As the temperatures drop, the blankets and heavy comforters come out as you try to keep warm. If you want those favorite blankets, bedspreads and comforters to last for many years of coziness, you need to take care of them with proper cleaning for their specific fabrics and materials.
Nonelectric blankets
All blankets require cleaning eventually, especially if you use them often on the couch or your bed. Make sure you read the label carefully for washing instructions. You can clean most blankets in the washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold to warm water and then dried on low or hung to dry. If you’re uncertain how safe it is to machine wash your blanket, comforter or bedspread, having it professional dry-cleaned is a good option.
Electric blankets
It’s a good idea to keep the washing instructions for electric blankets somewhere you can access them when necessary, but you can wash most electric blankets like normal blankets. Dry cleaning electric blankets is inadvisable though as the process can damage the wiring.
Wool blankets
Wool blankets may be woven or knit fabric, and cleaning them requires special precautions. Cleaning and drying wool blankets at too high a temperature can make them shrink or feel stiff. Many wool blanket care labels suggest washing them on a cold, gentle cycle with mild detergent followed by a low temperature dry or line dry. Following the specific cleaning instructions for wool blankets doesn’t guarantee they won’t shrink. In fact, industry standards allow for as high as 6% shrinking after washing a wool blanket five times.
Comforters
It’s quite common for thick comforters to experience shrinkage after cleaning and one reason for this is that the fabric wasn’t preshrunk or stabilized properly before construction. When a comforter shrinks after cleaning it can appear puckered, and the seams may have a rippled or distorted look, which detracts from the original beauty of the bedding. It’s important to follow specific care instructions for comforters due to the variety of fabrics and filling materials manufacturers use during construction. Although some shrinkage is normal, if the comforter shrinks excessively, contact the manufacturer. To ensure that your comforters retain their shape and suffer minimal shrinkage, take them to a professional cleaner familiar with how to handle their fabric and filling materials.
Embassy Cleaners provides convenient pick-up and drop-off dry cleaning service for all your favorite blankets, comforters and bedspreads so you can stay warm and comfortable throughout the cold weather.
