How to Wash a Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets offer substantial advantages, among them are claims of alleviating anxiety and stress as well as enhancing sleep quality.

While you’ll be using your new weighted blanket continuously, you should take note that you won’t keep it nice and clean forever. You may even need to chill it off at some point.

Weighted blankets are bulky and vulnerable, making washing them challenging. Anyone can wash a weighted blanket, but you need to follow the instructions very carefully.

With so many weighted blankets out in the market, some using glass beads and some using sand, deciding which one will serve you the best might be tricky. For this reason, the washing process of a weighted blanket varies depending on the following:

1. Fabric

I. Cotton

Cotton blankets can be machine-washed or hand-washed. They tolerate most cleaning products, but it is recommended that you use a non-chlorine detergent.

If you choose to machine wash the weighted blanket, it is important to make sure the temperature is at or below 50 degrees Celsius. Using a temperature above this can cause the blanket to shrink or look snagged.

During drying, don't place it under the sun or in a tumble dryer. This will prevent it from looking shrunken, duller, or snagged.

iI. Wool

Wool is also a vulnerable fabric as well as a fabric that shrinks easily. It should be cleaned by hand with a laundry detergent that isn’t too harsh. Look on the label to see if it is machine washable.

Don t use a dryer during drying, but towel dry it and then hang it out to dry. It can also be crushed by a dryer.

iII. Minky

It’s a material with long, thin fibers that are extraordinarily soft. It is easy to wash and can also be machine-washed. However, it is advisable not to wash it along with others because this could cause friction.

Instead, you can use regular old non-chlorine bleach to remove any stubborn stains. Do not use fabric softener because it can tie the soft fibers together, making the blanket less soft. It’s a type of material with long, thin fibers that are extraordinarily soft. It is easy to wash and can also be machine-washed. It is advisable not to wash it along with others because this could cause friction.

iV. Flannel

This is another type of fabric that is relatively easy to clean. Like cotton, flannel-weighted blankets can be used with washing machines or hand-washed.

To wash it, use a gentle detergent. On machine wash, use a gentle cycle and set to either warm or cold. If your blanket has stains, you can pretreat it before washing it.

Unlike cotton, this fabric can be dried using a machine dryer or placed under the sun.

v. Fleece

Wash the blanket with warm water using a mild detergent. If you want to avoid abrasion, it’s advisable to wash the fleece blankets alone. If the fleece blanket is stubborn with the stains, you can also soak it and remove the stains.

To keep your water-resistant finish, avoid fabric softeners. It can be air-dried or dried in a machine dryer on low heat.

2. Fillers

i. Micro Glass Beads

These tiny crystals feel similar to salt crystals. They can be washed in warm but not hot water since they can't melt.

iI. Plastic Poly Pellets

They are round plastic beads made from ABS plastic, meaning they have not been exposed to chemicals. Avoid washing them at high temperatures since they may melt and clump together.

iII. Steel shot beads

These are smooth and heavy steel balls inside the weighted blanket. Avoid using a washing machine, as it may cause the fabric to rip off and scatter the steel beads all over the machine.

iV. Sand

A small and cheap filler, sand is the ideal filler for a washable weighted blanket. It tends to expand when wet and will cause clumps if not properly dried. Consequently, do not wash weighted blankets frequently with these fillers.

V. Organic materials

Organic materials like beans, rice, and corn can be used as weighted blanket fillers, although they are not good for a washable blanket. This is because these fillers can decompose when wet, and bacteria and insect infestations are possible.

3. Weight

Weighted blankets are bulky and have a lot of weight, so it important to know their weight before washing. When machine washing and drying weighted blankets, only wash those below 20 lbs in your laundry room.

For those above 20 lbs, it is a good idea to take it to your local laundromat. This is because dry cleaning an extra heavy weighted blanket using your home washing machine could cause severe damage to your machine.

Hand Washing a Weighted Blanket

1. Clean out your bathtub or big basin.
2. Fill the bathtub or basin with cold water halfway.
3. Add a mild detergent and mix it up well.
4. Put the blanket in the water.
5. Wash your weighted blanket well using either your hands or your feet.
6. Drain the tub. (You can clean it several times if you wish)
7. Add clean rinsing water and agitate the blanket.
8. Drain(You should rinse at least two times to make sure all the soap is gone)
9. Flatten the blanket on a flat surface, fold the blanket in half, and roll to remove the excess water.
10. Dry your weighted blanket

Machine Washing

When using a washing machine, you need to the following care instructions;

1. Use the gentle cycle in the front load washing machine and the normal wash cycle in top load washers.
2. Use cold or warm water and a mild detergent.
3. You can add ½ cup of salt or vinegar during the first wash to lock the color of weighted blankets.
4. Avoid using bleach or fabric softener.
5. Do not machine wash blankets that are above 20 lbs at home.

Drying a Weighted blanket

Machine Drying- If the material of the weighted blanket allows, you can use a machine to dry it. Ensure you use low heat or medium heat settings. The tumble dry may help in fluffing it back.

Air Drying is the best method, although some materials can be air dried under the sun, while others can't. It would be best to lay them out flat in a drying rack under the sun, turning them every hour. Putting them on a hanging line may cause the weights to shift.

Can I Iron a Weighted Blanket?

It is not safe to iron a weighted blanket because it is harmful to the fillers and its body.

Using a Duvet Cover

If you have a heavier duvet or if you simply do not plan to take your sheepskin to the laundromat every other week, a duvet or blanket cover might be useful. Wash only the blanket cover instead of the entire blanket.

Always check the care tag on a weighted blanket for extra instructions and tips on washing it correctly.