How Often Should You Wash Your Weighted Blanket Cover?

Most people wash their regular bedding once a week and think about it very little. Weighted blanket covers tend to get washed less often, partly because they feel more substantial and partly because it is not immediately obvious what the right frequency is.

The cover is the part of the blanket in direct contact with your body every night. Whatever accumulates on your skin during the day, sweat, dead skin cells, natural oils, ends up on the cover by morning. Left long enough, this affects both the feel of the fabric and the hygiene of your sleep environment.

Here is a practical guide to keeping your Doozie blanket cover in good shape.

How often to wash: the short version

• Every one to two weeks for regular use

• Weekly if you sweat during sleep, use the blanket directly on your skin, or are prone to allergies

• Every two to three weeks if you use a top sheet between yourself and the cover

• Immediately if the cover has been used during illness

These are guidelines, not rules. If the cover looks or smells clean, it probably is. If it has been three weeks and you have not thought about it, it is probably time.

Flo and Fluff: do they need different care?

Yes, slightly. The two covers are made from different fabrics and respond a little differently to washing.

The Flo cover is silky and breathable. It cleans well in a standard machine wash on a gentle cycle with cold water. High heat in the dryer can affect the fabric's texture over time, so air drying or a low-heat tumble dry is the better option. 

The Fluff cover is plush and benefits from a gentle cycle to preserve the texture. A light detergent works better here than a heavy-duty one, which can flatten the pile. When drying, a low-heat cycle or air dry keeps the plush feeling intact. A dryer ball can help maintain the loft.

Both covers can be washed in a standard home machine. You do not need a commercial washer for either, which is worth knowing given that the weighted inner blanket is a different story.

What about the inner blanket?

The inner weighted blanket does not need to be washed as often as the cover. Because the cover sits between you and the inner blanket, the inner rarely comes into direct contact with your body.

Washing the inner every two to three months is reasonable for most people. When you do wash it, check the care label first. Most weighted blankets can be machine washed on a gentle cycle, but the weight itself can put strain on a standard home drum. If the blanket is on the heavier end, a commercial washer is worth using.

The most important thing is to dry the inner blanket fully before using it again. Damp fill takes longer to dry than you expect, and incomplete drying can lead to mildew. Air drying in a well-ventilated space, or a low-heat tumble dry with several drying cycles, is the safest approach.

A note on washing frequency and longevity

Washing things less often to preserve them is a reasonable instinct, but with fabric, the opposite tends to be true. Accumulated body oils and residue break down fabric fibres over time. Regular washing with a gentle detergent and appropriate temperature actually keeps the fabric in better condition than infrequent heavy washing.

For both the Flo and Fluff covers, the combination of cold water, a gentle cycle, and low-heat or air drying will keep the fabric performing well for a long time. You are not preserving the cover by washing it less. You are just letting it accumulate things that eventually affect how it feels.

Quick reference

• Wash covers every one to two weeks

• Use a gentle cycle and cold water for both Flo and Fluff

• Air dry or tumble on low heat

• Wash the inner blanket every two to three months

• Dry the inner blanket fully before using it again

For questions about which cover is right for your sleeping style, the Flo vs Fluff guide covers that in detail.