USEFUL TIPS
3 Ways On How To Make Blankets Soft Again
5 min read
5 min read
Has your favorite blanket seen better days? Don't act too quickly; retiring this precious piece of bedding may not be the only option!
Blankets losing their once luxuriously soft feel is inevitable, regardless of the fabric or brand. Yes, while higher-quality fabrics will usually keep their luster for longer, every blanket will eventually need a revamp-wash.
That’s why we formulated a guide on ways to make blankets soft again. These tips work for other bedding, too, if you want to get it as soft as it was when you first bought it.
Why Do Blankets Lose Their Softness?
Before we get into all the ways to restore your prickly throws to their original feel, let's talk about why blankets lose their softness in the first place and ways to avoid it in the future.
How To Care for Blankets
Blankets are going to lose their softness at some point in their lifetime. There are a few things to consider to help your blankets stay softer for longer.
Whether your blankets spend most of their days draped over the couch or wrapped around your body, they'll eventually need a good wash. Your washing method significantly affects how well your blankets, comforters, and pillowcases hold up.
Here are some surefire things to avoid when washing your beloved bedding:
Avoid Washing With Hot Water
Hot water can damage the fabric, giving it a rough feel or even causing shrinkage. Use cold water to help keep your fabrics looking and feeling their best.
Hand Wash When You Can
While we understand that hand washing your blankets every wash isn't convenient, we suggest trying to do it every once and a while. If you wash your blankets twice a month, try hand washing them one of those times.
Avoid Harsh Detergents
Despite laundry detergents being made strictly for laundry, that's not to say all detergents are great for your fabrics. Many laundry detergents can have harsh chemicals or additives that will leave your blankets feeling prickly or worn out.
Stick with high-quality eco-friendly detergents that offer strong cleaning power without harsh chemicals.
Avoid the Dryer When Possible
Similar to how the washing machine can put wear and tear on your fabrics, so can the dryer. Drying machines work great to get your blankets dry in a short period, but the high intensity of the heat and tumble speed can also result in rough fabrics over time.
Purchase High-Quality Fabric
Blankets are bound to lose some of their softness over time, but as long as you're buying bedding made from high-quality fabrics, your blankets retaining their soft touch is possible.
How To Make Your Blankets Soft Again
Here are some tips and tricks to transform your luxurious blankets to be as soft as the day you brought them home:
#1 Wash With Natural Ingredients
When you want to make blankets soft again, washing them is the first thing to do. What you wash the blankets in matters. This cleaning hack is great because all it takes is a few ingredients and a machine wash cycle — no elbow grease needed!
Here is the solution and steps to take:
Step 1. Gather Your Ingredients
This washing solution is super simple and only requires a few ingredients — bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar, and laundry detergent.
Step 2. Start Your Washer
All that's left to do is add these three ingredients to your washing machine and press start. You should use cold water on a gentle wash cycle to ensure maximum blanket cuddle-ability.
Once your blanket is washed, it should feel softer than ever. This washing solution works wonders on the fabric and is quick and easy.
#2 Air Dry
Air drying is best for blankets to help restore them to their original softness. Keep in mind that blankets may take a full day to dry completely. When air drying, make sure to double-check the pollen and weather report ahead of time; otherwise, you might be starting from scratch tomorrow.
#3 Machine Dry With Care
If you need to use your blanket sooner or don’t have a place to hang dry it, tumble dry on low or air-fluff settings to help it dry quickly without getting damaged by the heat of the dryer. Some find it helpful to toss three tennis balls into the dryer to help fluff up their blankets and reduce the drying time.
Don’t Forget About Your Bedding
Now that all your blankets are back to their luscious selves, it's time to restore your bedding too. Your sleep is important, and just like your throws and afghans, your bedding sees its fair share of wear and tear — maybe even more. After all, who can get a good night's sleep when lying on sheets that feel less than perfect?
Wash Your Bedding Less
At first glance, this may seem a bit odd or even unsanitary, but there are ways you can wash your bedding less without compromising its cleanliness.
Antibacterial sheets, blankets, and comforters are self-cleaning, which means you can wash them three times less often.
If you don't have antibacterial sheets, wash your bedding at least once per week, that's four times a month — of course, your sheets are feeling extra coarse these days. We're sure the washer and dryer are giving this fabric a run for its money.
All Things Comforters
The feeling of crawling into bed and getting snug between your sheets and comforter is like no other. But, if your comforter isn't as soft and fluffy as it once was, the experience can feel less anticlimactic compared to when your bedding was brand new.
Your comforter's softness is important, but so is the way it makes you feel. You don't want a comforter that makes you feel too hot or one that doesn't keep you warm enough as it can affect your sleep — which is why we always recommend using temperature-regulating bedding.
The Miracle Made comforters are renowned for their easy up-keep, but after time you’ll want to try a few simple tricks to keep them feeling as fluffy as when you first bought them.
- Refluff with your hands.
It's inevitable for your comforters to lose a little bit of their fluff over time. A great way to get that fluff back into your comforter is by separating the clumps by hand and giving it a nice hard whip and shake after. This will move all the stuffing around inside as needed.
- Repeat the wash process used with the blankets.
If your goal is to restore your fabric's softness, then you should repeat the same wash process used to get your blankets soft.
The washing solution should work well with any fabric and result in soft, smooth covers.
Ultra-Soft Covers All-Around
If you're trying to get your blankets, sheets, pillowcases, or comforters soft again, we have the tips for you! Nobody wants to see their favorite blanket get retired to the linen closet, which is why it's important you know all the right tips and tricks to getting your blanket soft again and keeping it that way.
Sources:
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How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets (And How to Get Them Really Clean) | NY Times
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The effects of fabric for sleepwear and bedding on sleep at ambient temperatures of 17°C and 22°C | PMC
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Do clothes always shrink if you wash in warm water? | HowStuffWorks
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Air-Drying Clothes? 12 Dos and Don'ts to Follow | Bob Vila
