Can I wash a synthetic blanket in a washing machine and how?

It's fairly easy to tell whether or not you can wash a synthetic blanket if the label with the instructions remains. But if the label is missing and the blanket is already dirty, you should think twice before getting it wet. In this post, we'll discuss washing synthetic padding and provide some care recommendations for blankets with synthetic padding.

Material features

Synthetic batting is quite easy to care for; it can even be soaked in cold water without any damage. However, avoid soaking it in hot water, vigorously rubbing it, or exposing it to harsh chemicals. A synthetic blanket can easily withstand gentle washing, either by hand or in a washing machine. The problem may arise elsewhere, namely in the loading of the washing machine drum.

The fact is that a dry blanket weighs relatively little, and owners of "home helpers" with a 5-6 kg load capacity, without even thinking, stuff them into the drum and hope to wash them. Meanwhile, a wet synthetic blanket, while retaining its original volume, weighs tens of times more. What are the risks? It can damage the washing machine, since an overloaded drum (especially at high speeds) quickly becomes unbalanced when spinning, and the mechanism becomes unusable. What should you do before deciding to wash a blanket in the washing machine?

1. Check your machine's instructions to see if it can handle bulky items. If so, its drum is likely suitable for heavy wet laundry.
2. An overloaded drum should not rotate at high speed, maximum 200-300 rpm.

Important! Even if you own a washing machine with a large drum and a large load capacity of 12-15 kg, these rules still apply.

3. When washing a synthetic blanket, be sure to turn off the spin and dry cycles, as they will definitely ruin the blanket.

Sintepon, being a synthetic fiber, is very similar in care to another filler – holofiber. How to wash a hollow fiber blanket in a washing machine, you can read in the publication of the same name on our website.

Instructions

If your washing machine can easily wash a synthetic blanket, go ahead and do so, but first, check the experts' recommendations to avoid accidentally damaging it.

• Remove and rinse the powder compartment; there should be no residue of powder or other detergent in it.
• Pour a small amount of special detergent for washing synthetic blankets into the powder dispenser.
• Only wash the blanket whole. If there are holes, sew them up and then roll it up several times to form a tube. Only after these steps can you put the blanket in the drum.
• Close the door and select the appropriate wash cycle. This could be "Down Duvet," "Bulky Items," "Gentle Wash," or something similar. In this case, the main thing is that washing takes place in water no warmer than 40⁰C, and the drum did not spin too fast.
• Turn off the spin and dry functions and run the wash cycle. If you have a double rinse option, you can use it to help remove the detergent from the synthetic padding.
• When the wash cycle is finished, don't bother removing the wet and heavy blanket from the drum. Let it sit in the drum for about an hour, during which time most of the water will drain.

Please note: When leaving a blanket in the drum to drain, be sure to open the door to prevent the item from becoming suffocated and developing an unpleasant odor.

Now all that's left to do is dry the wet blanket; the wash is complete. Machine washing a synthetic blanket is ideal. Quite often, things are different: the machine has a small load, and the blanket is too large to fit in the drum. What should you do in this case? You can wash the synthetic blanket by hand, but this requires plenty of water and some muscle power. What should you do?

1. Fill the bathtub with water at 30-40 degrees (approximately ¼, although everything will depend on the size of the blanket).
2. Dissolve liquid blanket detergent in water.
3. We sew up all the holes that can be found on the synthetic padding blanket.
4. We place the blanket in the bathtub so that it gets evenly wet and sinks.
5. We distribute the item more or less evenly across the bottom of the bathtub.
6. We climb into the bathroom and start trampling on the blanket with our bare feet, but we need to do this carefully.
7. After stamping around for 20-30 minutes, we get out of the bath and drain the soapy water.
8. Pour in some cool water for rinsing, rinse the blanket, drain the water, then fill it up again and rinse again, and do this 2-3 times.
9. We drain the water from the bathtub and leave the drain open. Next, you need to wait 1 hour for some of the water from the blanket to flow into the drain.
10. Now it will take muscle strength to pull the wet blanket out of the bathroom, drag it to the dryer, and then spread it out on that dryer.

How to dry?

Drying a synthetic blanket is much easier than, for example, a blanket filled with down or hollow fiber. Synthetic filling is much less likely to clump and stick together, but it's still best to follow simple instructions when drying a blanket made of this material.

First of all, experts believe the best drying option is to lay a blanket flat. The best option is to take a drying rack out to the terrace, lay it out, make sure it's stable, and then spread the wet synthetic blanket on it. In hot summer weather, the blanket will dry outdoors in 4-6 hours.

It is not advisable to place a heater or other powerful heat sources near the dryer. However, if you have a fan heater, you can place it 2-3 meters away from the dryer with a blanket and direct a stream of hot air at the item.

Important! Approximately every hour, you should approach the drying blanket and shake it. You should also turn the blanket over a couple of times; this will help the synthetic filling dry better and distribute itself more evenly.

In conclusion, washing a synthetic blanket in a washing machine isn't all that difficult, but only if your washing machine is designed for this type of washing. If your washing machine can't accommodate the blanket, you can hand wash it. This will require more effort, but the results will be better. The key is to dry the blanket properly afterwards, otherwise all your work could be ruined. Good luck!

   

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