How to Wash a Heated Blanket Safely Without Damaging the Wires
You spilled coffee on your faux fur heated blanket. Or your dog curled up on it after a walk in the rain. Now it smells, and you want to toss it in the washer. Then you stop and think about the wires inside. You wonder if water and wires mix at all.
The answer is yes. A faux fur heated blanket goes in the washer. The trick is in the steps you follow before, during, and after the wash. Skip one, and the wires bend, the controller gets wet, or the fur loses its feel.
This guide walks you through every step. It covers the washer settings, the detergent, the drying process, the fur care, pee accidents, and what to do if the blanket stops heating.
Do Heated Blankets Go in the Washer?
Yes. A faux fur heated blanket has a controller that unplugs from the blanket. Once you take the controller off, the blanket is fabric with wires sewn inside. Water does not hurt those wires. Heat hurts them. Twisting hurts them too. So does a spin cycle at top speed.
Read the Care Tag First
Every heated blanket has a care tag sewn near a corner or near the cord connector. The tag tells you which water setting to pick and if the dryer is allowed. Follow the tag over any online guide, including this one. The maker tested the blanket, so the tag wins.
Wash It Before You Use It the First Time
Wash the blanket before you use it for the first time. A wash removes factory dust and the smell from the packaging. It also fluffs up the fur after weeks in a box.
When to Wash a Heated Blanket?
Wash it every few weeks in winter if you sleep under it each night. A throw on the couch needs a wash about once a month. Wash it right away after a spill, a pee accident, or a cold or flu in the house. Each wash puts some wear on the wires and the fur, so don’t wash it more than you need.
Before You Wash: Safety Checks for the Wires
1. Unplug It From the Wall First, Then Detach the Controller
Pull the plug out of the wall outlet first. After that, pull the controller cord out of the blanket. Hold the plug itself, not the cord. Keep the controller and the cord away from water at all times. A King blanket has two controllers, so unplug both.
2. Look for Damage Before You Wash
Spread the blanket on a bed and hold parts of it up to a window. Look for scorch marks, spots where the wires bunch up, and tears in the fabric. Check the connector for cracks and for pins out of place. If you see any damage, don’t wash the blanket and don’t use it. Replace it.
3. Remove Pet Hair and Dirt
Take the blanket outside and give it a few shakes. Run a lint roller or a rubber glove over the fur to pull up pet hair. Hair that goes into the washer sticks to the fur and clogs the drain.
4. Treat Stains Before the Wash
Dab each stain with a little detergent and cold water. Use your fingertips or a cloth. Don’t scrub. Scrubbing presses on the wires and mats the fur. Let the soap sit for about 10 minutes before the wash.
Which Detergent to Use for a Heated Blanket
Detergent Types That Work
Pick a liquid detergent with no dyes and no perfume. These rinse out and leave nothing behind on the wires or the fur. Tide Free & Clear, All Free Clear, and Seventh Generation Free & Clear all work. A delicates wash like Woolite Delicates keeps the fur from matting. If you own an HE washer, use a detergent with the HE label.
How Much Detergent to Use
Use half the amount you put in a load of towels. Faux fur holds onto soap. Soap left in the fibers clumps them together and pulls in dirt.
What to Avoid: Powder, Pods, Bleach, and Fabric Softener
- Powder detergent: the grains do not dissolve all the way in cold water. They get stuck in the fur.
- Pods: the gentle cycle does not always dissolve the film around the pod.
- Bleach: chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach both break down the fur and the coating on the wires.
- Fabric softener and dryer sheets: they leave a film on the wires and mat the fur.
Using Vinegar and Baking Soda
Both help with smells. Add half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse. Or add half a cup of baking soda to the wash water. Don’t mix the two in the same wash. They cancel each other out.
How to Machine Wash a Heated Blanket?
Water Temperature, Cycle, and Spin Settings
- Fill the washer with cold water and add detergent. Let the blanket soak for about 15 minutes before the wash starts.
- Pick the gentle or delicate cycle.
- Keep the wash time short. Most washers have no two minute setting. Start the gentle cycle, and after a few minutes, skip ahead to the rinse.
- Set the spin to low or no spin.
- Wash the blanket alone. Zippers and buttons on clothes catch on the fur.
Heat from the water melts the coating on the wires and curls the tips of the fur. A wash that runs too long bends the wires. A spin at top speed pulls them out of place.
Which Washer to Use: Front Load, Top Load, or HE
A front-load washer works best. It tumbles the blanket and does not twist it. A top load washer with a center post, called an agitator, wraps fabric around the post. That motion bends the wires. If you have one, use the bathtub method below or a washer at a laundromat. A top load HE washer has no post, so it works too.
Does a King Size Heated Blanket Fit in Your Washer?
A King blanket fills the whole drum, and faux fur soaks up a lot of water. Most home washers fit a Throw, Twin, or Queen. A King fits in a washer with a drum of 4.5 cubic feet or more.
If yours has less room, take the blanket to a laundromat and use one of the front load washers there. Then bring it home to dry. The dryers at a laundromat run hot enough to damage the wires inside.
When to Hand Wash Instead (Bathtub Method)
When Hand Washing Makes Sense?
Most people in the US wash blankets in a machine, and that is the way to go for this blanket too. The bathtub works better in three cases: the tag says hand wash only, your washer has an agitator, or only one spot needs a wash.
How to Soak and Rinse in a Bathtub?
- Fill the tub with a few inches of cold water. Mix in a capful of detergent.
- Lay the blanket in the water. Press it down with your hands so the water soaks through.
- Leave it for 15 minutes. Then press and release the fur a few times. Don’t rub or twist it.
- Drain the tub. Refill it with water only and press the blanket again to rinse it. Repeat until no suds come out.
- Drain the tub and press the water out with your palms. Don’t wring it.
Lift It Out of the Tub Without Pulling the Wires
Faux fur soaks up far more water than most fabrics. If you lift the blanket by one corner, that weight pulls on the wires. Roll the blanket into a log in the tub first. Then lift the whole roll with both arms under it. Lay a towel on the floor and set the roll on it.
How to Dry a Heated Blanket Without Damaging the Wires?
1. Air Dry It Flat
Lay the blanket flat on a drying rack or across two shower rods. Spread it out so the weight spreads evenly and air reaches both sides. Don’t hang it from one corner or over a line. The weight of the wet fur stretches the fabric and pulls on the wires. Don’t use clothespins, since they pinch the wires. Keep it away from heaters and out of the sun. Flip it every few hours.
2. Skip the Dryer Heat
Dryer heat damages the wires and melts the tips of the fur. Once that happens, the fur feels rough for good. If the care tag allows the dryer, use the no-heat or air-fluff setting only.
How Long a Heated Blanket Takes to Dry?
A faux fur heated blanket takes one to two days to dry. Rain outside and a room without airflow add time. Put a fan near the blanket to speed it up.
How to Tell It Has Dried All the Way?
The top of the fur dries long before the inside does. Check these spots:
- The connector, where the controller plugs in
- The seams along the edges
- The base of the fibers. Push the fur apart with your fingers and touch the backing.
- The middle of the blanket, where air reaches last
If you feel any moisture, wait a few more hours. Plug the blanket in only when you feel no moisture anywhere. Water near the connector causes a short circuit.
How to Keep the Faux Fur Looking New?
Why Faux Fur Needs More Care
Faux fur is made of polyester fibers. Heat curls and melts the tips of those fibers. The fibers also hold a lot of water and soap. So a faux fur heated blanket needs two kinds of care: care for the wires and care for the fur.
How to Bring Back the Bubble Texture
Faux fur lies flat right after a wash. This happens to every faux fur blanket. Once the blanket dries, shake it out a few times. Then brush the fur with a comb or a pet brush. Brush in the direction the fur lies, one section at a time. The bubbles come back as the fibers separate.
Stop Colors From Running on Tie Dye and Cow Prints
Tie dye and cow print blankets release some dye in the first few washes. Wash each one alone in cold water. Toss a color catcher sheet in the drum to trap the dye. Keep a white blanket out of any load with color in it.
How to Clean Pee Out of a Heated Blanket?
Urine carries electricity, and its salts and acids eat away at heating wires over time. So act fast.
Child Bedwetting: What to Do Right Away
- Unplug the blanket from the wall. Then pull out the controller.
- Change your child’s clothes and sheets first.
- Blot the spot with paper towels. Press down. Don’t rub.
- Turn the blanket over. Run cold water through the spot from the back. This pushes the urine out the way it came in.
- Spray an enzyme cleaner on the spot and leave it for 15 minutes. Enzymes break down the urine itself, not only the smell.
- Wash the whole blanket on the gentle cycle with half a cup of white vinegar in the rinse.
- Air dry it all the way before you plug it in again.
Keep hot water and heat away until the smell is gone, because heat locks the smell into the fabric.
Dog or Cat Pee on a Heated Blanket
Pet urine smells more than human urine, and faux fur traps it at the base of the fibers. Follow the steps above with two changes. First, let an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine sit on the spot for about 30 minutes. Second, sniff the spot once the blanket dries. If you still smell urine, repeat the enzyme soak and wash it again. Pets return to spots that smell like urine, so remove every trace.
What If Urine Reached the Controller or Connector?
If urine got on the controller, stop using it. Don’t rinse it, and don’t plug it in to test it. Wipe the outside with a cloth, then contact the brand for a new controller. If urine reached the connector on the blanket, rinse that area from the back with water. Let it dry for at least two days before you test it.
How to Remove Urine Smell That Has Set In?
If the smell comes back each time the blanket warms up, the urine never left the fibers. Soak the whole blanket in a tub of cold water with an enzyme cleaner for one to two hours. Then wash it on the gentle cycle with a cup of baking soda. Dry it, warm it up on low, and smell it. Repeat the process once more if needed. If the smell stays after two rounds, replace the blanket.
Heated Blankets and Kids: What to Know?
Heated blanket makers warn against use on babies and on kids who do not know how to use the controller. For a child who wets the bed, skip the heated blanket. Put a mattress protector on the bed and use a blanket without wires. Bring the heated blanket back once the accidents stop.
How to Remove Other Stains?
| Stain | What to do |
|---|---|
| Vomit | Scrape off the solids. Rinse from the back with cold water. Spray an enzyme cleaner, wait 15 minutes, then wash. |
| Sweat or body lotion | Rub a drop of dish soap into the spot to cut the oil. Wait 10 minutes, then wash. |
| Pain relief cream | Treat it like lotion. Don’t use these creams under a heated blanket. Heat on top of the cream raises the risk of skin burns. |
| Coffee, tea, or wine | Blot right away. Rinse from the back with cold water. Dab detergent on the spot and wash. |
| Makeup | Dab the spot with micellar water or dish soap on a cotton pad. Rinse and wash. |
| Food or grease | Scrape off what you can. Dab dish soap on the spot, wait 10 minutes, then wash. |
Accidentally Washed the Controller? Here’s What to Do
It happens. If the controller went through the wash, don’t plug it in. Water inside it causes a short circuit or a shock. Wipe it off and leave it to dry for a few days. Even if it seems to work later, water inside the parts causes damage over time. To avoid a shock or a fire, replace it. Contact the blanket brand and ask for a controller that matches your model.
Heated Blanket Not Working After Washing? What to Check
Controller Blinking or Showing an Error Code
A blinking light or an error code on the screen means the controller does not sense the blanket. In most cases, the plug is loose or the connector still holds moisture. Try these steps:
- Turn off the controller and unplug it from the wall.
- Pull the controller cord out of the blanket. Push it back in until it sits tight.
- Plug the controller back into the wall and turn it on to see if the error clears.
- If the error stays, let the blanket dry for one more day and try again.
- Try a different wall outlet.
Only One Side Is Heating
A King blanket has two controllers, one for each side. Check that both are plugged in and turned on. Then swap the controllers between the two sides. If the problem moves with the controller, the controller is at fault. If it stays on the same side, the issue is in the wires on that side.
When to Stop Using and Replace It?
Stop and replace the blanket if you see any of these signs:
- Scorch marks on the fabric
- A smell of smoke
- Wires that poke through the fabric or bunch up
- Spots that do not heat up after the blanket dries
- Errors on the controller after all the steps above
Want a Heated Blanket That Goes in the Washer?
Some heated blankets have a controller that stays attached, so a spill means a spot clean and nothing more. Others lose their feel after one trip through the washer.
If you want a heated blanket you can wash at home without worrying about the wires, the Faux Fur Heated Blanket works well: the controller unplugs from the blanket, and you can put the blanket in the washer or tub once the controller is out. It heats from 86°F to 122°F, turns itself off with a timer, and comes in Throw, Twin, Queen, and King sizes.
Washing Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t wash it in hot water. Heat melts the coating on the wires and the tips of the fur.
- Don’t run a whole wash cycle or a fast spin. Both bend the wires.
- Don’t wring or twist the blanket.
- Don’t use bleach, fabric softener, or dryer sheets.
- Don’t hang it from a line or pin it with clothespins.
- Don’t iron it or send it to a dry cleaner.
- Don’t put it in a dryer with heat.
- Don’t plug it in until it has dried all the way.
How to Store a Heated Blanket After Winter?
Wash and dry the blanket before you put it away. Stains and body oils set in over the summer. Unplug the controller and store it in a bag of its own so the cord does not kink. Fold the blanket loosely in thirds. Don’t stack boxes on top of it. Folds that stay pressed for months bend the wires, and faux fur flattens under weight. Store it in a cloth storage bag or a pillowcase, not a plastic bag. Plastic traps moisture and leads to mildew. Shake it out and brush the fur before you use it next winter.
A faux fur heated blanketsurvives the washer when you protect the wires, the controller, and the fur. Unplug it and take the controller off. Use cold water, a free and clear detergent, the gentle cycle, and a low spin. Dry it flat, keep it away from heat, and check every spot for moisture before you plug it in. Brush the fur once it dries to bring the bubbles back. Treat accidents right away from the back of the fabric with an enzyme cleaner. Follow these steps, and your blanket will last for winters to come.
The Trufairs Faux Fur Heated Blanket uses a detachable LED controller. Its plush faux-rabbit-fur surface also gives it a different feel from a basic electric blanket, so following the specific fabric and variant care directions is important. For more bedding and cold-weather comfort options, browse the Trufairs trending selection.
FAQs
Do Heated Blankets Go to the Dry Cleaner?
No. The chemicals in dry cleaning damage the coating on the wires and the faux fur.
Is a Laundromat Dryer OK for a Heated Blanket?
No. Laundromat dryers get hot enough to damage the wires and melt the fur. The washers there work for a King blanket. Dry it at home.
Do You Wash a Heated Blanket With Other Laundry?
No. Wash it alone. Other clothes add weight and rub against the fur. Zippers and hooks also snag the fabric and the wires.
Does Washing Void the Warranty?
Washing it the way the care tag says does not void the warranty. Washing it against the tag, like with hot water, bleach, or a dry cleaner, gives the brand a reason to deny a claim. Keep the tag and the manual.
