How to wash a weighted blanket

Pick up a 15-pound blanket and it already feels like a load of laundry. Soak it in water and it gets heavier still, and all of that weight ends up in one spot in a spinning drum. That is the main reason most weighted blankets, the Stillweight Weighted Blanket included, come with a cover that takes the washing so the blanket itself doesn't have to.

This guide covers what goes in the machine, what doesn't, and how to keep the inner blanket fresh between the rare times it needs real attention.

Why the cover comes off

A weighted blanket is not built like a comforter. The Stillweight holds glass microbeads in small quilted pockets, and those pockets keep the weight spread evenly across your body. The stitching is what holds the whole structure together, and it doesn't do well with repeated soaking, wringing and tumbling.

The Sleep Foundation notes that weighted blankets "cannot be washed as easily as a regular blanket" and suggests washing just the cover when a blanket has one, since frequent washing can affect the blanket's feel and durability. Heat is another concern. Mattress Clarity, a review site, warns that high heat and hot water can shrink a weighted blanket and damage it.

A removable cover avoids all of this. It is a single layer of fabric, so it washes and dries like ordinary bedding. It is also the part that touches your skin, so it collects most of the sweat, skin oils and lint, and it is the part that needs washing most often.

How to wash the Stillweight Blanket Cover

The Stillweight Blanket Cover is a soft, removable minky fabric, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified like the blanket itself. Velin's care instructions are simple:

1. Remove the cover. Slip the inner blanket out, then shake the cover to get rid of loose crumbs or pet hair.
2. Pre-treat any marks. Dab a small amount of mild detergent or stain remover onto stains before washing.
3. Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle. Use a mild detergent. Close any fastenings first so they don't snag the fabric.
4. Skip bleach and fabric softener. The Sleep Foundation advises against fabric softeners for weighted blankets, and bleach can be hard on fabric.
5. Tumble dry low. Low heat is gentler on the fabric. Take the cover out promptly and give it a shake.

Once the cover is completely dry, put it back on the blanket, smoothing the inner blanket out to the corners so it doesn't bunch.

From the Stillweight collectionStillweight Blanket CoverA soft, removable minky cover that machine washes cold and tumbles dry on low. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified.View product

Caring for the blanket itself

The inner Stillweight Weighted Blanket is spot clean only. Don't put it in a washing machine or a dryer, and keep it away from high heat and bleach. For most people this is less trouble than it sounds, because a blanket that lives inside a cover rarely gets dirty.

How to spot clean

Cleaning guides broadly agree on the method, and the Sleep Foundation adds that cleaning a stain as soon as it happens may stop it from setting.

1. Lay the blanket flat on a clean surface.
2. Mix a little mild, bleach-free detergent into cool water.
3. Dampen a soft cloth, wring it out well, and blot the stain. Work from the outside in so it doesn't spread. Don't scrub hard, and don't soak the area; you want to clean the surface, not wet the beads underneath.
4. Blot again with a cloth dampened in plain water to lift out any soap.
5. Press with a dry towel to soak up as much moisture as you can.

Drying flat

Let the blanket air dry flat, either on a clean table or across a sturdy drying rack that supports its full width. The Sleep Foundation recommends laying a weighted blanket flat to dry and shaking it now and then so the fill stays evenly spread. Don't hang it from one edge, because its weight pulls on the seams. Make sure the spot is completely dry before you put the cover back on.

How often to wash

There is no fixed rule, and published guidance varies. For a blanket used every night, the Sleep Foundation suggests washing about once every few weeks to prevent sweat and oil building up, and three to four times a year for one used only occasionally on a couch or at a desk.

With a removable cover, apply that schedule to the cover. A reasonable routine:

• Cover: every few weeks with nightly use, or sooner after a spill or a warm spell.
• Inner blanket: spot clean as needed, and check it over whenever the cover is off.

For more on caring for bedding, including Velin's sheets and pillowcases, see our care guides.

Machine capacity, weight limits and laundromats

Many readers want to know whether a home washer can handle a 15- or 18-pound blanket at all. The honest answer is that it depends on the machine, and the manual is the place to check. The Sleep Foundation advises checking your washer's weight limit and using a commercial washing center if the blanket is heavier. Mattress Clarity goes further and suggests a laundromat for any blanket over 20 pounds. Weight is only part of it. Water adds weight during the wash, and a heavy item that settles on one side can throw the drum off balance during the spin.

A large-capacity laundromat washer can make sense, but only for blankets whose care label allows machine washing. Some weighted blankets are made to be machine washed, and for those a bigger commercial machine is often the safer choice. The Stillweight Weighted Blanket is not one of them. Its inner blanket is spot clean only, in any machine. The cover is light and goes in an ordinary home washer.

Whatever blanket you own, the label on that blanket overrides general advice, including this article.

Storing a weighted blanket

If you put the blanket away for summer, make sure the blanket and the cover are both clean and completely dry first, since trapped moisture can lead to musty smells. Fold it loosely, or roll it, rather than creasing it tightly, and store it flat on a shelf or at the bottom of a chest instead of hanging it. A breathable cotton storage bag works better than sealed plastic. Don't stack heavy things on top of it.

Whatever blanket you own, the label on that blanket overrides general advice, including this article.

A note on safety

Weighted blankets aren't for infants or toddlers, or for anyone who can't easily move the blanket off themselves. If you have a respiratory or circulatory condition, talk to your doctor before using one. Our guide to choosing the right weight covers sizing in more detail.

Keep the cover clean, spot clean the blanket inside, and dry everything flat, and a weighted blanket should keep its shape for years. You can find the cover and blanket together on the Stillweight Weighted Blanket page.

Sources

• Grice, R. "How to Wash a Weighted Blanket." Sleep Foundation, updated January 2023.
• Schaper, M. "How to Wash a Weighted Blanket." Mattress Clarity, updated August 2022.

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. Individual results vary.