Wash a blanket that touches your bare skin every week or two. Whirlpool's blanket guide says at least once or twice a month, and ideally weekly. A throw that only comes out for movie night can go a month or more. Anything a pet sleeps on, or that someone was sick under, goes in sooner.
How often to wash each kind of blanket#
How often depends on how close the blanket gets to skin, food, and animals:
| Blanket |
How often |
| Bed blanket used directly against skin |
Weekly, or every 2 weeks at most |
| Bed blanket over a top sheet |
Every 2 to 4 weeks |
| Sofa throw used every evening |
Every 1 to 2 weeks |
| Throw used now and then |
Monthly, or when it smells |
| Blanket the dog or cat sleeps on |
Weekly |
| Weighted blanket |
Wash the cover every 1 to 2 weeks; the blanket itself a few times a year |
| Spare blankets in storage |
Before you store them and before they come back out |
If anyone in the house has a dust mite allergy, wash bed blankets weekly. The AAAAI's cleaning tips for allergy sufferers put blankets in the same weekly 130°F (54°C) wash as sheets and pillowcases. Wool and many fleece blankets won't survive water that hot, so allergy households are better off with cotton or polyester blankets that can take the heat.
Signs a blanket needs washing now#
Throws on the sofa get dirtier faster than bed blankets, because they're near food. Wash any blanket that:
- Smells stale or doggy when you pick it up
- Feels slightly greasy or stiff in patches
- Has crumbs, hair, or sand worked into the weave
- Was used by someone with a cold, flu, or stomach bug
- Has a spill on it. Whirlpool's advice is to pretreat and wash straight away, before the stain sets.
How to wash blankets by material#
Start with the care label every time. It's the only place that tells you whether a blanket is machine-safe at all.
Fleece and sherpa#
Wash cold on a gentle cycle. Whirlpool groups fleece, sherpa, wool, knits, crochet, and faux fur together as cold, gentle-cycle blankets. Dry on low or no heat. Fleece is polyester, and high heat flattens the pile and can leave it matted and rough.
Wool#
Read the label carefully. Many wool blankets are hand wash or dry clean only, and the ones that are machine-washable need a wool or delicate cycle with cold water. Hot water plus agitation is how wool felts and shrinks, and you can't undo it. Dry flat, out of direct sun, and reshape while damp.
Knitted and crochet blankets#
Put them in a large mesh laundry bag, as Whirlpool recommends, so the loops don't stretch or snag on the drum. Dry flat. Hanging a wet knit blanket stretches it out of shape.
Cotton#
The easiest blanket to look after. Most take warm water on a normal cycle and a medium tumble dry, which makes cotton the practical choice for anyone who wants to wash in hot water for allergies.
Weighted blankets#
Whirlpool's weighted blanket guide says a weighted blanket filled with glass, steel, or plastic beads can go in a large-capacity commercial washer if the care tag allows it. Blankets filled with natural materials like sand, rice, or beans should only be dry cleaned. Wash cold on a gentle cycle with mild detergent and no bleach or fabric softener, and air dry if you can.
A soaked weighted blanket is much heavier than the number on its label, so check your washer manual's load limit before trying it at home. Whirlpool also notes that frequent washing shortens a weighted blanket's life, so a removable cover that you wash often is the better routine.
Electric blankets#
Unplug it and detach the controller and cord before anything else. Then follow the manufacturer's washing instructions exactly; Whirlpool notes heated blankets may need hand washing. Let it dry completely before you plug it in again. If you see scorch marks, exposed wiring, or a damaged plug or controller, stop using it.
Washing and drying without damage#
- Don't wad the blanket into a ball. In a front-loader, spread it around the drum evenly; in a top-loader, loop it loosely around the agitator or impeller.
- Use a large-capacity machine for anything bigger than a throw. If the load keeps going off balance, Whirlpool suggests adding a towel or two, but don't overload it.
- Measure detergent. Extra soap stays trapped in thick fabric and leaves it stiff.
- Dry on low or no heat. Add a couple of wool dryer balls to keep it from twisting into a rope.
- Check the folds and thick hems before you put it away. They're the last parts to dry.
Keeping the routine manageable#
Two throws on the sofa means one can be in the wash while the other is in use. Store spare blankets clean and fully dry, and wash them when you swap them over with your seasonal clothes.
Filled bedding like a duvet runs on a slower schedule; see how often to wash a duvet or comforter. If the pet's favorite blanket is really its bed, the dog bed washing guide covers stuffing and odor. And if your bed blanket is going in weekly anyway, it can join the weekly sheet wash as long as the load isn't packed.
A recurring ChoreLists.com reminder for the sofa throws is useful, because they're the ones nobody thinks to wash.