If you've got your weighted blanket already, you know how hard it can be to put it down. They're so warm and soothing that you probably want to wrap yourself up and just live in your weighted blanket forever. We get it! Work days would be a lot less stressful if we all had weighted blankets at our desks, after all. But for all that we want to take our blankets everywhere, like Linus from the Peanuts comics, that's not really practical. For one thing, most workplaces want a bit more professionalism than employees wrapped in blankets. For another, carrying your weighted blanket everywhere will eventually lead to spills and messes. 

Whether you carry your weighted blanket everywhere or you stick to using it at night, it's eventually going to need to be cleaned. But washing a weighted blanket is a bit more complicated than, say, washing your sheets. Here's what you need to know about caring for your weighted blanket: 

Washing and Spot Cleaning

Weighted therapy blankets are heavy — which is the point. But when it comes time to wash your calming weighted blanket, all that weight can be a bit more complicated. If you've got a kid's weighted blanket, it might not be a problem, but a 25 lb weighted blanket made for adults may be too heavy to actually put in your washing machine. So what's the alternative? Spot cleaning is a good start. Density Comfort weighted blankets are made from a thick, durable 100% cotton. This makes the fabric fairly absorbent, meaning it'll suck up spilled liquids and the like, but it also makes the fabric easier to clean. The good news is you can easily use a spot cleaning tool or spray-on cleaner if there are any smaller patches that got stained or dirty. Just make sure you find a cleaner that doesn't need to go through the wash afterward. 

Even with spot treatments, there will eventually be a point that you'll need to wash the whole blanket. We use 100% cotton and glass beads for our weighted therapy blankets to make them more comfortable for use during the summer, but that combination also makes our blankets washable. If you have a large enough and sturdy enough washing machine, it's worth trying to wash your weighted blanket, but don't add anything else to the load. Wash it in cold water and tumble dry on low. However, we will caution that washing a weighted blanket can throw off the balance of the tub in a washing machine. Since the weight of the blanket could cause damage to a standard home washing machine, you may want to find a commercial washing machine at a local laundromat. 

Long-Term Weighted Blanket Care

We know you'll want to use your calming weighted blanket all the time, which makes it pretty impractical if it's a hassle to wash. The good news is that when it comes to long-term care, there is a much easier option. Density Comfort offers a range of weighted blanket covers that are made to fit our calming weighted blankets so you can choose the fabric that suits your needs. Grab a soft, warm minky weighted blanket cover for use during the winter, and a breathable bamboo cover to keep your blanket comfortable during the hotter summer months. We also recommend grabbing a couple of weighted blanket covers for each weighted blanket because it helps provide better long-term care for the blanket itself. By using a weighted blanket cover, you protect the harder-to-wash interior and make it so you can go longer between washes (and possibly stave off the need for washing the heavy weighted blanket entirely). We specifically recommend getting a couple of weighted blanket covers per weighted blanket so you can swap the covers seasonally, but also so you can put on a new cover immediately when you take the current one off to be washed. 

Here at Density Comfort, we want to help you take the best care of your weighted blanket so it will last as long as possible, and that means proper cleaning and care. Explore all of our weighted blanket cover options to find the right match for you! Shop Density Comfort online today to learn more.