If you use the blanket every night while sleeping, wash it once every few weeks to prevent the build-up of sweat and body oils. If you only use it occasionally as a lap blanket on the couch or at a desk, cleaning your weighted blanket three to four times per year should suffice.
Before washing your weighted blanket, check the care tag to make sure it is machine-washable. 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.
Weighted blankets loaded with steel shot beads, for example, are incompatible with washing machines. Aside from being heavy, the beads have the potential to tear the fabric and leak when inside the machine. Those filled with plastic beads are another good example.
“If your blanket is less than 25 pounds, you can use your washing machine at home,” says Grojean. If your blanket is over 25 pounds, she recommends taking the weighted blanket to a professional laundromat or dry cleaner.
Pre-Washing Instructions
Take the cover off the blanket. Many weighted blankets have a duvet-like cover that can be removed. There are usually inner ties that should be loosened before removing the cover. Unless there has been a liquid spill or urine accident, only the cover will need to be washed regularly.
Generally, it is best to air dry a weighted blanket by laying it flat and shaking it out every so often so the fill can dry and distribute evenly. If you choose to put the blanket in a dryer, use a low or medium setting and remove it promptly once it's dry.
"Agitate the water to ensure even detergent distribution, then add in your blanket," she says. Let the blanket soak for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, then remove the blanket from your tub and empty out the detergent water.
It's important to determine the load your washing machine can take before attempting to load in a weighted blanket. Most machines can handle around 7 kg. If your blanket is 7 kg or less, load it in! If your weighted blanket is too heavy for the machine, you'll need to hand wash it.
Recommended weights for a weighted blanket can vary between 5% and 12% of their body weight, with most people preferring a weighted blanket that weighs approximately 10% of their body weight.
If your blanket is 7 kg or less, load it into a washing machine on a gentle program (simply use the preset that says 'Gentle' or 'Delicates', set temperature to 30 C, and you are good to go). Hand-wash heavier blankets. You can hang the cover to dry or tumble dry it on LOW if you really have to tumble dry at all.
Weighted blankets up to 15 pounds can be safely washed in a front-loading washer or a top-loading washer that does not have a center agitator. If your machine is a top-loading style with a center agitator, it's best to wash the weighted blanket at a laundromat, clean it by hand, or have it professionally cleaned.
Glass Beads
Always use cold water. It is best to hand wash weighted blankets with glass beads using a gentle laundry detergent free of bleach or fabric softener. Avoid using a detergent that contains bleach or fabric softener, as it can cause build-up in the material. This makes it feel scratchy or stiff.
An 8 kg drum can wash a queen or a lightweight size duvet. This is suitable for a medium size family. A 9 kg machine can wash a whole king size duvet and is the best option for large families.
To answer the original question: yes, most weighted blankets can go in the dryer — but only tumble dry low. It's important to check the care label and follow the manufacturer's instructions before you wash or dry your weighted blanket. And when in doubt, stick to air drying!
Weighted blankets can be constructed with a variety of materials, including cotton, flannel, bamboo, linen, and rayon. The fill inside of a weighted blanket—what makes a weighted blanket heavy—may include microfiber beads, sand, steel beads, pebbles, or grains.
Most weighted blankets can be spot cleaned or hand washed with gentle detergent, and then air-dried. Weighted blankets over 20 pounds should never be machine washed.
As we mentioned previously, the ideal weighted blanket weight is roughly 10% of your body weight. Most weighted blankets come in a variety of sizes and weights to accommodate a range of body weights. If you're not sure what works best for you, we recommend rounding down and opting for the lighter weighted blanket.
The short answer is yes, you can use a weighted blanket with a duvet. But be sure to put the blanket on top of the duvet for best results.
Thanks to the powerful motor, the washing machine, even though it has 6.5kg of capacity, is capable of washing large items, such as curtains and blankets.
If you need to wash your weighted blanket by hand, scrub your bathtub first to make sure it's free of all grime and soap products. Fill the tub with cool water, thoroughly mixing in a mild laundry detergent. Submerge the entire blanket in the tub, squeezing the water through it, and let it sit for up to an hour.
Fabrics:
Typically you will find most weighted blankets using low quality cotton. While cotton is usually considered a good option, it is not the ideal fabric for a cooling weighted blanket because cotton absorbs moisture creating a wet and clammy feeling.
Yes, they are very effective. Research indicates that a weighted blanket that is more than 10% of a person's body weight is therapeutic and has calming effects. Many studies lean in favor of weighted blankets, especially for children and adults with clinical disorders such as insomnia, autism, and more.
Cover your entire body: For full relaxation, cover your entire body from your shoulders down to your feet. If needed, you can use just half of the blanket (over your legs) for the first few days to let your body adjust. Lying on your back can help evenly distribute the weight, but by no means is it required.
A tumble dryer can be used to dry your weighted blanket, provided you are confident about the drum size of the machine. If you are sure you have sufficient capacity, check the care instructions. It's important to use a cool cycle as too much heat can melt the beads and filling inside the blanket.