Weighted blankets are popular, but you might be wondering how to wash and dry a weighted blanket to keep them clean. Yes, you use your heavy blanket a lot as it provides you with potential benefits to improve your sleep health. Yet, it absorbs body oils, sweat and becomes exposed to dirt and spills. So to help answer your question, there are some considerations to know before washing your weighted blanket.
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How To Wash and Dry a Weighted Blanket?
Before you grab your blanket to place it in the washing machine, read the care tag carefully. If your heavy blanket has no label, we recommend looking at the manufacturer’s website. The blanket has a heavier construction, and you cannot wash them like your regular blankets.
The care instructions from one brand can vary to another as it might have different fabrics and fill. So we recommend first learning how to care for your type of weighted blanket before moving on with the steps provided here.
Therefore, before you start your cleaning, it considers how much cleaning it needs. For example, does the blanket only need a spot clean using a gentle soap? Or does it have spills on it that require a stain remover or detergent? Should you wash it in cold or hot water and leave it to air dry?
For example, if the blanket has a duvet cover, it helps remove it before washing the cover and blanket. Sometimes you can wash duvet covers in your machine and dried but check the label first.
If your weighted blanket needs a deep clean, you can wash it using your washing machine or by hand. However, it helps to use a mild detergent when washed in cold or warm water. Never use bleach as it might ruin the fabric.
Always rinse it thoroughly and consider your washing machine’s weight limit, as your weight blanket might need to go to a laundromat instead. Another notable mention is that the best is to air dry your blanket by laying it flat and often giving it a good shake.
If you do decide to place your heavy blanket into a dryer, ensure that it is fully dry before using it. Further, there is no need to get out the iron to press it.
How To Wash Heavy Blankets By Hand?
You have checked the care tag and found you cannot wash your weighted blanket in a washing machine, so what should you do? There is no need to take it to a laundromat as you can wash it by hand. Yes, it is the oldest method of washing and can save you loads of money. To achieve the best results:
- Fill a bathtub or any container with cold or lukewarm water as per the care instructions.
- Now pour in the detergent as per the care tag and distribute it evenly.
- Before placing your weighted blanket into the water, pretreat it with a stain remover to remove the stains. Place the blanket into the mixture of cleaning solutions.
- Now take your hands and start kneading your blanket.
- You can do this for several minutes and remove it from the dirty water.
- Fill up the bath with fresh water and repeat the process. Once satisfied it is clean, remove the blanket and drain the water.
- Next, take your time to wring out the excess water from the blanket.
How To Wash Blanket in Washing Machine?
Before you wash your weighted blanket, check if it needs cleaning in hot or cold water. For example, if you have a cotton-based blanket filled with poly pellets, you can follow these steps:
- Do your pretreatment for cleaning stains. Throw your detergent into the machine’s detergent compartment.
- Place your blanket inside your washing machine and set it on a gentle cycle to wash.
- After completing the washing cycle, remove your blanket and follow the following steps as per the drying instructions.
Drying Your Weighted Blanket
How to wash and dry a weighted blanket all comes down to if they can withstand heat or not. After checking the care tag, you can follow the instructions set out by the manufacturer. The best is to air dry your blankets by spreading them flat and giving them a good shake often.
If you plan on drying your weighted blanket in a dryer, we recommend doing it in a low heat setting. Alternatively, you can also hang your blanket over a structure that is well ventilated. Finally, always make sure the blanket weight is distributed evenly and horizontally with an occasional flip or shake.
Care Guidelines on How to Wash and Dry Weighted Blanket
Follow the care tag for the best guideline to wash wool, polyester, cotton, and rayon blankets. The same applies to the filling used, from organic or glass beads to plastic pellets. You will find the majority of blankets with the following care instructions:
- Machine Wash, Air Dry: Use a mild bleach-free detergent for washing your blanket on a gentle cycle using cold or warm water without a fabric softener. For air-drying, spread your blanket out, allowing the filling to spread evenly.
- Machine Wash and Dry: Use a bleach-free gentle detergent to wash your blanket in cold or hot water using a gentle cycle. The best is to avoid fabric softeners. Instead, use a light or medium setting for the dryer and fluff the blanket periodically throughout the drying cycle.
- Spot Clean or Dry Clean: Use a gentle stain remover or cold water and soap. Use your fingers to massage the stain with the spot remover. If you use a brush, it helps to use a soft-bristle one. After doing a spot cleaning, rinses it well. If you need to dry clean only, you need to use a professional dry cleaning service or buy an at-home dry cleaning kit.
- Machine Wash, Cover Only: Remove the cover from the blanket to wash it separately. Follow the care instructions provided on the tag. In most cases, you can wash it in cold water using a normal wash cycle. You can air-dry the cover or use your dryer in a low heat setting according to the instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to wash and dry a weighted blanket depends on the care label. You can wash it in your washing machine if it weighs up to 20-pounds. If you have a commercial washing machine, you can load it with a heavier blanket. The best is to wash the blanket on a gentle cycle using a mild detergent in cold water. We do not recommend using bleach or fabric softeners as it damages the fibers with time.
If your blanket is washable, you can pre-soak the blanket in a gentle detergent with lukewarm water for up to 45-minutes. Further, it depends on the care tag of the blanket as well. For red wine spills, you can use non-chlorine bleach that is safe to use on colors.
If it is a small stain, you can remove it with a quick spot cleaning using a gentle detergent with cold water, a soft rag, or a soft bristle toothbrush to help rub the stain out using circular motions. Then run the blanket through a regular wash.
It all depends on how often you use your blanket. If you sleep under it every night, then it helps to wash it every few weeks. For occasional use, you can clean it four times per year.
