How to wash a heated blanket

A heated blanket is still a blanket. It picks up the same crumbs, pet hair and spilled tea as any other, and most modern ones, ours included, are built to go through a washing machine. The wire inside is sealed and flexible. What damages it is heat, bleach, wringing, and being switched on while it's still damp. Avoid those four things and washing is uneventful.

Before it goes in

1. Switch off and unplug from the wall. Do this first, every time.
2. Detach the controller. It unplugs from the connector on the blanket. The controller and cord never get wet; set them aside somewhere dry.
3. Check the care label. Our blanket's label is sewn into the edge. If yours says something different from this guide, the label wins.
4. Look it over. Scorch marks, a wire you can feel bunched up, or a frayed connector mean the blanket shouldn't be used, let alone washed. Write to the maker instead.

Washing

• Wash it on its own, or with a couple of towels to balance the drum.
• Use a gentle or delicate cycle, cold or cool water, and a mild detergent.
• No bleach, no fabric softener. Softener coats the sherpa and makes it clump.
• Pick a low spin. Don't wring it by hand afterwards; wringing is what stresses the wire.

Drying

Tumble dry on low, or lay it flat over a drying rack or two chair backs. Either is fine. Don't hang it from one corner with the full weight pulling on the wire, and don't put it on a radiator or in direct sun to speed things up.

Then wait. The blanket must be completely dry before you reconnect the controller, right through the thick sherpa side. If you air-dried it, give it a full day. If you're not sure, give it another.

Never iron a heated blanket and never dry clean it; the solvents attack the wire's insulation.

How often

A few times a season is plenty for a blanket that lives on the sofa. In between, a damp cloth on the spot is usually all it needs. Washing less often is better for the fabric and the wire alike.

Storing it for summer

Let it cool, then roll it loosely or fold it in wide, soft folds. Sharp creases in the same place year after year are hard on the wire. Keep the controller with it, somewhere dry.

The full list of do's and don'ts is on our safety and care page, and the blanket itself is here.