PublishedOct 26, 2021 1:00 AM EDT
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Weighted blankets are basically a hug that never asks how your day was. A Swedish study even confirmed they help you sleep better and stress less. The catch? Eventually they need a wash, and that’s when the cozy relationship gets complicated.
Do not toss it in the washer like it’s a dish towel. “You want your weighted blanket to last through many more Netflix marathons,” says Kathrin Hamm, founder of Bearaby. She and Lori Williamson of Now It’s Clean walk us through the process. Fair warning: your arms are about to meet their personal trainer.
Short answer: yes, and ignoring it is a rookie mistake. “A lot of weighted blankets are stuffed with sand, beans, pebbles, glass, plastic, or steel beads,” says Hamm. Translation: they are not washing-machine friendly. You’ll probably be stuck spot-cleaning or washing just the cover.
Bearaby blankets are the overachievers here—filler-free, organic cotton, and machine washable. Baloo plays it cool too. But always check your care label or the brand’s website before making any sudsy decisions.
Hand-washing is the gentle option, but it is also time-consuming and shockingly heavy. Imagine wringing out a 15-pound sponge while questioning every life choice. Machine washing is easier—literally. Just confirm your washer and dryer can handle the weight, remembering wet blankets get even heavier. Small machine? Top-loader with an agitator? Hamm says it’s laundromat time.
Daily cuddlers should wash theirs once a month, says Hamm. Occasional users can get away with four or five washes a year. Between baths, Williamson suggests hitting it with a handheld steamer like the Bissell SteamShot, then laying it flat to dry. “Steam zaps dust mites, dirt, dead skin cells, and bacteria,” she says.
Read the care label. Then read it again. Some blankets can handle a machine; others will hold it against you forever. Discovering this mid-wash is a special kind of regret.
If there’s a removable cover, wash it like a duvet cover—but yes, check that label first. We cannot say this enough.
Inspect the blanket for suspicious spots and pretreat them with stain remover or a little dish soap. Use a laundry brush and pretend you’re solving a very soft mystery.
Wash the blanket solo on cold and gentle with mild detergent—no plus-ones. Skip the bleach and add ¼ cup white distilled vinegar to the fabric softener compartment, or straight into the drum during the rinse. “Vinegar naturally softens things up and keeps the blanket fluffy,” Williamson explains. It also makes you feel like a laundry alchemist.
Toss it in the dryer on low heat and settle in—two or more cycles are totally normal. Speed things up with wool dryer balls and a few drops of lavender oil if you want your blanket to smell like a spa. Or lay it flat to dry, flipping it once the top side is no longer damp.
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