Washing your Food Blanket

The worst feeling is when your favorite blanket, or for many of our fans, their Food Blanket, becomes less soft - or worse, shrinks. A shrinking Food Blanket is a sad sight to see because they’re designed to be Huge Blankets for a reason! Snuggling up in a giant pizza blanket or donut blanket can bring you the ultimate comfort and relaxation. The experience of being wrapped in one of these delicious cozy fleece blankets will leave you peaceful and contented. So how can you make sure your special blanket won't lose its luster or shape? It’s mostly to do with your blanket’s fabric and how you wash it. In case your mom didn’t show you how to wash blankets properly, then consider this your “how-to” guide for washing your favorite blankets and keeping them in tip-top shape!  

Flannel Blanket

Flannel blankets are a super warm choice during the winter months since they keep you warm and cozy. The soft fabric will leave you never wanting to leave the comfort of your couch! But, if you don’t take care of flannel blankets properly they begin to lose their luster and softness, so let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. 

Washing:  

ALWAYS wash with warm water. Never wash flannel in hot water! Washing it in hot water will cause pilling of the fabric, shrinking, and fraying, and it will lose its classic soft feel. When you wash your flannel, try and use a mild detergent and try to avoid using liquid fabric softener. Using fabric softener coats the fibers of the flannel and causes the fabric to become stiff which is exactly what we don’t want. 

Drying:

Use the lowest setting on your dryer for flannel blankets. It may take a little longer to dry but it will ensure that your flannel blanket lives on for a long time 

Fleece Blanket

Fleece blankets like our food blankets are perfect to snuggle up with after a long day but there is nothing worse than a comfy fleece blanket that’s starting to pill. To keep that soft feel that isn’t covered in bumps, be sure to wash your blanket in the right kind of water.          

Washing:

Fleece blankets should always be washed in cold water on a gentle cycle. If you do a normal wash, the fabric will begin to pill under stress. Only use a small amount of detergent so the soap doesn’t stick to the fabric (this is what makes the fabric less soft). 

Drying:

Always dry your fleece blankets on low heat or bye-bye big blanket. High heat will shrink your blanket and then you’re stuck with a blanket that only covers part of you and no one wants that. After it’s done drying, remove it from the dryer as soon as it’s done and wrap it around yourself — there’s nothing better than a blanket straight out of the dryer. 

Cotton Blanket

Cotton is an incredibly durable fabric but that doesn’t mean that you can wash it any way you want to. I mean, you could but it won’t last you forever, and then off you go to the store to buy another blanket and that’s a bummer. 

Washing:

Make sure and give your blanket plenty of room with plenty of water in your washing machine. Wash your blanket on a short, gentle cycle with cold water. Again, make sure that there is plenty of room for movement. 

Drying:

Tumble dry your cotton blanket on a delicate setting on medium to high heat. By using a tumble dry the cotton will keep its softness and for it to keep its shape. We recommend not line-drying your cotton blanket as it gets stiff and loses its delicate nature. 

Wool Blanket

Wool blankets are ridiculously warm and will never fail to keep you warm and cozy. Not to mention they are extremely durable and honestly, really difficult to damage. That is unless you wash them incorrectly. But, not to worry, washing and caring for your wool blanket is super easy to do and is far from intimidating. 

Wool blankets don’t always need to be washed and can be cared for in different ways. The best way to freshen up a wool blanket is to drape your blanket outside in the open air and let the fresh air rejuvenate your blanket. This will help to loosen the dirt that may be hanging out in your blanket as well. 

Wool is a natural stain and water repellent but in case the liquid started to soak into the fabric all you need is warm water and a mild detergent as a spot clean. When you have the soap and water ready — DON’T scrub the fabric. To avoid damaging the oil fibers, allow the soap mixture to rest on the stain and then gently blot it with a soft cloth, and voila you're good to go. 

            Now on to actually washing your blanket.

Washing:

If you wash your wool blanket, make sure to use a gentle wash cycle and wash with cold water. To ensure that your wool blanket lasts for a long time, be sure to use a detergent that is specifically for wool. This might be a little pesky, but it’s well worth it. 

Drying:

This is one blanket that you don’t want to put in the dryer. If you want your wool blanket to stay soft for years then put it out on the line to air dry. Since wool blankets are heavy it's better to lay them out on a flat surface to start the drying process and then you can put the blanket on the line. 

Acrylic Blanket

Is your favorite blanket that chunky knit throw? More than likely it’s made from acrylic fabrics. This synthetic fabric is super versatile and holds its shape well which is why it's used in a lot of different blanket styles. Acrylic is a great substitute for those who are allergic to wool since it has the same feel, without the allergic reaction. Like wool, it does need to be taken care of in a certain way since acrylic is sensitive to heat and needs to be washed appropriately. 

Washing:

Use a mild detergent and wash in cold or warm water (never hot) and make sure to use a gentle cycle. (If you have a hand wash setting this is preferable.) 

Drying:

You can dry acrylic blankets in one of two ways. You can either hang up your blanket to air dry or you can use your dryer on a low-heat setting. This will take a little longer to snuggle up with but well worth the wait. 

Microfiber Blanket

These soft and durable blankets are a household favorite and for good reason! They’re lightweight, shrink-resistant, hypoallergenic, and easy to clean. 

Washing:

Microfiber blankets should be washed by themselves without other fabrics causing friction. Wash your blanket on a gentle cycle and thankfully you don’t have to worry about the water temperature. Be sure to use a minimal amount of detergent and avoid fabric softeners. 

Drying:

Microfiber dries really quickly, so no need to wait hours before getting snuggled up on the couch. Tumble dry on medium to low heat and your blanket is ready to use.  

Polyester Blanket 

Washing:

When it comes to washing polyester Never use harsh chemicals like bleach or fabric softeners or the fibers may fade and you might have the same vibrant color as you used to. Wash your polyester blanket with warm water on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent.

Drying:

Dry your blanket on medium to low heat on a tumble dry and make sure that it is completely dry so it doesn’t get moldy. 

Our funny food blankets are made from premium fleece material, which means that you are in for one cozy experience! Scroll back up to the fleece section to refresh yourself on how to care for your Cosseture Food Blanket. Our donut blanket, pizza blanket, and human burrito blanket are not only cozy but super easy to clean and care for so you can enjoy them for years and years to come!  By the way, if you're wondering if our food blankets are warm, check out our article "Is Fleece Blanket Warm Enough?."