How to Wash Crochet Blankets with Care 

Are you wondering how to wash crochet blankets? Presume you’ve knitted or crocheted a blanket, whether as a gift or for yourself, you’ll ultimately need to clean it. Soaking a knitted or crocheted blanket is further simple than you think. Still, we should keep in mind that crochet is also an investment of our time and money, which can be spent if we don’t appropriately take care of our handmade items.

A safe way of washing a crochet blanket is by hand. This will maintain the blanket quality as much as possible, especially ancient and handmade blankets. However, you can also machine wash the blanket, but you have to be cautious in order not to damage it.

In this article, we will clarify the ins and outs of washing crochet blankets. We will clarify how to clean them by hand and in a washing machine. 

Can you wash a crocheted blanket?

Can you wash a crocheted blanket?
image source: Malani ham

Crochet blankets can be cleaned. Though, that doesn’t imply you can soak them the same way as your other blankets and clothes. You have to be much more cautious when washing them due to their fragile nature.

Crochet blankets, especially those that are handmade, can snag effortlessly and come unravelled, and they can also dwindle and become misshapen. They can also be made with several varieties of yarns made from numerous fibres. Different textures may respond differently to being cleaned. And older blankets that have weakened over time are more likely to become destroyed due to cleaning.

Crochet blankets, sweaters, caps, and scarves are homemade treasures that compel proper care to make them last for some years. So how do you clean crochet blankets and other precious items without damaging their quality? Well, despite the fibre content, hand-washing is the delicate way to tidy up your crochet piece and is preferred over utilizing a washer. 

Select a gentle detergent (applicable for the yarn texture content), and use cold water. If you are using a washing machine, a front-load washer without a centre agitator is less probable to spread your garment or blanket. If the item is weaved by machine, follow the instructions on the care tag.

How often should you wash? 

This depends on a few things: how frequently it’s utilized, the category of fabric, and the portion of dirt or dust buildup on it. Normally, crochet blankets are cleaned every three to four months. Still, if you use your crochet blanket every day, for example, as a bedcover, or to beautify your favourite reading chair, you may have to clean it more frequently.

This wouldn’t be an issue if you could clean a crochet blanket in the washing machine, but how would you know if you’re supposed to? Easy. Just verify what the blanket is created of.

Many crochet blankets don’t require to be cleaned continually — usually, once a season is enough — unless you have a pet or messy family members. Crochet clothing may not require to be rinsed after every wearing, particularly if it’s a sweater or a capote that’s layered with additional clothing unless it’s repeatedly worn.

Stuff You Should Know Before Cleaning Crochet Blankets

Hand wash

Hand washing is anyway best for soft yarns, like cashmere and mohair. It’s also a nice idea if your blanket has plenty of intricate elements, like lace boundaries and crochet flowers. Although the blanket might be machine washable, these susceptible areas might dwindle or shred during the washing process.

Use cold water

You don’t have to worry about sprawling or dwindling your blanket out of the pattern. For your initial washing, use a mild detergent for delicate clothes, such as newborn clothes.

 Test for colour fastness

It is important to first test for colour fastness for a layer that is required to be rinsed in a washing machine. Moist a cotton swab or white fabric with water and wipe it into the layer. If no dye comes off on the swab or fabric, it is comfortable to rinse the whole blanket in a washing machine. If dye is coming off, the blanket should be washed in water and then hand-washed.

Use mild detergent 

Use a delicate detergent when cleaning crocheted blankets in a washing machine. If the blanket has pom-poms affixed, they should be withdrawn before washing. The tennis ball’s pocket can be positioned in the dryer with the blanket to enable fluffing it up as it dries.

How to wash a crochet blanket in the washing machine?

Even though rinsing crochet blankets by hand is a cautious way to clean them, some of them can be machine-washed instead. This is particularly valid for store-bought crochet blankets or recent ones that are extra strong. Regardless, you still need to be cautious with how you rinse them.

The washing machine can result in further damage to the blanket if you use improper settings. The blanket can get snagged further in the washing machine than it can by hand-washing it, particularly if you wash it with additional items. It’s adequate to wash crochet blankets in the washing machine by themselves. You also need to make clear that you’re operating the right settings when you clean them.

When machine-washing a crochet blanket,  it can however get snagged in the washing machine, particularly top-load washing machines. You’ll be required to put the blanket inside a mesh laundry pouch to keep it safe from damage. Here are a few 

precautions you are required to follow before machine-washing crochet blankets

  • Use cold water to avoid shrinking. 
  • Use the gentle or delicate cycle, which consumes less turmoil and can enable you to keep the blanket from coming to be misshapen. 
  • You can use ordinary or delicate laundry detergent and make sure to use the exact quantity which is not more than ½ cup. 
  • If you use it too much, it may not get rinsed out fully.

Here are a few steps that  you are required to follow if you are machine-washing a crochet blanket 

Check the yarn label for specific washing machine instructions. 

Image source: Wikihow

Verify the tag that came with the yarn utilized to crochet the blanket. Relying on the fabric and category of the yarn, the washing instructions may vary. If the yarn is acrylic-based, there‘s a fair possibility that it’s comfortable to put in the washing machine.

Several yarn categories can be machine-washed. If you have a professional or artisan yarn that was recoloured by hand, rather you can opt for hand washing. If you have purchased the blanket or received it as a gift, see if it has a tag with maintenance instructions.

Place the sheet in a mesh backpack before setting it in the washer. 

Deal with the blanket in the exact way you would treat a precious item. Get a big, mesh laundry pouch and put your blanket inside. The bag will maintain the handmade material safe and secure while it’s rinsed. Take your item and load it on the top or face of your washer, depending on the category.

If you rinse any items with the blanket, make sure that they’re all fairly close in tone. The final thing you need is a red sock occurrence in your load of wash.

Take this opportunity to clean the rest of your delicate laundry, and put it all in with your blanket. While you definitely shouldn’t be rinsing crocheted blankets with your ordinary clothes, it’s okay to include them with other blankets and precious items.

Sprinkle less than 0.25 cups or 59 mL of liquid detergent into the water. 

Try the detergent top or the bottle itself to sprinkle a small quantity of product into the machine. Aim not to exaggerate it, as too much detergent can contaminate the yarn and make it less soft in the long run. Place your blanket in a big, mesh laundry pouch for an additional layer of conservation.

Begin the process with cold water and a precarious spin rate. 

Regulate your washer’s settings to cold or cool water, along with the most soothing spin rate possible. Most machines have a delicate preference, so select it if you discover it. When it comes to spin rate, try to maintain it on the lower end. Since you’re handling a handmade item, aim for the cycle to be as thoughtful as possible. Avoid washing the blanket in the machine for a longer duration. If required, you can often hand wash the blanket.

How to wash crochet blankets with your hand?

Here we have listed down all the instructions that you need to follow to clean a crochet blanket by hand. 

  • When cleaning a crochet blanket by hand, the main thing you’ll need to do is fill a tub or sink with cold water. Cold water is useful to avoid dwindling and damage, particularly with more delicate crochet blankets. Additionally, put ½ cup of detergent into the water. You can use any detergent, but delicate detergent is cautious to use for aged blankets or blankets prepared with more delicate fibres.
  • Use your hand to mix the detergent in the water until it is evenly mixed. Niche the blanket in the water and switch it until it is well-soaked. Prevent scrubbing and wringing the blanket to avoid damage. Then, soak the water and put it back in clean water.
  • Wash out the blanket in pure water to eliminate all of the detergents. Be sure that you don’t wring out the foam or you could spread the blanket or damage the fibres. When the washing-out water becomes soapy, drain it and restore it with clean water. Enact this procedure as often as required until all the detergent is washed out.
  • After cleaning the blanket, gently compress out the leftover water.  After squeezing out as much water as possible, roll the blanket up in a towel and press down on the towel to squeeze out additional water. Lay the blanket flat to dry and as it warms, reshape it if essential.

Drying the Blanket

Drying the Blanket
Image source: Blackwork and co

Put the blanket on a shelf to let it dry for one day. 

Take your damp, hand-washed blanket and flatten it over a drying shelf. These shelves come in numerous styles, but most include many horizontal rods that can wrap and grab different pieces of laundry. Smooth out the blanket so that it wraps the frame in a long, flat pane, and give it about 1 day to air-dry.

Ideally, let the blanket dry outside. If you don’t have any drying area outdoors, make sure that you put the shelf in a nook of your house where there’s plenty of open air. Don’t leave it in the daylight for too long, as you don’t wish for the shades to fade.

Put the blanket in the dryer if the maintenance instructions permit it. 

Send the damp blanket and hurl it into the dryer. For some fabrics, a low, constant proportion of heat is a reasonable and effective way to dry your blanket if you don’t feel like air-drying it. Put other items in the dryer as required, but make sure they can be warmed at low heat.

To add another layer of safety to your blanket, consider positioning it in a big mesh pouch before starting the drying cycle.

Whether you stay in a humid environment or not, you should store your blanket in a dry and cold area like a cupboard or a closet. You can also dangle it on a clothesline.

Additional care tips for washing a crochet blanket:

  • Fold the blanket rather than hang it up. This will help avoid the blanket from sloping out of shape.
  • When touring with a crochet blanket, wrap it up tightly to avoid wrinkles and ruffles.

Now that you know these recommendations and how to wash crochet blankets, your special piece of decor will stay in decent condition for years to come. Make sure to always use cold water and a mild cycle when cleaning blankets made from natural fibres like cotton or wool. Ultimately, if you want to be more careful, hand-washing is forever the satisfactory method.