How to care for your wool blankets and throws

Warmer weather is just around the corner so it’s time to refresh your home with a spring clean. One thing we get asked a lot is, “How do I clean my wool blanket?” so we’ve put together a guide with all you need to know about cleaning throws and blankets.

Firstly, all our throws are wool, so it’s not as simple as putting them in the washing machine, but it is pretty easy to keep your throw looking this good if you follow these top tips.

Shake it Up

When you get a new wool throw it’s a good idea to give it a good shake. And keep shaking it. In fact, give your wool throw a good shake every time you use it. This helps free loose fibres so they don’t get stuck on the surface and turn into bobbles.

Dab it Dry

If you spill anything on your blanket try to lift the stain immediately. If it’s a liquid, quickly gather the throw up and take it outside or hold it over the bath and shake the liquid off. (Wool has a natural resistance to moisture so there is a window of opportunity where the liquid will sit on the throw before soaking in.) If any has soaked in you’ll need to take extra action. The key thing is not to rub the cloth; instead, dab the spillage with a clean absorbent cloth, kitchen towel or even a baby wipe.

Wringing is wrong when it comes to throws

If blotting alone doesn’t lift the stain, run the affected area only under a cold tap and gently squeeze the spill. Smooth out and blot again with a kitchen towel to absorb as much moisture as possible and then leave to dry flat. Do not wring. Wringing will cause creases and can misshape the affected area. 

Never rub your wool blanket

The most important thing is not to rub your wool throw. Rubbing will cause the pile to nap and bobble so avoid where possible.

Pilling and bobbling

All our blankets are 100% wool. Wool is a natural fibre and will always pill with usage; pilling is the technical term for the little bobbles that appear on the surface of the fabric. They happen because fibres work themselves free and sit on the surface, then when you use the throw, they mat together and form the bobbles. (See “Shake it Up” above to avoid bobbles forming, but if you find that pilling occurs, we recommend using a wool comb or fabric shaver to remove any pilling. Electric fabric shavers are reasonable priced and come highly recommended; you can get them from Amazon or John Lewis or such.

Cleaning

If you shake your throw and air it out by hanging it on the line it should stay pretty clean for a long time. You can steam iron it to kill bacteria every now and then (again, give it a good shake, iron it, then hang it outside to air and dry out) but occasionally it will need a thorough clean so take it to the dry cleaners.