Weighted blankets have shown themselves to be highly beneficial for individuals with sleeplessness, anxiety, PTSD, and several other conditions which may keep someone from falling asleep at night.
The odds are you spent adequate money on your weighted blanket, so it is important to keep it in great shape to make it last as long as you can.
Some blankets are simple to wash in the washer, and others may take a bit more TLC. Continue reading to discover how to wash a heavy blanket.
Important: Read Your Blanket Care Instructions
You can't expect all weighted blankets to care for the same style, so first things first, check the care instructions on the tag.
It will let you know what you can and cannot do with your weighted blanket, if it's a removable cover, or whether it is or is not machine washable.
If you opt to play a guessing game to clean your weighted blanket, you may not enjoy the results. So as a guideline, ensure that you know your blanket's appropriate care instructions before you proceed forward.
Step 1: Tackle Stains
Have you ever noticed that a foul stain becomes permanently imprinted in your t-shirt or sweatshirt once you ran it through the washer and dryer? In case you have, you are like plenty of folks who do not treat their stains before the wash, and the drier sets the blot into your laundry.
The same could occur to your weighted blanket. Before you wash the whole thing, focus on the special stains, which could need different “special” remedies.
- Run cold water within the area where you saw the blot to remove any dirt which could be matting the cloth down. Don't forget to prevent warm water from reducing setting in the blot, and attempt to maintain the blanket far away from you so that you don't make a massive slippery mess on the floor.
- Use a bleach-free stain solution for any fluid spill stains or bodily liquids such as sweat. You should be aware of your blanket's cloth when you opt for a stain remover, and bleach generally isn't advocated. Many things found in your laundry area likely contain bleach, so be sure you check the label. Gently wash the stain with your fingers or a toothbrush.
- Use soap stains once you drop anything such as pizza, pasta, or essentially anything oil-based – you get the gist. You will want to follow the exact directions above; do not apply any detergent containing bleach, and use a gentle brush on your fingers.
- To wash away the blot.
Step 2: Wash Your Weighted Blanket
Based on what the care tag says, you will want to ascertain what method you will use to clean your blanket. It's also possible you will want to wash your weighted blanket's cover in the machine, but hand washes the blanket that is zipped inside. Below are the directions for both approaches.
- To machine wash your weighted blanket, follow the directions provided to you on the tag. It will let you wash in cold or warm water, based on the type of fabric it is made from. You need to use a mild detergent, again that is free of bleach, and go it by a light wash setting. If your blanket is over 12 pounds, you may want to bring it to a professional place with popular machines to evade messing up your valuable laundry machines.
- To hand-wash your weighted blanket, clear out your tub and fill it up about halfway. Insert a 1/2 cup to a full cup of mild detergent (you picked it, a cleanser without bleach) into the water, determined by how big your blanket. Mix the water around until it is lathered, and dip the whole blanket underneath. As soon as you've washed it adequately, empty the bathtub and fill it up repeatedly with clean water, then rinse and repeat this procedure until your blanket doesn't have any soap. Ring out the excess water, and your weighted blanket is ready to wash.
Step 3: Dry Your Weighted Blanket
Remember that your weighted blanket will be a lot heavier when it is wet, mainly if you washed the whole blanket together. So, with that being said, you need to decide if you would like to throw it in the dryer or if you would like to hang out. Again, consult the directions on the tag if you are stuck.
To machine dry, ensure it's either on a medium or low setting, depending on the fabric of your blanket. You may even run it through a tumble-dry option and put it with a dry towel to fluff up your blanket a bit.
Try not to tie it over an old school clothing line to air-dry your blanket, or else it may create the poly-pellets or beads inside become dispersed unevenly through the blanket.
You can hang it over an open and even surface such as a banister or put it out to dry in the sunlight. Just ensure that you shake it out every half hour or be sure that the weight remains evenly dispersed.
If your weighted blanket has approached its expiration date and washing it will not do the trick, you always have the option to buy a new one.
You can discover weighted blankets in a selection of prices online, or you could have a DIY moment and look at our website post to find out how to produce a weighted blanket by yourself.
What to Prevent When Cleaning Your Weighted Blanket
Hot water: Avoid rinsing your weighted blanket in hot water and rather opt for warm or cold. Hot water is a little too harsh on the cloth, whereas warm or cold water will be milder.
Bleach: Bleach can harm your weighted blanket, so it is best to avoid using it, even if you get some spots. Rather, spot treats any stains with a mild detergent.
Fabric softener: The softener can lead to build-up on your blanket and make it feel scratchy or stiff instead of comfy like you need it. It may feel counter intuitive, but fabric softener is not suggested because of the way blankets are made.
Iron: You should not have to iron your blanket, and it is recommended not to do so. Iron can weaken the fibers of the blanket and make it wear out more quickly.
Specific Directions for Different Fabrics
Cotton: Cotton is the easiest cloth to wash. It is super durable. You should be able to throw a weighted cotton blanket on your washer on a cool rinse cycle and put it in the dryer on low or hang it to dry. Opt to your standard mild laundry detergent for cotton.
Flannel: Flannel is very similar to cotton, so you can follow a number of the same washing and drying directions (unless the care label says otherwise). Place it in the washing machine with your standard gentle detergent on warm or cool. Either hang it to dry or place it in the dryer on low.
Silk: Silk is a somewhat uncommon fabric for a weighted blanket, but if you have this, it is best to dry clean it. You can spot-treat stains attentively, but for the most part, silk requires dry cleaning.
Wool: Likewise, wool is not typically machine-washable stuff. Wool needs either hand-washing or dry cleaning. See the care label to make sure, but most likely. You will have to smoothly hand-wash a wool blanket and then hang it to dry to avoid damage or shrinking.
Rayon: Rayon generally also needs to be hand-washed. However, again, check the care label to be sure. It's easy to damage or psychologist, so hand-wash it carefully and put it flat to dry.
Affiliate Disclosure
Affiliate Disclosure: I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you purchase a mattress after clicking a referral link or using a coupon code on this site. That said, all content and opinions on this site are my own and are NOT affected by these payments.
This site participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
*Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.
