Winter goes to spring, and after the cold winter has passed, everyone will put away the voluntary cleaning used in winter and wait for the next year. Wool blankets are one of the essential items in many households in winter. How to wash a wool blanket?
How to clean wool blankets?
If the blanket at home is a wool blanket, be careful not to cause clear and improper damage to the wool blanket. In general, the wool blanket can be soaked in cold water and then gently pressed with your hands. It should not be wringed dry when picked up. After washing , You should be able to dry the blanket in the shade. Do not use a dryer to dry the blanket, because the dryer will shrink the blanket or harden the material. Moreover, the wool fabric should be dehydrated immediately after washing. So it is easy to lose its shape after being soaked for too long.
These are some tips to wash wool blanket:
- Choose right detergents
- Hand wash at home
- Washing machine
- Clean with vinegar
- Dry cleaning
1. Choose right detergents
First, choose the right detergent – it can be specialized laundry gels or pH neutral laundry detergent. The use of bleaching and aggressive products is not allowed.
Do not use detergents for daily use. Even after 10 rinses, harmful surfactants are not washed out. They damage wool fibers and provoke allergic reactions.
Laundry soap is a more gentle remedy. Grate it or use the liquid version. The soap washes away any dirt and has conservation properties. After washing with soap, the fabric becomes soft and clean, there is no sticky feeling. The soap rinses out faster and leaves no residue on the material. To wash the wool blanket by hand, add a spoonful of borax to the laundry soap.
2. Hand wash at home
Hand wash is preferable for woolen garments. If you do decide to wash your blanket this way, you need to know exactly what products to use and how to wash them. First, prepare the water for soaking. This is the first thing to do. Then add about 200 ml of liquid soap with a pleasant smell and a spoonful of borax there, mix. Immerse the blanket in the solution and leave it for 6-8 hours.
Subsequently, you need to first wash the most dirty areas, and then rinse the blanket in water twice – first in warm water, then in cold water. The main thing is to completely remove the soap suds.
If the dirt is too strong, for example, there are stains from juice or traces of urine, you can add two tablespoons of turpentine to the soap solution. Use a soft bristled brush to remove them. One should not be too zealous and rub the dirt too much – there is a great risk of damaging the material.
Many housewives complain that after washing the woolen blanket loses its elasticity. To avoid, add a little wine vinegar to the water at the last rinse – one tablespoon is enough. Ordinary lemon juice will save you from yellowing – add a spoonful of juice to the water and leave the blanket in this solution for 20 minutes. After that, just rinse the blanket.
3. Washing machine
Some housewives, imagining how painful and time-consuming manual cleaning can be, think about how to wash a woolen blanket in a washing machine. Undoubtedly, modern technology makes it much easier to wash clothes and things. There are a few things to consider here. For example, modern models even have a “Wool” wash mode, which is just right for a blanket. If this is not the case, set the delicate mode at a temperature of + 30 degrees.
Other tips:
- be sure to turn on double rinsing to completely wash the soap suds off the product;
- use the spin mode, which will not only dry the blanket, but also fluff up the wool a little;
- do not use bleaching solutions or stain removers for washing – it is not known how their effect will affect natural materials.
4. Clean with vinegar
If the cleaning time is longer, the wool blanket will also become old. In order to prevent the wool blanket from getting old, we can usually add some vinegar to it when cleaning. The effect of adding vinegar is to prevent the wool blanket from getting old. In addition, when we are washing the woolen blanket, it is possible that too much detergent will be put on it, and the rinse will not be clean, so at this time, we can add an appropriate amount of white vinegar to it.
5. Dry cleaning
Are you afraid to wash the product in a washing machine, but is it difficult to do all the work with your hands? There is another method of removing stains – dry “wash”, which will refresh the blanket and remove light dirt from it. To do this, you need to purchase a lanolin-based product, which can be found at any hardware store.
Further instructions are as follows:
- read the instructions on the package with the product;
- dilute the liquid in water in the recommended proportions;
- beat the solution with a sponge until a thick foam appears;
- foam the surface of the blanket by spreading the product on the floor.
By the way, rubbing the product with a sponge is strongly discouraged – use soft circular motions, removing foam with dirt. By the way, this process is somewhat reminiscent of cleaning the carpet from stains with the help of special products, when dirt is also removed from the surface with foam.
What you need to remember before washing woolen blanket?
Wool needs very careful care if you do not want to ruin the thing.
To avoid problems during washing, it is better to follow a few tips:
- if you are going to wash the product in a washing machine, then give preference to models with a large load volume – up to 7 kg;
- when washing by hand, you will need a bath, otherwise you will not be able to remove all dirt and wash off the detergent;
- the best temperature for washing is about + 30 degrees, if the temperature is higher, the blanket may simply shrink;
- Choose the right detergent carefully for your wool blanket.
In addition, it is absolutely forbidden to rub, wring out and twist the product. First of all, it will be problematic to do this, because a wetted blanket made of natural wool will weigh a lot. Secondly, such an event can lead to damage to the canvas, contributing to its deformation and stretching.
How to wash honeycomb woolen blanket
Honeycomb woolen blankets tend to shrink easily and are best dry cleaned.
(1) Do not use a washing machine to wash the blanket. Because the washing machine will shake the blanket violently and deform it.
(2) You can soak the wool blanket in cold water, and then gently press it with your hands, do not wring it out.
(3) After cleaning, dry in the shade and avoid drying with a clothes dryer. Because it will shrink the blanket or harden the material.
How to wash Camel wool blanket
The camel wool blanket can also be washed with the help of grated laundry soap. Add the resulting soap shavings to warm water at the rate of about 5-10 g per 1 liter of water. Stir well in water until it is completely dissolved and immerse the blanket in the resulting solution for 10 minutes. Do not forget to rinse the product well in cold water, washing away all the foam.
How to wash synthetic fibers blanket
If the blanket is made of synthetic fibers (such as acrylonitrile and acrylic).
Generally, it can be wet washed in the washing machine;
(1) The water temperature should not be too high, preferably around 20-40 degrees Celsius;
(2) Also dry in the shade, do not dry in the dryer. Because it will shrink the blanket or harden the material;
(3) Appropriate amount of fabric softener can be added during cleaning to keep the blanket soft.
(4) The blanket is too big to put in the washing machine, so it needs to be dry cleaned.
The best way to deal with stains is to clean them as soon as possible:
Moisten the area around the contaminated area with cold water to avoid further spread or deterioration of stains;
(1) Generally, it can be put into the washing machine for wet washing.
(2) The water temperature should not be too high, preferably around 20-40 degrees Celsius.
(3) Dry it in the shade too. Never dry it in a clothes dryer, as it will shrink the blanket or harden the material.
(4) Appropriate amount of fabric softener can be added during cleaning to keep the blanket soft.
How to maintain wool blankets.
1. Avoid contact with sharp, rough objects and strong alkaline objects.
2. Choose a cool and ventilated place, cool in the sun, and collect after drying.
3. During the collection period, the cabinet should be opened regularly, ventilated and kept dry.
4. In hot and humid seasons, it should be dried several times to prevent mildew.
We hope you can wash your wool blanket following our advice. And, of course, we will be glad to all your suggestions and comments on our article. Perhaps your advice will seem to our readers the best.
