How to wash a minky blanket so it stays soft
A baby blanket is going to get washed. A lot. Spew, food, dribble, mystery sticky stuff from daycare. The good news is that minky is pretty tough. The bad news is there are a couple of things that will ruin it quickly.
Here's how we look after ours.
The short version
- Cold water
- Gentle cycle
- Wash it on its own, or with other soft things
- No fabric softener
- No bleach
- No dryer, no iron
- Line dry in the shade
That's it. If you only remember one thing, make it "no heat".
Why no heat?
Minky is polyester. The soft feel comes from millions of tiny fibres standing up. Heat (from a hot wash, a dryer or an iron) can melt or flatten those fibres, and once they're flattened they don't really come back. That's when you get a blanket that feels a bit crunchy or matted in patches.
Cold water and line drying keeps the pile soft. It also keeps the printed colours bright for longer.
Why no fabric softener?
It sounds backwards, but fabric softener makes minky less soft over time. It leaves a coating on the fibres that builds up wash after wash, and the blanket starts to feel slightly greasy and flat. Normal detergent, and not too much of it, is all you need.
Wash it on its own
Minky can pick up lint from towels and cotton clothes. It also doesn't love being in with zips, velcro and jeans, which can snag the surface. Wash it on its own, or with other soft, smooth things.
Drying
Hang it on the line, out of direct sun if you can. Australian sun is brutal on printed fabric over time. Minky dries fast, so even a couple of hours in the shade usually does it.
If you're in a hurry, a clothes airer inside near a fan works fine too.
Stains
For food or spew, rinse it under cold water as soon as you can, before it dries. A bit of gentle stain remover on the spot, then wash as normal. Avoid anything with bleach, because it'll fade the print.
If it's already gone a bit flat
If a blanket has been through a hot wash and lost some of its softness, a cold wash with no softener and a good shake while it's drying can help lift the pile a little. It won't fully come back from being melted, but it's worth a go.
Ours
All Blue Mink blankets are double-layered minky, printed and sewn to order in Australia. The care instructions are on each product page too. If you've got a question about washing yours, send us a message.
