The blanket can be called a real salvation on cool evenings, in inclement weather it is so nice to wrap yourself in it and enjoy reading your favorite book. However, over time, your favorite product will certainly lose its original purity, freshness and attractiveness. It was then that the question arises of washing the blanket in the laundry or at home. Today we will talk about how to make the plaid remain pleasant to the touch and retain its original appearance for a long time.
What are plaids?
Today, you can find products that are associated with home comfort and bring comfort and warmth to the house, absolutely for any, even the most demanding taste. Among the most common materials from which blankets are made, cashmere and fleece, acrylic and linen, fur and silk, there are cotton and polyester products. Features of washing bedspreads depend precisely on whichmaterial it was made. By the way, most of these interior decor items include synthetic fibers that generate static electricity. It is for this reason that blankets begin to attract unpleasant odors and dust, and therefore it is extremely important to clean and wash them regularly!
Washing Features
Specialists of laundries and dry cleaners say: washing a blanket is a procedure that should be carried out no more than once a month. The fact is that each processing can lead to a loss of brightness of colors and slight deformation. Before you decide to wash the product, carefully read the labels: here you can find information about the composition of the fabric and washing recommendations. There are three ways to clean blankets: hand wash, machine wash, and dry clean. Consider each of the methods in more detail!
Wash the blanket by hand
This process is incredibly time-consuming and very troublesome. Best suited for products that are not too large. Experts advise washing the blanket directly in the bathroom: you need to draw warm water into it, then dilute the washing powder or carpet cleaner. Please note: the cost of this product usually does not affect the quality of washing the product. In the resulting solution, you need to put a blanket, leave it for two to three hours. After that, you need to process the blanket over its entire surface with your hands, while lifting it out of the water is not necessary. By the way, if the blanket is too dirty, you can trample on it with your feet.
Then move the product to the edge of the tub, open the drain and release all the water. After that, fill the bath with clean water, carefully remember the blanket with your feet or hands, and once again drain the soapy water. It is recommended to repeat the process of washing the blanket and rinsing it at least two or three times. For the last rinse, add fabric softener to the water. After that, you need to let all the water drain, usually it takes about 20 minutes. Then you should roll the product into a roll, lift it by the middle and lean it against the wall in the bathroom, giving stability to this design. Half an hour later, the blanket can be thrown over a stick located above the bath, and immediately after all the water has drained, it can be hung on a clothesline. Please note that the cover may fade in direct sunlight. To prevent this from happening, it is better to hang it in the shade.
Machine Wash
Separately, we should talk about washing the blanket in the washing machine. In this way, dirt and dust can be removed from small items that enter the washing machine drum. Usually these are blankets made of fleece, or small children's bedspreads. Most of the time, there are no problems with this process. It is necessary to choose a high-quality powder, add a good conditioner with a pleasant aroma for rinsing. On what wash to wash the blanket? Experts recommend choosing a program that is suitable for the material, for example, for wool, this is the “wool” program, for other fabrics, a delicate wash is suitable. The water temperature is notmust exceed 40 degrees. Do not squeeze these products at high speeds, otherwise they will change their shape or simply stretch. Max RPM 400.
Step by step instructions
We offer you step-by-step instructions for washing the blanket in the washing machine:
- Load the blanket into the appliance drum.
- In the appropriate section of the washing machine, place the selected detergent and rinse. By the way, it is recommended to use liquid substances, because they create a small amount of foam, rinse well from the fabric fibers.
- Don't forget to add conditioner, it will give the bedspread fragrance, reduce the ability to generate static charge, which means the material will become more fluffy and soft, will attract less dust.
- Set the desired washing mode and the number of revolutions of the drum during the spin cycle. By the way, the drying function should be abandoned.
- After all the manipulations performed, be sure to press the "Start" button.
By the way, you can entrust the washing of a large blanket to industrial automatic machines, usually the cost of services includes both washing and drying the product, and therefore you will receive a ready-to-use blanket without any effort.
Subtleties of care: synthetics
In order to maintain an attractive appearance and shape of the bedspread for as long as possible, you need to take into account the recommendations for the care of different materials. The easiest blanket to cleansynthetics. You can safely entrust its washing to a washing machine, hand washing is also acceptable. Of course, polyester should not be boiled, the maximum temperature is 60 degrees Celsius. True, on the labels of some products, temperatures up to 30 degrees can be indicated, be sure to consider the information that is indicated on the bedspread itself. Washing in the machine of a blanket made of synthetics is possible on the “delicate” or “synthetics” modes. In the event that the product is not too dirty, you can also use a quick wash.
Microfiber
Like a synthetic blanket, a microfiber blanket can be washed by hand or machine. It is best to give preference to liquid detergents or special microfiber shampoos. Never use stain removers. The water temperature in the machine should not be more than 60 degrees. You need to dry such a blanket in a straightened form away from sunlight or heating devices.
Fleece
There are a number of rules to preserve the original beauty of a fleece blanket. Please note: it cannot be soaked, the fleece simply does not absorb dirt, therefore this procedure is meaningless. If you choose to hand wash, use ordinary laundry soap instead of powder. The maximum water temperature is 35 degrees. If you immediately straighten the fleece blanket thoroughly after washing, then you will not have to iron it later. By the way, these products dry very quickly. If you prefer machine wash, you should select the delicate cycle. Don't addto detergent bleaches, which include chlorine. It is also worth refusing to use an air conditioner, it can disrupt the water-repellent properties of the material. The best option is to wash one item with an incomplete drum load.
Natural fabric
Quite easy to care for cotton and linen blankets. In order to prevent shrinkage of the fabric, it is recommended to set the temperature no higher than 30 degrees. By the way, ironing products made from natural fabrics should be until they are completely dry. This will make it easier and faster to straighten the wrinkles. A silk or cashmere blanket can only be washed by hand using a special shampoo. The water must be cold. During the final rinse, you can add a small amount of conditioner. Please note: any, even weak spin, is contraindicated for these fabrics. After you wash your blanket, simply lay it flat on a flat surface and turn it over periodically until it is completely dry. A fur blanket must be thoroughly shaken before washing to remove dust accumulated in it. By the way, natural fur can react to any household laundry detergents in the most unpredictable way. How to be in this case? Leave your blanket to the dry cleaners!
Wool
Washing a wool blanket, according to many housewives, is an extreme measure. The fact is that you can refresh products made from such material by simply hanging it on the balcony for several hours and removing dirt with a brush. This is because even the mostcareful washing wears out woolen blankets. What to do if you still decide to wash the blanket at home? Type cold water into a bath or a large basin, its temperature should not exceed 30 degrees. Add a special detergent suitable for delicate fabrics. Soak the blanket in the solution for 10-15 minutes. Never rub the cover! After it lies in the soapy solution, rinse it well and let the water drain. Do not twist or wring the product, lay it flat on a flat surface and allow it to dry.
Dry clean
Specialists of dry cleaners and laundries recommend replacing water treatments with dry cleaning. For home conditions, the following method is suitable: shake the woolen blanket vigorously, thus clearing it of hair and dust. Prepare 100 milliliters of warm water, a couple of teaspoons of shampoo and one teaspoon of table vinegar. This composition must be thoroughly beaten until a thick foam is formed, which must be applied to the surface of the wool product with a soft brush intended for clothing. After that, you need to soak a soft cloth in a solution of vinegar and wipe the blanket with it. Using a brush, you will need to comb the fibers of the bedspread, and then repeat the entire procedure, turning the product over to the wrong side. Only if you thoroughly clean the blanket on both sides, it will become pleasant to the touch and incredibly tender and fresh. After carrying out the above procedure, it is recommended to ventilate the product in the fresh air to remove the pungent smell of vinegar from the fabric!
Helpful tips
To prevent dust and dirt from accumulating in your favorite blanket, just wrap it in an old pillowcase while storing it. But in a polyethylene package, it is not recommended to keep a cover made of any materials. Experts say that the lack of ventilation can lead to stagnation of air and the appearance of an unpleasant odor. The appearance of moths and other pests is not excluded.
Never dry blankets in close proximity to various heaters, and even more so do not lay them out for drying directly on the batteries. For bedspreads that need to dry horizontally, you can prepare old terry towels. They need to be laid out on a horizontal surface, and already on top lay out the bedspread. After some time, the towels need to be replaced with others, and the blanket turned over. This procedure will need to be repeated several times until the blanket is completely dry.
