How to wash and care for your weighted blanket
They get dirty like any blanket, but weigh like a wet rug. Here is how to wash one without wrecking the blanket — or the machine.
The big question: does it fit your machine?
A typical home washer takes 7–9 kg (15–20 lb) of dry laundry, and a soaked weighted blanket weighs much more than its label. Practical rule: up to about 15 lb (6–7 kg), a gentle home wash is usually fine if the maker allows it (CURA, for instance, allows 60 °C); from 18–20 lb (8–9 kg) up, a laundrette with industrial machines is the safe option for both blanket and drum.
Step by step
The care label outranks this guide — always. In general: cold or lukewarm water, mild detergent, no bleach, go easy on fabric softener (it clumps the filling), low spin, and afterwards pull the corners out so the beads redistribute before drying. Air-dry flat or tumble on low if the label allows; hanging a soaked blanket from a thin line can distort the stitching.
The trick that halves the washing: a cover
Use your blanket inside a duvet cover with ties or a zip that fasten to the blanket's corner loops (many models have them). The cover takes the sweat and dust and washes weekly like any cover; the blanket itself only needs a few washes a year. It is the cheapest accessory there is, and the one that most extends any model's life — especially models that cannot be washed at all.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a weighted blanket be washed?
The cover: every 1–2 weeks. The blanket itself: 2–4 times a year or when stained — unless you sleep directly on it without a cover, in which case once a month at most.
Mine rustles when I move — is that normal?
A faint rustle of glass beads as you change position is normal. If it sounds like a bag of marbles, the stitching of a pocket may be giving way: check it.