Washing a (Mostly) Wool Blanket - Dry Clean?

[clamum]

I have this army surplus type blanket that's 70% wool and 30% synthetic. It says "dry clean only" on it.

Would you guys follow that or just use a regular washer/dryer? Do you think it'd be ok on gentle cycles?

I was gonna use it to put on my bed cause the cat likes to sit there and he leaves a lot of hair on my comforter, so I figured an easily-washable blanket would be good over it.

 

[Crono]

It would probably be okay delicate/gentle cold rinse cycle, tumble dry low/no heat.

That could still potentially shrink it and/or reduce the flame retardancy, though.

 

[who?]

I would dry clean wool that says dry clean only.

 

[who?]

Well, maybe wash it:https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=machine+wash+wool+dry+clean+only

 

[lxskllr]

Hand wash with a bit of dish detergent. It'll weigh a hundred pounds when you're done. Hang it to dry, preferably outside.

 

[BoomerD]

I would dry clean wool that says dry clean only.

This. I took a Pendleton wool blanket to the dry cleaners in CA. They guy had cleaned these blankets for us several times over the years, so I was confident he'd do a good job.

WRONG! His crew washed the fucking thing...turning a $300 king sized blanket into a thick blanket that would barely cover a full-sized bed.

I took it back to him a few days later...he denied that they had done it. "Oh, that's wool, we would dry clean it, not wash it." Even when I gave him the tag for his service dated only a couple of days prior, he still denied washing it.

Wasn't expensive enough to justify taking him to court for...but he lost all our dry cleaning business. (and between my wife and I at the time, we had $50/month in dry cleaning almost every month.

if the tag says "machine washable," wash it...if it says "Dry Clean Only".........go ahead and wash it anyway...what could possibly go wrong? ()

 

[lxskllr]

This. I took a Pendleton wool blanket to the dry cleaners in CA. They guy had cleaned these blankets for us several times over the years, so I was confident he'd do a good job.

WRONG! His crew washed the fucking thing...turning a $300 king sized blanket into a thick blanket that would barely cover a full-sized bed.

I took it back to him a few days later...he denied that they had done it. "Oh, that's wool, we would dry clean it, not wash it." Even when I gave him the tag for his service dated only a couple of days prior, he still denied washing it.

Wasn't expensive enough to justify taking him to court for...but he lost all our dry cleaning business. (and between my wife and I at the time, we had $50/month in dry cleaning almost every month.

if the tag says "machine washable," wash it...if it says "Dry Clean Only".........go ahead and wash it anyway...what could possibly go wrong? ()

Putting it in the dryer is where they fucked up. People have been washing wool for tens of thousands of years, and dry cleaning has been around for ~60.

If it was a premium blanket, dry cleaning would be cheapish insurance against the possibility of fucking it up, but for an army blanket? You can get them for ~$20. I hand wash all my wool. I had one blanket bleed color. In retrospect, I might have tried a mordant first, bit it looks about as good as it did when I bought it, and I'm not terribly concerned washing it once every ten years or so.

 

[WHAMPOM]

I have this army surplus type blanket that's 70% wool and 30% synthetic. It says "dry clean only" on it.

Would you guys follow that or just use a regular washer/dryer? Do you think it'd be ok on gentle cycles?

I was gonna use it to put on my bed cause the cat likes to sit there and he leaves a lot of hair on my comforter, so I figured an easily-washable blanket would be good over it.

Wash it on warm, tumble dry, it will shrink, why the worry about a pet blanket?

 

[clamum]

LOL, Boomer "what could possibly go wrong?" :awe:

It actually wasn't bought for a cat blanket, but i think it's the only blanket I have around so I was gonna use it for that purpose instead.

I think I'll just buy a cheap, machine washable blanket from Walmart and use that instead. Thanks for your help anyway, guys. And what lxskllr said kinda makes sense, "Putting it in the dryer is where they fucked up. People have been washing wool for tens of thousands of years, and dry cleaning has been around for ~60."

 

[BoomerD]

Putting it in the dryer is where they fucked up. People have been washing wool for tens of thousands of years, and dry cleaning has been around for ~60.

If it was a premium blanket, dry cleaning would be cheapish insurance against the possibility of fucking it up, but for an army blanket? You can get them for ~$20. I hand wash all my wool. I had one blanket bleed color. In retrospect, I might have tried a mordant first, bit it looks about as good as it did when I bought it, and I'm not terribly concerned washing it once every ten years or so.

Well...you're right...of course. After all...sheep don't shrink when it rains...

 

[Thump553]

When I was a kid we had a bunch of surplus army blankets. My mother always put them in the wash. After two or three washings they felt like emery cloth and retained next to no heat.

But it should be fine for your cat. Alternatively you could buy a cheapie throw wrap,

 

[madoka]

It's a Rothco (AKA Crapco) blanket. It's sold by the Rothenberg family in NY, who are more about the bottom line than selling quality products. They make knockoffs of popular military surplus items. I've compared their Chinese manufactured stuff to legit military surplus and you can totally tell the difference in quality. Furthermore, I read an employee's account of how the owners have a disdainful view of 2A rights and military service, yet sell military surplus items.

But if it's for your cat to pee on, it should be fine.

https://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=91220

 

[gotsmack]

Just buy a cheap duvet cover at Ikea. They're easier to wash.

Also washing cheap wool makes it scratchy.

 

[Chiropteran]

To me, a "dry clean only" label basically just means the item is disposable.