how to wash a minky blanket

How to Wash a Minky Blanket (in 6 Easy Steps)

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If you have discovered the joy of a soft, cozy minky blanket, you may be wondering about its care and asking how to wash a minky blanket.

The short answer is a minky blanket can be washed in the washer. But there are some things you need to know to keep your minky blanket safe from damage when washing it.

Can You Wash Minky Fabric?

Minky fabric does best if washed in cold water with a mild detergent. While it may be counterintuitive, the best way to keep your minky fabric soft is to avoid fabric softener and line dry it.

While hot water, or heat from the dryer, can melt the delicate fibers causing the minky fabric to become rough or stiff, fabric softeners can cause stiffness for a different reason.

The fine fibers of minky fabric can hold onto fabric softener so that it doesn’t rinse out in the wash. This causes the blanket to feel rough or stiff even after washing it.

How Often Should You Wash a Minky Blanket?

A minky blanket used regularly should be washed once a week to keep it in good shape. For blankets that receive occasional use, once every two weeks is recommended.

Minky fabric is soft, cozy, and warm, but its fine fibers collect dust and oils from your body. Over time this can cause your blanket to lose some of its softness. Regular washing can restore its softness and keep the fabric clean and fresh.

How to Wash a Minky Blanket

Below are a list of detailed steps and a video for how to wash a minky blanket:

  1. Shake out your minky blanket and place it in the washer.
  2. Add either liquid or powdered detergent. Pods are not recommended for washing blankets as they may not dissolve completely or may leave behind residue from the pod.
  3. Select cold water. The heat from hot water can melt the blanket’s fibers and cause them to lose their softness.
  4. Omit the fabric softener. Because the fibers of a minky blanket are very fine, fabric softeners can get trapped between the delicate fibers. When this happens, your washer cannot rinse it all away. This will leave your minky blanket feeling rough to the touch.
  5. Hang dry the blanket.
  6. Put the blanket in the dryer on the air-dry setting for a few minutes. This will fluff it up, leaving it soft and comfy.

How to Dry a Minky Blanket

Minky blankets have fine, delicate fibers that cannot withstand heat. Drying them in the dryer can melt the fibers leaving your minky blanket rough.

  1. Hang the wet minky blanket in a well-ventilated area until it dries. It may feel stiff or rough from the line drying.
  2. Place a dry blanket in the dryer on the air-dry cycle for a few minutes to fluff up the fibers and restore its characteristic softness.

How to Wash a Minky Couture Blanket

Minky Couture Blankets are prized for their softness and comfort, but they do need special care to keep them that way. Heat is their most common enemy and must be avoided when washing or drying them.

Here’s how to wash a minky blanket (couture): 

  1. Place your Minky Couture Blanket in the washer.
  2. Select the cold wash. This is vital to keeping the blanket soft and comfy, as hot water can melt the delicate fibers. Melted fibers are irreversible and should be avoided every time you wash the blanket.
  3. Add liquid or powdered laundry detergent. Laundry pods are not recommended for washing the blanket as they may not dissolve properly or may leave residue behind on the blanket.
  4. Line dry the blanket and then toss it into the dryer on the air-only cycle to fluff up the fibers.

How to Spot-Clean a Weighted Blanket

While weighted blankets with glass beads can often be washed in cold water in the washing machine, they must be dried flat. This isn’t always convenient, and they can take time to dry. Fortunately, if you’re wondering how to wash a minky blanket that’s weighted and more specifically how to spot clean on, you can spot-clean your weighted blanket to keep it clean and fresh.

  1. Use a clean, damp cloth and mild detergent to gently scrub and remove stains or spots on your weighted blanket.
  2. Rinse the area with cold water to remove the soap residue.
  3. Lay the blanket flat to allow the spot to air dry.

How to Make a Minky Blanket Soft Again

how to make your minky blanket softer

There are several reasons your minky blanket can lose its softness. While some can be restored, some cannot. Try these tips for restoring the softness to your minky blanket.

  • Damaged or Melted Fibers – If your minky blanket has lost its softness due to exposure to heat, there is little you can do to correct the issue. Heat melts the delicate fibers. This can occur from washing it in hot water or drying it on the heat setting on your dryer. Tossing it in the dryer on the air-only cycle may help, but it isn’t likely to restore the blanket to its original softness.
  • Stiffness from Use – A minky blanket can lose its softness with regular use as it collects dirt, dust, and body oils. To keep your minky blanket soft and comfy, wash it regularly in cold water.
  • Stiffness from Fabric Softener Residue – Using fabric softener in the wash can cause your blanket to lose its softness and become stiff or rough. This happens because fabric softeners get trapped between the delicate fibers where they cannot be rinsed away in the wash cycle. To restore the softness of the blanket that has been washed with fabric softener, try rewashing it with a cup of white vinegar and no detergent or fabric softener. The white vinegar will help remove the residues from fabric softeners and will typically restore the blanket’s softness.
  • Stiffness After Line Drying – Your minky blanket may feel stiff or rough after line drying it. Fortunately, that is easy to fix. Toss the blanket in the dryer set to air dry only to fluff up the fibers and restore softness to the blanket.

Here are a even more experts tips and tricks for how to make a blanket soft again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is minky fabric made of?

According to the COUTURE, minky fabric is 100 percent polyester, sometimes called cuddle fabric. It is a type of synthetic fiber used to make plush fabric. It is also hypoallergenic.

Also note that minky fabric is a different material than fleece.

Most minky fabric is one-sided, meaning the plush, fur-lined texture is only on the top side, while fleece is generally two-sided, with the texture on both sides.

For more, see how to wash a fleece blanket.

Is minky fabric safe for babies?

Minky fabric is safe for babies as it is soft, cuddly, and warm. Minky fabric sold by reputable sources is hypoallergenic and chemical-free, too. Look for fire-retardant items when choosing minky blankets for the nursery.

Beware of outlets or discount retailers selling cheap versions of minky fabric or minky blankets, as they may not meet the safety standards for babies.

Can you wash a minky blanket by hand?

When it comes to how to wash a minky blanket, a small minky blanket or throw can be washed by hand with mild detergent. Use only cold water and rinse it thoroughly to remove all traces of soap. Line dry the minky blanket to maintain its softness.

Alternatively, you can wash a minky blanket in the washer in cold water.

Can you wash a minky blanket with glass beads?

Weighted minky blankets with glass beads can be washed in the washing machine in cold water but beware of the capacity of your washer. If the blanket weighs more than 20 pounds, you may need to handwash it instead.

Either way, use cold water and mild detergent, but nix the fabric softener. Rinse the blanket thoroughly to remove soap and soil residue and dry it flat.

Can you put minky blankets in the washing machine?

If you’re wondering how to wash a minky blanket and you want to put in in the washer. Never fear….minky blankets can be washed safely in the washing machine with cold water and detergent. Do not add fabric softener.

Can you put minky blankets in the dryer?

Minky blankets cannot tolerate heat and cannot be dried on the heat settings of your dryer. However, they can be put in the dryer on the air-only cycle after line dried to fluff them up.

Final Thoughts on Washing a Minky Blanket

Minky fabric feels luxurious and warm on cold winter nights, but it doesn’t stay that way forever on its own.

So what’s the final verdict on how to wash a minky blanket?

It needs regular washing in cold water to keep the delicate fibers fluffy and warm.

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Ken Lyons
Ken Lyons is one of the founding members of Cleaner Digs. He is also the senior editor and contributing author. Ken has owned and operated two cleaning companies in the past: one commercial and one that serviced residential customers. He writes for Clean Digs to share his professional expertise on cleaning and organization. He's been a fastidious cleaning nut and writing about it for more than a decade.