As we are currently residing in the cold season, most of us prefer to stay at home, snuggled in our warmest bedding accessories. Lately, one of the upper layers/blankets has been the talk of the town. Can you guess it? Let us give you a hint. It is heavy and possesses the properties that can keep you calm and cozy, providing you with a night of peaceful sleep. Most of you must have guessed it by now. It is the Weighted Blanket.
The human mind is a wonder and never fails to impress us with its awe-inspiring ways to make life as easier as possible. Did you know that a weighted blanket not only provides restful sleep, but helps with several mental health issues such as anxiety, OCD, and others? With all the mesmerizing qualities that a weighted blanket has, it requires care and maintenance to function similarly for a long period.
You must be thinking about how difficult it would be to wash a weighted blanket because of its weight. Well, Bedding Republic knows how busy the schedules are, therefore, we bring in some easy guidelines on how to wash a weighted blanket that might take off the load attached to your strings of thoughts:
“Be Peculiar With Care Instructions”
Never forget the first and foremost rule of laundry, which is to read the instructions on the label. It is significant to do so as a weighted blanket is not made up of a specific filling, thus, every filling is required to be washed differently. There is a variety of filling materials on display through which a weighted blanket comes into existence including:
- Micro Glass Beads
- Sand
- Beans & Rice
- Steel Shot Beads
With that, a weighted blanket is paired with covers to keep it protected and clean for a longer period. The cover comes in different fabrics, and thus needs to be washed under specific guidelines. The fabrics include:
- Cotton
- Flannel
- Fleece
- Silk
Let us see some other general instructions that need to be followed when cleaning a weighted blanket:
Weight Of The Blanket
If you are thinking to wash your weighted blanket at home, the first thing that needs to be checked is its weight. If it weighs more than 20 pounds, then it requires professional cleaning. However, if you try to stuff it in your washing machine, the drying result will let you know why you should not wash it at home.
Detergent
When blanket care for you so much, you need to give something back such as cleaning it gently. You must have guessed what kind of detergent needs to be used. A mild one.
Scrutinize
You must be wondering what you need to inspect. Well, it is a very significant thing to do so to know whether your blanket requires pot cleaning or machine washing. If it only requires spot cleaning, clean it with a mild detergent, and after that, air dries it.
Drying
To machine wash or air dry, depends highly on the instructions printed on the label.
“Machine Washing”
The predicament question that always comes to our mind when doing laundry is whether to use hot water or cold water. Well, the label instructions are your savior. The instructions will let you know about the weight of the blanket and what temperature of water it requires to be washed with. With that, the following needs to be done when machine washing:
- Add in the detergent
- Stuff the blanket in the machine (which has already been checked for spot cleaning)
- Set your machine cycle to gentle
- Remove the blanket instantly when washed
“Hand Washing”
Not every fabric requires machine washing and if you try to do so then your blanket might not be able to provide you with the similar comfort as it did before. Therefore, it is essential to know the fabric of the blanket. Washing by hand is one of the oldest practices that is still being followed by many. Although it is a tiring job, the results are impeccable. Let us see what instructions need to be followed when washing by hand:
- Let your bathtub be filled with water (Hot or Cold depends on the fabric and filling)
- Add in the detergent and mix it well
- Put the blanket in (check for spot cleaning before you put it in the bathtub)
- Wring and mold the blanket with your hands
- After some time stain the water
- Add in some fresh water
- Wash the blanket thoroughly with no elements of detergent left on it
- Take the blanket out for drying
- Twist out the water
- Spread the blanket somewhere for drying
“Ironing”
We all prefer our bed to have a nice smooth and crisp look, but does it mean that all accessories should be ironed? Well, the answer is no, and especially not the weighted blanket. The filling inside of the weighted blanket will be ruined if it is touched by the iron. However, you can iron the cover of a weighted blanket, if the fabric allows you to.
“How Often Should It Be Washed?”
The amount of times a weighted blanket needs to be washed highly depends upon your usage. Generally washing it five to six times a year is enough. However, if you use it regularly, then it is preferred for you to wash it once a month. Moreover, if your weighted blanket is covered under a protective layer, then only the cover will require to be washed frequently as the shield against dust and other things needs to be cleaned too.
