YAY thrift stores! I scored two 100% wool blankets! How to ....

[canuckgal]

...care for them? They are in excellent shape and HEAVY! one is twin size, the other a double.

Anyone have any ideas for washing? They do look clean right now. I do not want to dry clean if I can help it. I have heard to wash in a front loader on gentle, although mine is a VERY basic machine without alot of fancy settings. Or, I have heard about soaking in the tub in a wool wash solution, with then putting them on a delicate spin in the machine and air drying.

Any tips anyone? I would hate to ruin these blankets by washing them wrong! TIA!

[Ruthiegirl]

I have a heavy army blanket that I love. I washed it for the first time a few weeks ago -- front loader on a gentle cycle with warm temp. I laid it out in the basement where we have a dehumidifier and it dried beautifully. It is even softer and loftier.

Not sure if that is the 'professional' way to do it, but it worked great for me.

[cristeen]

Just FYI - even if you wash them "wrong" - the worst that's going to happen is that they'll shrink a bit - they'll still be perfectly useable.

The trick when washing wool is no sudden temperature changes, and minimal agitation. So if you can set your machine to cold/cold with no spin, that's what I'd do. My machine has a wool cycle, and that's what it does, but even a gentle cycle with cold/cold with a low spin would probably work.

I wouldn't want to try to hand wash a double blanket, it's going to be really heavy when wet.

Hang to dry - but not from one side or the other - drape it over something that will support it's weight so it won't stretch. And protect the floor from water drips. If you can lay it on a bed of towels, roll it up and then walk on it to squeeze the water out of the blanket and into the towels, it will drip less and dry quicker. And the towels can be tossed in the dryer.

[zebra15]

try this link
http://housewares.about.com/od/sewin...lanketcare.htm

[UberMama]

I am jealous! I can never for the life of me find wool anything at our thrift stores!

[canuckgal]

Originally Posted by UberMama

I am jealous! I can never for the life of me find wool anything at our thrift stores!

I know, I was shocked when I found them. We are keeping our heat lower than last year so that is the main reason I got them. One fits dd's twin, and the other is actually passable for our queen bed. Now just gotta get another twin one of some sort. I've looked on Ebay, but they are expensive. I got the twin for 12.99 CDN and the larger one for 24.99 CDN, at a Value Village. There is not a flawed/dirty spot anywhere, and they are nice and thick.

The tags on both of them are from Ayers Mill in Lachute, Que. When I googled it, it seems that this mill was started in the 1880's, but doesn't appear to be operational now. It really made me realize what a steal this deal was lol! In short, I was lucky to get some great quality blankets! I enjoyed being warmer last night that is for sure!

[ParisApril]

Nice! I picked up 5 wool blankets at second hand stores last winter and I love them. I am still looking for more. Ebay has some too. They cost more than the $2-5 dollars the second hand store charged me though!

I wash mine (not often, just when I bought them actually) on cold and hang to dry outside.

[_ktg_]

Congrats on your awesome find. It gives me hope to continue trolling the local stores here.

[Malva]

I have some I got from VV as well and I've never washed them. Wool is naturally antibacterial and they had no smell at all.

[chiara]

front loader on gentle or hand wash and air dry has worked very well for my wool blankets.

[BBerryBliss]

I found some nice army blankets that are 100% wool at a thrift store. I just wash them like I would anything else, I doubt the military washed them all gentle and layed them flat to dry. I've had no problems, no shrinkage, they are great.

[canuckgal]

thanks everyone for your replies....washing them will be for another day, maybe in the summer when I can put them outside. Like others said and I now realize, wool is antibacterial and does not smell. These blankets seem pretty clean! They are in between the flat sheet and the comforter so do not really contact skin directly.

Ps, dd says to say she really likes hers, lol!!!!

[Satori]

Stupid question but how to you tell there wool? Do you just have to check the tag?

[daytripper75]

I just picked one up this morning at the thrift store. Only $5!

Thanks for this thread, I was thinking of it as I scoured the racks. Now I know how to clean it.