets - Things You Should Know

You can wash a crochet blanket the same way as a knitted blanket. Be careful not to stretch the yarn & distort the blankets’ shape. Hand washing is highly recommended to keep that type of blanket clean.

In case you want to use a washing machine, think about putting the material in a garment or mesh bag to protect the blanket. Ensure the wash cycle is on a gentle or permanent-press cycle.

Then, lay the blanket flat & reshape the material. Air drying will be the best way to dry the crochet bracket. Even though it takes time, it ensures the fabric won’t shrink.

02 Common Ways to Wash Your Blankets - General Guidelines

Washing Blankets by Hand

Step 1: Feel a Tub with Cool Water & Detergent

Find a tub or basin large enough for blankets to fit in & fill it up with cool water. Then, mix in mild detergent & let in a gentle setting, only manually that gives you greater control over how your blankets are treated & helps to make sure that every part gets clean. Note: Don’t fill the tub too much as it will overflow when you put the blanket in.

Step 2: Swish Your Blankets through the Water

Using soft, kneading strokes, drag your blankets back & forth in the soapy water. It’s best to take hold of a section of your blankets for a few passes and then smooth it out & wash a new section. Keep doing this till your blankets have been cleaned thoroughly.

Step 3: Press out Excess Water

Now, take the blanket out of the tub & let the saturated water run out. Fold your blankets in half 2 or 3 times & then use both hands to apply pressure to the blankets, squeezing out excess water. Instead of wringing out, you can press blankets as it is a safer alternative.

Step 4: Wash Blankets again Using Plain Water

In the last step, you give your blankets another quick wash in some plain cool water as it will rinse away any detergent which might have soaked into them. And, swish the blanket through the water, touching each section. Ensure there will be no traces of soap remaining on the blanket.

Washing Blankets by Washing Machine

The size of the blanket may trouble you while getting it to fit into the machine. Front-loading washers & top-loaders without agitators will produce optimal results because the drum is spacious & allows plenty of room for the blanket to move.

If the blanket is bigger than that or is made of an especially delicate material wash, you should wash it by hand instead. Take your blanket outside & give it a good shake to wash away any loose dirt or dust before washing.

Laundry washing machines are bigger than commercial washers & might be the best choice if you’re washing a blanket that is particularly large or thick.

Step 2: A Quick Color Test

If you’ve never washed your blanket before, it would be a good idea to do a quick color test to see if the dye will run in the washer. Just soak a colored portion of the blanket in cold water for some minutes.

Then, dab it with a piece of plain white fabric or paper towel and watch if the color bleeds. Wash your blanket by hand if there's a substantial amount of color on the test cloth.

Pro tip: You should avoid washing new or brightly colored blankets with other old ones.

Step 3: Select a Gentle Cycle & Use Cool Water

While washing your blankets by a machine, you should always use cold water & select the gentlest wash cycle. The washing machine is rough on clothes. Perhaps, that’s the reason why they can manage to get things so clean.

The point is all the spinning, beating & agitating can stretch your blanket out of shape & cause it to come out looking worse. Hot water, also, can shrink threads & cause the dye to run.

Step 4: Use Mild Detergent

Now, pour a little amount of mild detergent into the washing machine after it fills but right before you put it in the blanket. The detergent will evenly throughout the water, making a gentle washing solution & keeping you from having to pour the detergent directly onto the blanket.

Most laundry soaps are astringent & can cause wear and fading to textiles in high concentration. Therefore, pick a detergent approved for delicates & go easy on it.

Note: just a little amount of detergent as a quarter cap full of it is plenty.

Step 5: Load the Washer Evenly

In this step, you place the blanket into the washer and ensure that the weight and bulk of it are evenly distributed around the inside of the drum.

Not all surfaces of the blanket will get clean equally. The motion generated during the wash cycle can throw the washing machine off balance. If the one you’re using has a center agitator, coil the blanket loosely around the agitator as you lower it in.

Step 6: Wash Your Blankets

Let your blanket go through the process of washing. If yours is of a heavy-duty or synthetic material, it’s fine to let it finish a full wash cycle. But, you can take the blanket out & drain the washing machine after 3’ - 5’.

For delicate & natural fabrics such as wool or down, there is no need to undergo a complete wash, rinse & spin cycle. Don’t you know, the longer the blanket is in the washing machine, the higher chance it will come out warped, damaged and stretched.

Particularly, the spin cycle may be too forceful for certain fabrics. Some fabrics are washing machine safe like cotton (it’s preshrunk) & synthetic materials like nylon & polyester.

Pro Tips for Keeping Your Blankets Clean

It’s crucial to do some research before washing your blankets. Herewith, Gossby would like to give you some pro tips that will surely help you when you decide to clean your blankets.

Pro Tip 1: How often should Your Blankets be Washed?

Normally, a blanket needs to be kept clean once every 2 weeks. While blankets are considered part of basic bedding, they truly need a minimal protector like bedsheets which help to separate your skin from the blankets.

Pro Tip 2: Completely Dry Your Blanket - Should or Shouldn’t?

Don’t. It’s a general rule and you should remember it because your blanket will shrink when you do that. Some others will snag in the dryer, running the design of the fabric.

You should check on the blanket every 20’ and take it out of the dryer when it’s approx 80% dry.

Pro Tip 3: Skip the Fabric Softener

Your blankets become softer, fade-resistant, and pill-resistant because the moderate use of fabric softener can condition them. But, there would be risks including larger blankets, particularly with duvets & comforters. The liquid can be absorbed unevenly & cause spotting throughout the fabric.

How to Wash Blankets - 5 Additional Rules

1. Rough blankets can be caused by hard water. To keep your blankets and garments smooth and comfy, add softener to your water as required.

2. If your blanket tends to "shed" in the washing machine, place it in a large pillowcase before putting it in.

3. Dryer sheets should not be used on soft blankets. These leave a coating on the blanket's surface, which might make it seem scratchy.

4. If your blankets appear to have a coating that makes them scratchy, consider using an extra rinse cycle to ensure all of the detergents are gone.

5. Hand washing large or thick blankets is not suggested since they will become quite heavy and bulky when wet.

RELATED:

• Blanket Storage: 10 Best Ways To Organize Your Blankets
  

• How To Choose The Best Weighted Blanket? 4 Tips To Help You Out
  

• How To Make A Personalized Blanket? 5 Easy Steps To Customize Your Design
  

Do You Get the Answer?

So, if you want your beloved blankets to be long-lasting with you, consider carefully reading the ultimate step-by-step guide that Gossby provided above. Remember that there’s more to cleaning than throwing your blankets into the wash. Keeping blankets from wrecking your blanket & extending their lifespan by hand washing and spot cleaning.