Follow the care tag when it comes to how to dry a blanket. If there is no care tag, air dry the blanket to be on the safe side. Generally, you can tumble dry a fleece, weighted, and cotton blanket on a low heat setting.
After washing, hang fleece blankets up to line-dry, or toss them in the dryer on a low- or no-heat cycle. Don't dry your fleece blanket on high heat, which can cause the blanket fibers to melt or shrink.
Drying a fleece: a no-brainer
Place your fleece on a clothes horse or hang up on the washing line for a couple of hours. Don't dry it in a tumble dryer, as this will put a strain on the material. Putting your fleece on the radiator to dry is also not a good idea.
Don't add any extra spin cycles after the wash as that could damage the blanket. It'll soon be feeling fresh! If you're really looking forward to using it again, many throws can be dried in the tumble dryer. As with washing the blanket, make sure that you dry it on a delicate cycle.
While we recommend that line drying would be preferable, they can usually be tumble dried at a low temperature without causing any damage to your bed layers — but always make sure you check the care label first.
Check your dryer settings before placing your blanket inside. A gentle, low-heat setting works best to protect the fabric's integrity and prevent excessive shrinkage or damage.
Just as you might fluff up pillows, you can toss a few dryer balls into the machine with your blanket to make it fluffy. These dryer balls can be wool, rubber, or even clean tennis balls.
Whether you realized it before or not, many newer electric blankets can go right into the washing machine without harming the electrical components; however, you should always air-dry the heated blanket laying flat and avoid using the dryer to protect the electrical elements.
Your fleece garments will stay fluffy if you leave them to air dry after washing but if you're tight on time you can tumble dry your garments on no-heat. Try to avoid this as much as possible as tumble drying uses a lot of unnecessary energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
If you're wondering how to keep fleece soft, the key is to never expose it to direct heat. So, whenever you're laundering your fleece blanket, be sure that you never put it in the dryer with a heated setting, as it can melt the blanket fibers and cause it to shrink.
By all means, do not put your fleece in the tumble dryer, as fleece fibres can shrink when exposed to heat. Once dried, avoid ironing your fleece as well!
To help your fleece blanket last, make sure to do the following: Wash in cold water on gentle, as stronger wash settings may cause knots to form. Use a small amount of detergent, as using too much can stick to fibers and make it less soft. Avoid bleach, as it damages fleece fibers and the blanket's dye.
Fleece can provide some protection against light rain or snow, but it will eventually absorb moisture if exposed to water for extended periods.
What does “do not tumble dry” mean? Certain garments shouldn't go in the dryer at all. Subjected to high temperatures, silk may shrink, wool and knitwear may pill and undergarments may shrink or lose their shape. Learn more about how to prevent pilling on your clothes.
Dryers tend to shrink clothes, and coupled with the heat, it wears down the fabric. In fact, dryers have been found to shrink clothes twice as much as regular washing does, and tumble drying shrinks twice as much as normal air drying.
Avoid tumble dry
Leaving the blanket in the dryer for too long can cause it to wrinkle and become misshapen. Instead, let your throw blankets hang dry. This gentle method will keep the fibers intact and help your blanket last longer.
You can machine-wash your electric blanket as long as the care tag indicates that it is safe. Washing an electric blanket may require a gentle, short cycle on a low-speed spin with minimum agitation and specific water temperature that differs from a normal wash. Due to the heating element, extra care may be necessary.
The delicate cycle is yet another suggestion. Less agitation from the washing machine on the delicate cycle can help maintain the softness and fluff of the fibres. It is advisable to air dry it or use the dryer's low-heat cycle to dry it after washing.
Hot water can damage the fibers of the fleece jacket material, leading to pilling and a less smooth texture. So, always stick to washing with cold or cool water. You also want to avoid using a dry cleaner for your fleece jackets. Dry cleaning exposes the jacket to harsh chemicals that can break down the soft fabric.