Laundering Blankets, Woolen

Laundering Blankets, Woolen

Check that wool can be washed and dried, some labels may specify dry cleaning. Measure a woolen blanket before washing. It should be blocked or stretched to original size after laundering.

Pre-treat spots and stains. If the binding is heavily soiled, brush it prior to laundering with a liquid detergent or a paste made of detergent granules or soap and water. Or use a pre-wash soil and stain remover. Wash only one large blanket at a time.

Fill the washer with warm or cold water depending on the degree of soil, and a cold water rinse. Add detergent or soap. Agitate briefly to dissolve the product completely. Stop the washer; add the blanket. Distribute it loosely and evenly around the agitator. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the amount of soil. Start the washer and advance the control until agitation stops and wash water has been pumped out of the tub. After about 1 minutes spin, slowly advance the timer to the deep rinse cycle. Allow washer to finish the wash cycle automatically.

Dry a woolen blanket on the high temperature setting. To absorb moisture and dry a blanket more quickly, place 3 or 4 dry towels in dryer. Preheat towels for 3 to 5 minutes. This helps absorb moisture, dry blankets rapidly and avoid pilling caused by long tumbling. Place the blanket in the dryer with the warm towels. Set dryer control for about 20 minutes. Check the blanket after 10 minutes. Remove wile still slightly damp to avoid shrinkage.

Place blanket on flat surface or over two lines to finish drying. Stretch it to its original shape. When the blanket is completely dry, brush gently to raise nap. Press binding with a cool iron, if needed.

Removing Mildew in Fabrics

Remove mildew spots as soon as you discover them. Do not give the mold growth a chance to weaken or rot the material. Brush off any surface growth outdoors to prevent scattering the mildew spores in the house. Sun and air fabrics thoroughly. If any mildew spots remain, treat washable articles as described below. Dry-clean non-washable articles.

Wash mildew-stained articles at once with detergent and water. Rinse well and dry in the sun. If any stain remains, use lemon juice and salt or another bleach. If you use a bleach, be sure to first test colored fabrics for colorfastness.

Lemon Juice and Salt

Moisten stain with a mixture of lemon juice and salt. Spread in the sun to bleach. Rinse thoroughly.

Peroxygen Bleach

Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of sodium perborate or a powdered bleach containing sodium perborate or potassium monopersulfate with 1 pint of water. Use hot water if it is safe for the fabric; otherwise use lukewarm water. Sponge the stain or soak the stained area in the solution, or sprinkle the dry powder directly on the dampened stain. Let solution or powder remain on the stain 30 minutes or longer, then rinse thoroughly.

If mildew stains have been on the fabric for some time, it may be necessary to soak the fabric in the bleach solution overnight. Applying sodium perborate solution at or near the boiling point may remove stubborn stains. First be sure this treatment is safe for the fabric.

Chlorine Bleach

Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid chlorine bleach with 1 quart of warm water. Sponge the stain or soak the stained area in the solution from 5 to 15 minutes, then rinse. An additional soaking in weak vinegar (2 tablespoons to a cup of water) will stop further bleach action. Never use a chlorine bleach on silk, wool, or Spandex fabrics. Some fabrics with wash-and-wear or other special finishes may be damaged by chlorine bleaches. Articles with such finishes usually have a warning on the label attached to the garment when it is sold.

The Author:

Anne Field, Extension Specialist, with credit to MSU Extension

Photo. Frenchcargo

14 thoughts on “Laundering Blankets, Woolen

  1. – BY DICK NOYES

    I read about all kind of ways, to remove Ink Stains In The Dryer, and tried them to no avail. So call a person that works on them and he said use Finger nail Polish remover and it works better than any thing else that I tried. It was hands down better than all of the other ideas that I tried.

    1. That’s great to hear! It’s always helpful to find a solution that actually works, especially when it’s for stubborn stains like ink. Thanks for sharing your tip!

  2. I swear this really works. Use shortening on any fresh grease stain – such as motor oil. Rub the shortening into the stain and roll up your clothing and let set overnight. Rub under running water and the stain should come right out.

    1. Wow, using shortening to remove grease stains sounds interesting. I hadn’t heard of that before, but I’ll definitely give it a try. Thanks for sharing your unique solution!

    1. Peroxide is definitely a go-to for blood stains. It’s good to have a reliable and easily accessible remedy for those unexpected accidents. Thanks for the suggestion!

  3. This is my inexpensive tip like, spray and wash.

    Equal parts of white vinegar and liquid dishwashing soap put into a spray bottle and spray on spots, some you might have to rub on them. You will be amazed how it just lifts right off. Try it!

    1. Vinegar and dish washing soap as a spot treatment? I never would have thought of that combination, but it sounds like it could be very effective. I’ll have to test it out next time I have some stubborn stains. Thanks for sharing this inexpensive tip!

  4. The best aid for removing gum from hair, clothing and carpet I have found is mayonnaise! The oils in the mayonnaise breaks the gum down immediately. You just rub it in and the gum starts “melting” right away and wipes right out…you might have to spot treat clothing for the oil later, but it has saved a lot of hair and clothing of my four kids!

    1. Mayonnaise for removing gum? That’s new to me! It’s always helpful to have alternative methods for dealing with sticky situations. I’ll keep this in mind if I ever find myself in need of gum removal. Thanks for the recommendation!

  5. Drying Clothes – I have found how to dry your clothes faster & it also helps wrinkles…put your clothes in the dryer then toss in two tennis balls. It works great!

    1. Using tennis balls in the dryer to speed up drying time and reduce wrinkles is a clever idea. I’ll definitely give it a go next time I do laundry. Thanks for sharing this trick!

  6. When my son decided to use the dryer as a hiding spot for a game of hide and seek, the fold down door did not want to support his 65 pound frame and bent. With this, whenever I would dry a load of laundry, the door would pop open from the tumbling of the clothes. I proped and ironing board to close it for awhile (till I kept tripping on it) then I found at my local craft store…super magnets. These magnets are incredibly strong and 6 does the trick. I have called Sears about a replacement door and it is over $200.00!! With $3.65, I have used the magnets for 2 years and had no problems since.

    1. It’s amazing how creative solutions can save us a lot of money. Using super magnets as a replacement for a pricey dryer door is a brilliant idea! It’s great that you found an affordable alternative and haven’t had any issues since. Thanks for sharing this money-saving tip!

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