How to Wash a Weighted Blanket?

The weight rule: A home washing machine can typically handle a blanket up to about 15–20 lbs. Anything heavier (and especially 20 lbs+) risks damaging the drum and motor, and a soaked blanket is far heavier still. For heavy blankets, use a commercial machine at a laundromat or wash it by hand in a bathtub.

Check the filling first

• Glass beads or plastic poly pellets — the most common fillings, and both are machine-washable.
• Sand, grains, rice, or organic fillers — do not machine wash. These clump, rot, or grow mould. Spot clean only.
• Many blankets come with a removable duvet cover — if yours does, just wash the cover regularly and clean the inner blanket rarely.

Machine washing (step-by-step)

1. Read the care label — it overrides all general advice.
2. Pre-treat stains with a little mild detergent dabbed on the spot.
3. Wash it alone so the weight is evenly distributed and there's room to move.
4. Use cold or lukewarm water, a gentle/delicate cycle, and a mild detergent.
5. Skip fabric softener and bleach — softener leaves a residue that stiffens the fabric and dulls fillings; bleach breaks down the fibres and can damage the beads.
6. Use a low or no spin setting if you can, to reduce strain.

Hand washing (safest for heavy blankets)

Fill a clean bathtub with cool water and a little mild detergent, submerge the blanket, and gently press the water through it. Don't twist or wring. Drain, rinse with clean water, then press the water out and support the whole blanket as you lift it — wet weight can tear seams.

Drying — the part people get wrong

• Air drying flat is best. Lay it over a few drying racks or a clean flat surface, and redistribute the beads by hand periodically so they don't settle in one area.
• If the label allows tumble drying, use low heat or air-fluff only. High heat can melt plastic pellets and damage the fabric.
• Never hang a wet weighted blanket over a single line or rail — the weight pulls on the seams and stretches the internal compartments.
• Make sure it's completely dry before storing; trapped moisture inside the pockets causes mildew.

How often to wash it: Every 2–3 months with normal use, or every few weeks if you use it without a cover or sweat in it. Using a removable duvet cover and washing that instead is the easiest way to keep it clean, since it means you rarely have to wash the heavy blanket at all.

You may also want How to Wash a Wool Blanket? or How to Clean a Fan?.

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