So you’ve decided to invest in a weighted blanket, or you could be looking for one to have in your bedroom – one thing’s for sure, you’d sleep a lot better with one.
Weighted blankets have been improving in quality over the past ten years; they’re more accessible; they’re less of a hassle to use, and are now easier to wash.
If you own a weighted blanket or plan to purchase one, you should be aware that there are some things to consider when washing them.
Sending you weighted blankets to be cleaned at a laundromat would be quite expensive due to the added weight.
In this article, we share our tips and washing instructions to clean your weighted blanket properly and prolong your investment’s lifespan.
Determine Your Weighted Blanket’s Material
Not all weighted blankets are created equal; there are different materials being used as an outer fabric of your blanket.
The most common ones are made of cotton, Minky material, flannel, fleece, or wool. They can also come in hypoallergenic bamboo fabric, just like the Ecosa bamboo weighted blanket.
It would be best if you also understood what material is used as the weight for your blanket – some common ones are plastic poly pellets, lead, rice, or millet.
The better ones that are easier to wash are micro glass beads, not to mention – they also have better weight distribution on the blanket surface.
Considerations for Washing Weighted Blankets
Although weighted blankets are machine washable, washing machines are usually built for certain maximum weights.
Ensure that your blanket’s weight does not exceed the limitations set by your washing machine’s manufacturer.
If your washing machine cannot bear the load, you could have it hand washed.
Handwashing is actually recommended since it would lessen the wear and tear caused by the machine washing.
For Weighted Blankets with Duvet Covers
It’s not an uncommon practice to use a duvet cover for your weighted blankets, since this would avoid directly staining your weighted blanket.
When washing, always separate them. You can do some spot cleaning with a stain remover on the duvet covers first before washing them.
Once you have removed and cleaned your duvet cover, you may opt to have your weighted blanket machine washed, hand-washed, or even sent to a dry cleaner.
Machine Washing Your Weighted Blanket
When washing your weighted blanket, ensure that you only use cold water with a gentle detergent. A fabric softener is discouraged as some plush weighted blankets can gel the fibres together.
Likewise, the use of bleach is also discouraged since the chemicals can react poorly with the material and may cause damage.
For weighted blankets filled with poly pellets or glass beads, warm water is more advisable during the machine wash.
In most cases, neither warm nor cold water can damage your blankets as much as it could be damaged by using hot water.
For the washing machine settings, have it set at a low, gentle cycle. Turning up the settings too high may cause damage to your washing machine’s motor.
Is It Okay to Machine Dry a Weighted Blanket?
Most home washers and dryers can’t bear enough load for washing the heavier weighted blankets, and it’s much more ideal sometimes to visit a laundromat to use commercial washers and dryers that can carry more weight and load.
Weighted blankets are best dried at a low heat setting, as high heat can shorten the lifespan of your weighted blanket fillings.
Hand Washing a Weighted Blanket
Fill a tub or a basin that’s large enough to cater to your blanket and an additional layer of water.
Add enough mild detergent appropriate to the total weight of your blanket; similar to machine washing, do not use bleach or fabric softeners.
Have the entire blanket submerged for a few minutes for the detergent to seep into the fabric – this would allow any grease, stains, or bodily fluids to be dissolved in the water.
Gently knead the weighted blanket in the water with detergent to get a more thorough cleansing of the material.
Drain the soapy water and add clean water to rinse the blanket, continuously knead the blanket while rinsing for all the laundry detergent to be rinsed away.
If possible, an excellent match to a good handwash is to air dry your weighted blanket. Avoid wringing them out when they’re wet, as this may cause excess wear and tear on your blanket.
Instead, lay them spread out on a drying rack under the sun. Placing it in direct sunlight wouldn’t be the best idea as it may cause some fading in the outer cover of your weighted blanket.
When hung for air drying outside, gravity would be doing most of the work to take away the excess water absorbed by the materials.
Dry Cleaning Your Weighted Blanket
Dry cleaning isn’t as popular as hand washing or machine washing your weighted blankets due to the added cost of it compared to the others.
But sending them to be dry cleaned at a laundromat can be beneficial – especially if your blankets are made of materials like rayon, wool, or linen.
Should You Iron Your Weighted Blanket?
It’s not the best idea to iron your weighted blanket since the filler material in your weighted blanket may react to the high heat of a flat iron.
Ironing weighted blankets with plastic fillers may melt the material or gel them together and ruin your blanket.
Likewise, it’s counter-intuitive to do so when you use a blanket cover for your weighted blanket – no one would see them anyway.
Final Thoughts
Washing a weighted blanket is not difficult at all; it may be slightly different than what you’re used to, but there’s nothing special that you have to do to keep them maintained.
If you haven’t used one yet, try out Ecosa’s Bamboo Weighted Blankets – It’s breathable, hypoallergenic, and ships free to anywhere in Australia!