Top 5 Ways to Keep a Fleece Blanket Soft

Fleece blankets, loved by babies and adults alike for their soft fuzziness, provide the perfect way to cuddle up on a chilly day, and carry people off to sweet dreams at night. However, many people are disappointed when their cuddly fleece blanket loses its softness. This usually happens because of improperfleece laundering. Learning how to care for and clean your fleece blanket helps keep it soft for years to come.

1. Understanding Why Fleece Becomes Rough
Understanding why fleece fabric loses its softness is the first step to keeping it cuddly soft. Fleece is a type of polyester fabric, often made from recycled plastic or petroleum. The difference between fleece and microfleece comes partially noted by how tight the fabric weave is and its thickness. Microfleece is the thinnest, and woven the tightest, often seen as 100 to 300 thread count. While high-quality fleece, often labeled "Ultra Plush," does not pill, lower quality fleece does, making it lose its softness more quickly.

2. How to Wash Fleece Blankets
Always wash fleece alone or with other fleece blankets and clothing that is similar in texture to prevent abrasion. Fill the washing machine halfway with cold or lukewarm water, and then add a gentle laundry detergent. Let the detergent dissolve until it creates suds before putting the blanket into the machine. Never use bleach on a fleece blanket. Allow the washer to go through its gentle cycle, and then add fabric softener if desired and rinse the blanket one more time. This helps ensure all of the detergent comes out, and leaves the blanket soft and fresh.

3. Removing Stains
Because fleece blankets are the perfect cover for watching TV, they come in contact with all manner of stains. To remove an oily stain, or still-damp liquid, try sprinkling the spot liberally with cornstarch-containing baby powder, and then allow it to sit overnight before washing as usual. The powder soaks up the oil or liquid nicely, and then washes away. For other stains, or more stubborn oily stains, try dabbing some quality dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn, directly into the stain, and then allow it to sit overnight before washing. Following either method, remember to wash in cold water, and put the blanket through an additional rinse cycle to keep it soft.

4. How to Dry a Fleece Blanket
If the weather cooperates, hanging a fleece blanket on a line outdoors is a great way to dry it without pilling, which happens when the fabric rubs against the sides of the dryer and other clothing. If you want to use the electric dryer, always choose the low heat setting. Check the blanket frequently so you can remove the blanket as soon as it is dry.

5. Removing Pilling
Pilling occurs when tiny balls of lint entangle in the ends of the fleece fibers. Friction against linty items such as towels, or the sides of the washer and dryer, causes this, and it builds up over time. With a little patience, pilling is easy to remove with an electric fabric orsweater shaver. If you do not have one of these handy gadgets, try running a disposable razor over the surface of the blanket. Be sure to use light pressure to avoid cutting or scarring the fabric itself. As you do this, the pills fall to the table, floor, or your lap. To clean them up quickly, wrap some wide tape, sticky side out, around your hand, and dab it up before it can relocate back onto the blanket. Removing pilling on such a large surface works best after every laundering, or the job could become onerous.