Keep your wool blanket soft with this simple cleaning guide.

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Knowing how to wash a wool blanket keeps the material soft and like new.

you might hand-wash or machine-wash using a short, gentle, cold-water setting.

Purple and gray plaid wool blankets folded on gray chair closeup

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Keep reading to learn more about how to wash woolen blankets, as well as storage and repair tips.

Tip

Alwayscheck the fabric laundry care labelbefore cleaning a wool blanket because some are dry-clean only.

If you use it daily, then wash it every three months.

Pink and gray plaid wool blanket shaked out

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

If you only use it seasonally, wash it once per season.

Occasionally, hang the wool blanket outside for a few hours to freshen it.

Brush the Blanket

Lay the blanket flat on a clean surface.

Soft-bristled brush stroking pink and gray wool blanket

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Soak the area, and blot with a clean cloth.

Pre-Soak the Blanket in Cold Water

Fill the washing machine with cold water and a wool-safe detergent.

Put the wool blanket in, and let it soak for 15 minutes.

Stain treated with mild detergent solution on wool blanket

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Cancel the cycle, switch to the rinse cycle, and let it finish.

Send the blanket through one more rinse cycle if you see suds on the fabric.

If you have a wool-specific cycle on your washer, use this instead of the gentle cycle.

Pink wool blanket placed in washing machine

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

You may need to use more than one towel to eliminate the water.

If a spill or stain is fresh, immediately blot it with a clean cloth.

Blotting quickly will likely soak up most of the fluid.

Washing machine set to a cool and gentle cycle

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

If the stain sits, the liquid may penetrate the absorbent wool fibers.

Or, take the blanket to a professional to repair.

Wool fibers contract when heat is applied.

Towel rolled over pink and gray wool blanket to absorb moisture

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

The steam from an iron can often eliminate a crease in wool without the iron ever touching the fabric.

If you don’t do the latter, you risk creating a damaging shiny patch on the wool.

If pests are a concern, add a few cedar chips or woodblocks.

Pink and gray wool blanket hanging on drying rack

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Cedarwood is a natural flying insect repellent and an excellent alternative to mothballs.

Just use a gentle cycle or wool cycle on your washing machine.

Because wool fibers are so sensitive, use only a gentle, wool-safe detergent.

Other detergents could damage or shrink wool.

Eller FJ et al.Bioactivity of cedarwood oil and cedrol against arthropod pests.Environ Entomol., vol.