How to Wash a Blanket: Fleece, Sherpa, Wool, Knit & Quilts

To wash a blanket, check its care label, then wash most fleece, sherpa, faux fur, knit and crochet blankets on a gentle cycle in cold water and dry them on low or no heat (Whirlpool). The mistake to avoid is high heat: it can melt the fibers of plush synthetic blankets and leave them stiff (Shannon Fabrics; Lion Brand Yarn).

Wool blankets and old or handmade quilts are the exceptions. Many wool blankets are dry clean only (Pendleton), and a valuable quilt should never go in a washing machine (Nebraska Extension).

Key takeaways

Fleece, sherpa, minky and faux fur: gentle cycle, cold water, mild detergent, no fabric softener, tumble dry low or air dry.
Knit and crochet blankets: wash in a mesh bag on gentle or by hand, then dry flat and reshape while damp.
Wool: machine wash only if the label says so, on a wool or gentle cycle in cold water; otherwise dry clean.
Valuable or old quilts: test every color first, soak in water no warmer than 90-100°F, and never use the dryer.
Big or heavy blankets need a large-capacity washer and enough room to move; don't force one into a small drum.

Can you wash a blanket in the washing machine?

Yes, most blankets can go in a washing machine when the care label allows it; some materials need dry cleaning instead (Whirlpool). Read the label first, because it gives the cycle and water temperature for that blanket.

Some blankets have no label at all. The FTC's Care Labeling Rule covers clothing and fabric sold for making clothing (FTC), so bedding can arrive with no care instructions. For a wool blanket with no label, Pendleton says dry cleaning is the safest course.

Before any wash, mend holes, snags and tears so the cycle doesn't make them bigger, and pretreat stains with detergent or a pretreatment product (Whirlpool). If you're unsure what a symbol means, our laundry symbols guide decodes each one.

How do you wash a blanket in a washing machine?

Use these steps for a machine-washable fleece, sherpa, cotton or acrylic blanket, adjusting the cycle to the label (Whirlpool; Whirlpool):

Check the label for the cycle, water temperature and whether the dryer is allowed.
Pretreat and mend. Work detergent into stains and close any tears.
Load it evenly. In a top-loader, wrap the blanket loosely around the agitator or impeller; in a front-loader, spread it around the drum instead of balling it up.
Balance the load. If the washer goes off balance, add another blanket or a few towels, but don't overload it.
Pick the cycle. A Bulky or Bedding cycle suits large items; fleece, wool, sherpa, knit, crochet and faux fur usually need a gentle cycle in cold water.
Measure the detergent. Use the amount on the label: too much or too little leaves fabric less clean.
Dry on low or no heat, only if the label allows the dryer, or hang it on a rack.

The detergent rule comes from the American Cleaning Institute, which also warns that an overloaded washer cleans poorly because items need room to move. Whirlpool suggests dryer balls to stop a blanket bunching up in the dryer (Whirlpool).

What if the blanket sat wet in the washer overnight?

A few hours usually does no harm, but wet laundry left too long risks mold and mildew (Whirlpool). Smell the blanket before drying it, and if it smells musty, run it through another full wash first. If the washer itself smells, clean it before the next load (Whirlpool). Our guide to mildew smell after washing covers stubborn odors.

How should you wash each type of blanket?

Fiber decides the method. This table sums up the care each maker or textile body gives for its material (Polartec; Shannon Fabrics; Lion Brand Yarn; Woolmark; Nebraska Extension):

Blanket	Wash	Dry	Watch out for
Fleece, microfleece, polar fleece	Cold, mild detergent, no softener	Tumble low or hang	High heat
Minky and plush	Never hot water	Low temperature	Melted fibers
Sherpa and faux fur	Gentle, cold	Low or no heat	High heat
Acrylic knit or crochet	Mesh bag, gentle, cool	Flat, or no-heat tumble	Stretching, heat damage
Wool	Only if labeled washable: wool cycle, cold	Flat, out of direct sun	Felting and shrinking
Antique or valuable quilt	Hand soak, 90-100°F max	Flat, supported	Bleeding dyes, torn stitches

How do you wash a fleece blanket?

Polartec, which invented polar fleece, says to wash fleece in cold water with a mild detergent, skip fabric softener, and tumble dry on low or hang dry. The same applies to microfleece and polar fleece blankets unless the label says otherwise. Whirlpool groups fleece with the gentle, cold-water fabrics (Whirlpool).

Can you tumble dry fleece blankets?

Yes, on low heat. Polartec allows a low tumble dry or hanging to dry (Polartec), and Whirlpool recommends the low or no-heat setting for dryer-safe blankets (Whirlpool). A high setting is the risk for plush synthetics, whose fibers can melt (Shannon Fabrics).

How do you wash a minky blanket?

Shannon Fabrics, which makes Cuddle minky fabric, says never to wash it in hot water, because some fibers can melt and the fabric loses its softness. Dry it at a lower temperature for the same reason. Minky doesn't need dry cleaning, so a cold, gentle machine wash is the usual route (Shannon Fabrics).

How do you wash a sherpa or faux fur blanket?

Sherpa and faux fur blankets go on a gentle cycle in cold water (Whirlpool). Dry them on low or no heat, or air dry them (Whirlpool). Wash them with similar soft fabrics, not with jeans or towels that rub and shed lint (American Cleaning Institute).

How do you wash a knit or crochet blanket?

Put a knit or crochet blanket in a mesh laundry bag before it goes in the machine, because the cycle can stretch it out (Whirlpool). Use a gentle cycle, cold water and a mild detergent (Whirlpool). For a hand-knit, chunky knit or delicate crochet blanket, hand washing is safer: soak it in a basin of cool water with a gentle detergent, swirl it, then rinse (Whirlpool).

Most crochet blankets are acrylic. Lion Brand Yarn recommends cool to lukewarm water, roughly 60°F to 85°F for hand washing, and warns that high dryer heat makes acrylic shiny, flat and stiff for good. Roll the wet blanket in a towel to press out water, never wring it, then lay it flat and reshape it (Whirlpool; Lion Brand Yarn). If you must use the dryer, pick no heat and check it every 10 to 15 minutes (Lion Brand Yarn).

How do you wash a wool blanket?

Machine wash a wool blanket only if the label says it's washable: use the gentle wool cycle, cold water and a wool detergent (Woolmark). Pendleton says its traditional wool blankets are dry clean only, because washing shrinks and ruins them; only its labeled washable line goes in the machine. For those, take them to a dry cleaner.

Between cleanings, Woolmark suggests airing the blanket outside, brushing it with a soft-bristle brush, and spot cleaning spills with warm water and mild detergent by blotting, not scrubbing. Dry a washed wool blanket flat over a line, out of direct sun, and keep it out of the dryer (Woolmark). Our guide to washing wool covers felting and hand washing in more detail.

How do you wash a quilt?

It depends on the quilt's age and value. A sturdy, newer quilt with a washable label can follow its label. For a very old, fragile or valuable quilt, Nebraska Extension recommends a professional textile conservator, not home cleaning, and says valuable quilts should never be machine washed, even on the delicate cycle.

How do you clean an old or handmade quilt without washing it?

Start with the gentlest options. Air the quilt flat in the shade on a clean sheet, never draped over a clothesline, and never beat or shake it (Nebraska Extension). Vacuum it on low suction through a piece of nylon or fiberglass screen, holding the nozzle 1/2 inch to 1 inch above the surface (Nebraska Extension). Nebraska Extension says wool and silk quilts should be cleaned only by conservators.

How do you hand wash a cotton or linen quilt?

Test every fabric and thread for colorfastness first: put a few drops of water on a hidden spot, blot with white cloth, and stop if any color appears (Nebraska Extension). Then follow Nebraska Extension's wet-cleaning method (Nebraska Extension):

Support the quilt on a screen so you can lift it without straining the fabric.
Soak it in a clean tub of soft or distilled water at room temperature, no warmer than 90°F to 100°F.
If water alone isn't enough, use about 1 tablespoon of mild hand-dishwashing liquid per 4 gallons of water, not laundry detergent, and soak for at least 30 minutes.
Press gently with your fingers or a sponge; don't scrub, squeeze or wring.
Rinse 5 to 7 times, at least 15 minutes each, until the water is clear.
Dry it flat on towels or a mattress pad, with a fan 3 to 4 feet away, out of direct sun and never in a dryer.

Plan on 6 to 8 hours of work before drying time, and get a helper, because a wet quilt is heavy (Nebraska Extension).

How do you wash a new quilt for the first time?

Do the same colorfastness test on each fabric before the first wash, because new, dark and bright colors can bleed (Nebraska Extension; American Cleaning Institute). If the colors hold and the label allows machine washing, use a gentle cycle in cold water and wash it alone the first few times, as the American Cleaning Institute advises for new, dark or bright items.

How do you stop pilling and lint on blankets?

What causes fuzz balls on blankets?

Fuzz balls, or pills, form when fibers rub against each other or other surfaces (Woolmark). Lint comes from fuzzy fabrics shedding in the wash: the American Cleaning Institute names fuzzy sweatshirts, chenille, flannels and new towels as lint shedders, and corduroy and permanent press as lint magnets.

Wash fuzzy blankets alone or with similar fabrics, away from towels and corduroy (American Cleaning Institute).
Use a mesh bag and a gentle cycle to cut the friction that causes pilling (Lion Brand Yarn).
Skip fabric softener on fleece and wool; Polartec and Woolmark both advise against it (Polartec; Woolmark).
Remove pills with a battery fabric shaver (de-piller) or a comb used gently (Woolmark).

Pet hair on blankets is a separate problem; see how to remove pet hair in the wash.

How do you make a fleece blanket soft again?

For a fleece blanket that has lost its softness, go back to the maker's care: cold water, the measured amount of mild detergent and no softener (Polartec; American Cleaning Institute). If high dryer heat melted the surface, the damage can't be undone: Lion Brand says heat-damaged acrylic stays shiny, flat and stiff (Lion Brand Yarn).

How often should you wash blankets?

Sources disagree, so match the schedule to use. The American Cleaning Institute says to wash blankets and bedspreads monthly. Utah State University Extension, citing ACI's older list, gives every three months for throw blankets and once or twice a year for blankets (Utah State University Extension). Whirlpool says blankets that touch your skin need washing 1 to 2 times a month, ideally weekly (Whirlpool).

A throw you use on the couch every day, or a blanket you sleep under without a top sheet: every 1 to 4 weeks (Whirlpool; American Cleaning Institute).
A blanket over a top sheet or a seasonal throw: every 1 to 3 months (American Cleaning Institute; Utah State University Extension).
Wool blankets: wash sparingly; Woolmark notes some guidelines say every three months, with airing and brushing between (Woolmark).
After a spill: pretreat and wash right away so the stain doesn't set (Whirlpool).

For sheets, see how often to wash sheets.

Where can you wash a blanket that's too big for your washer?

Whirlpool recommends a large-capacity washer for big blankets, because bulky items need room to move (Whirlpool). If a king-size or heavy blanket fills your drum, use a laundromat with large-capacity washers: more than 4,000 laundromats in the LaundroMaps directory list large-capacity machines, as of October 2026 (LaundroMaps directory data).

If you'd rather not haul it, a wash-and-fold service or a drop-off laundry service will wash it for you; point out the care label and ask for low heat. Some blankets have their own rules: see our guides to washing a weighted blanket, washing an electric blanket and washing a comforter or down duvet.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get rid of lint on blankets?

Wash fuzzy blankets alone or with similar fabrics, away from towels and corduroy, which shed or attract lint. Remove lint and pills that are already there with a battery fabric shaver or a gentle comb.

What is the most effective lint remover for a blanket?

For pills and lint stuck in the surface, a battery fabric shaver, also called a de-piller, works well. Prevention matters more: a mesh bag, a gentle cycle and separate loads for lint shedders.

Can I rewash clothes or a blanket to get lint off?

A rewash helps only if the lint source is out of the load. Wash the blanket alone or with similar fabrics, then shave off any remaining pills.

I accidentally left clothes in the washing machine overnight. What should I do?

Smell the load, blanket included, before drying. A few hours usually does no harm, but if it smells musty, run it through another full wash before it goes in the dryer.

Should you wash a blanket on cold or warm?

Cold, for most fleece, sherpa, minky, faux fur, knit and wool blankets. Hot water can melt plush synthetic fibers, so follow the label and use warm only where it allows.

How we researched this

We read care guidance from Nebraska Extension's quilt-cleaning publication, Utah State University Extension, the American Cleaning Institute, the FTC and Woolmark, plus makers writing about their own products: Whirlpool on its washers, Polartec on fleece, Shannon Fabrics on minky, Lion Brand on acrylic yarn and Pendleton on its wool blankets. We cited 14 sources and LaundroMaps directory counts from October 2026. We did not lab-test these methods; when a care label disagrees with this guide, follow the label.

Explore states

Browse services