If you’re anything like us, your heated throw follows you from room to room. Whether it’s lazy weekend mornings with a book and a coffee, or curled up on the sofa in the evening for Movie Night, your throw goes everywhere with you.
That means, however, that it’s exposed to all kinds of unwanted marks, stains and odours. Less than ideal.
If you’ve just unboxed your brand new cosy companion, you might want to know how to preserve its loveliness. Or maybe you’ve got a bit of throwbarassment from an ice-cream spill, or your dog’s taken to sleeping on it after long walks in the rain.
Here’s what to do to keep your electric throw feeling fresh and new!
Can You Wash an Electric Throw?
The short answer is, yes. As long as your electric throw has a detachable power cord (most of them do, you just might not have noticed before), you’re golden. Usually you’ll find a kind of chunky plastic corner you can tug at to completely disconnect the power lead and control console, ready to be tossed in the laundry.
Check the care label before you do anything else - it should tell you how to wash it and at what temperature.
We recommend washing your heated throw or blanket on a low heat (see the instruction manual or the needlessly confusing hieroglyphs on your washer for the temperature control setting) and without any conditioner or softener.
Drop in a very small amount of detergent, and if your washer has a delicate cycle, it’s a good idea to use that.
If you’ve gotten any particularly stubborn stains on it (splash of Merlot, anyone?) you’re better off spot-treating the stain first with a bleach-free stain remover before running it through a wash cycle.
Hand-washing Heated Throws
If you’re a bit worried about chucking it in the washing machine, you can always go old-school and hand-wash your heated throw in the bath or sink. Use a small amount of mild soap and gently scrub at any stains or marks.
Don’t leave it wet for too long, and try not to stretch or twist the blanket to remove excess water.
How to Dry an Electric Throw?
Once it’s out of the washer, you’ll want to hang it completely flat and out of direct sunlight. Air drying on a rack or a washing line is your safest option, because even draped over a radiator, you might expose your blanket to some wiring damage.
Many of our heated throws are tumble dryer safe (use a low heat setting), but you’ll want to check the care label to check your product is safe to put on a dry cycle.
In Summary…
Here’s a nice, skimmable summary of how to safely keep your heated throw clean and fresh!
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Spot clean stains as and when they happen
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Check your care label for washing and drying instructions
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Wash and dry at low temperatures
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Use mild detergents, avoid bleach and conditioners
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Air dry where possible
Take a look at our range of cosy heated throws and overblankets - even our Luxury Faux Fur throw is machine washable and tumble dryer safe!