How to Wash a Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets are having a major moment right now, and their widespread appeal comes as no surprise. For anyone (ahem, most of us) who struggles to settle in for a comfortable eight hours of sleep per night, there's something irresistible about the allure of an everyday blanket that promises to reduce anxiety, stress, and sleepless nights. Plus, if we're being honest, we'll welcome just about any excuse to add yet another blanket, pillow, or weighted eye mask to our bedtime repertoire for the sake of comfort.

Why Weighted Blankets Require Special Care

Purchasing a heavy-duty blanket that perfectly suits your sleep needs is one thing, but storing and washing weighted blankets is a topic that's slightly more complicated, especially if your blanket isn't safely encased in an easy-to-clean duvet cover. Bulky blankets are anything but easy to fold, and the idea of simply throwing a 20-pound blanket in the washing machine sounds logistically impossible given their heft. So how exactly does one go about keeping their beloved weighted blanket so fresh and so clean? We posed that question to Elizabeth Grojean, founder of weighted blankets by Baloo Living, who, well, weighed in with her thoughts.

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The best way to wash your weighted blanket, according to Grojean, is to first consider its bulk. "Blankets over 20 pounds should be taken to a laundromat and washed in a commercial-size machine simply to spare your home machine from wear and tear," she says. If your blanket clocks in at under 15 to 20 pounds, wash it at home on the gentle cycle using cold water and a mild detergent. "Blankets with both glass micro beads and plastic poly pellets should be safe in a machine, but it's a good idea to consult the care tag on your blanket just to be sure," she says.

What Your Blanket Needs (and Doesn't Need)

However, just because it's safe to machine wash a blanket from the comfort of your own laundry room doesn't mean it's foolproof. In order to cut down on the frequency of washes, Grojean recommends using a removable duvet cover, like Baloo's French linen covers and spot cleaning using a toothbrush dipped in a solution of warm water and laundry detergent.

As for fabric softeners and bleach? Those products should be avoided at all costs if you want to keep your weighted blanket in tip-top shape. "Fabric softeners can build up and cause your blanket to become scratchy, while bleach can break down fibers over time," Grojean says.

When it comes time to dry your weighted blanket, the process is surprisingly speedy, since glass and plastic pellets don't readily absorb water. Utilize your dryer's low-heat cycle for optimum care, or spread your freshly laundered blanket on a large clean surface to air-dry. "If you have a strong shower bar, you can hang it up, I just don't recommend hanging a weighted blanket by one end, as it can put a strain on its seams," Grojean says.

How to Wash a Weighted Blanket

1. Before washing your weighted blanket, check the care tag to make sure it is machine-washable.
2. For blankets under 15 pounds, machine-wash it at home on the gentle cycle, using cool water and mild detergent. For blankets over 15 pounds, bring it to a laundromat to wash it in an industrial machine. Skip the fabric softener and bleach.
3. Whenever spills or stains happen, you can also spot-clean the blanket as needed using a toothbrush dipped in a solution of warm water and mild detergent.
4. To dry, place the blanket in the dryer on the low-heat setting. Stop the cycle and fluff up the weighted blanket periodically to make sure it dries evenly. Alternatively, you can air-dry the blanket on a large, clean surface.

How Often Should You Wash a Weighted Blanket?

This depends on how often you use your weighted blanket. If you use it every night, wash your weighted blanket about once every three weeks (or whenever it gets dirty). If you don't use it every day, wash it once every three to four months. Investing in a removable duvet cover for your weighted blanket will make it easy to wash the cover frequently without dealing with the hefty blanket.