How to Wash a Wool Blanket (and Keep a Throw Beautiful for Years)

If it allows washing, hand wash the blanket in cool water with a detergent made for wool, press the water out without wringing, and dry it flat away from heat. If the label says dry clean only, take it to a dry cleaner and keep it fresh at home with air, steam and a little patience.

A good wool blanket is a slow object. It gathers warmth through a winter of evenings, softens with use and holds its colour for years when it is treated gently. Below is how to wash a wool blanket safely, how we look after our own wool blankets and throws, and how we like to style them on a sofa and a bed.

Key takeaways

• Read the care label first: it decides between hand washing, a wool cycle and the dry cleaner.
• Heat, agitation and sudden changes in temperature are what shrink and felt wool.
• Between cleans, fresh air, a steamer and a fabric shaver keep a throw looking new.
• Dry wool flat, out of direct sun, and keep it away from the tumble dryer.

Start with the care label

Wool covers a wide family of fabrics. A loosely woven blanket, a dense jacquard and a fringed throw spun with silk all respond to water differently, so the label sewn into the corner is the most reliable guide you have. It tells you which of three routes to take: machine wash on a wool programme, hand wash only, or dry clean only.

Our own blankets and throws are dry clean only. The Bees blanket in peach is a soft woven blanket in 100% wool, made in Lithuania, with deep blue bees, seed pods and flowers across a warm peach ground. Its care instructions are short: dry clean only, air to freshen up, and remove any pilling with a fabric shaver.

Our throws are woven from fine wool and silk, 70% wool and 30% silk, and silk changes the picture. A silk and wool blend can lose its sheen, pucker or bleed colour in water, which is why blends like ours are usually dry cleaned. If a label says dry clean only, treat that as the answer. The guidance below on washing is for wool blankets whose labels allow it.

How to wash a wool blanket by hand

Hand washing is the gentlest way to clean wool at home, and it is how to wash a wool blanket when the label shows a hand in a washtub. Give yourself an hour for the wash and a day or two for drying.

1. Shake it out and air it. Take the blanket outside, give it a good shake and brush off any loose dust or hair with a soft clothes brush.
2. Fill a bath with cool water. Use cold or lukewarm water, around 30°C at most, and dissolve a small amount of wool detergent in it before the blanket goes in.
3. Let it soak. Lower the blanket in, press it under the surface and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Move it gently with your hands. Avoid rubbing, scrubbing or twisting.
4. Rinse at the same temperature. Drain the bath and refill it with water as close as possible to the washing temperature. A sudden change from warm to cold is one of the causes of felting.
5. Press the water out. Push the blanket against the side of the bath to squeeze water out. Do not wring it, which stretches and distorts the weave.
6. Roll it in towels. Lay the blanket on a large dry towel, roll the two up together and press down to draw out more moisture.

Wet wool is heavy, so lift the blanket with both arms under it and avoid hanging it from one corner while it is soaking wet.

Can you machine wash a wool blanket?

Some wool blankets can go in the washing machine, and the label will show a washtub symbol with a low temperature, often with lines beneath it for a gentle cycle, if yours is one of them. If it is, use the wool or hand-wash programme, cold water or 30°C, the lowest spin speed and a wool detergent. The blanket should fit loosely in the drum, so a large blanket may need a bigger machine or a launderette.

If the label shows a crossed-out washtub, keep the blanket out of the machine. Spinning and tumbling, combined with warm water, make the tiny scales on each wool fibre lock together, and the blanket comes out smaller, thicker and stiffer. That change cannot be undone.

Drying a wool blanket without shrinking it

Drying is where most wool blankets are lost. Lay yours flat on a clean towel or a drying rack, ease it back into shape with your hands, and turn it over once the top feels dry. Keep it away from radiators, fires and direct sunlight, which can fade dyes and dry the fibres unevenly.

If you have space, drape the blanket over two parallel lines so its weight is spread across a broad area. Let it dry completely before you fold it away, since damp wool stored in a cupboard can develop a musty smell.

Caring for a wool throw between cleans

A wool throw needs much less washing than you might expect. Wool resists dirt and odour naturally, and most of the time a throw needs freshening. These habits keep ours looking new for longer:

• Air it. Hang the throw over a line or a balcony rail in fresh air for a few hours. It is the simplest way to freshen wool, and the one the care instructions for our blankets recommend.
• Steam it. For our wool and silk throws, a fabric steamer lifts creases and freshens the fibres between dry cleans. If you need to iron, use a cool iron on the reverse side.
• Shave the pills. Small balls of fibre can form where a throw rubs against a sofa. A fabric shaver removes them cleanly.
• Blot spills straight away. Press a clean, dry cloth onto the spill to absorb it and avoid rubbing. Take any lasting mark to a dry cleaner, and tell them about the fibre content.
• Look after the fringes. Separate tangled fringes gently with your fingers, from the ends upward, and avoid pulling on the knots.
• Store it clean. Moths are drawn to wool that carries traces of food or skin oils. Fold a clean throw into a breathable cotton bag and keep it somewhere cool, dry and dark.

How to style a throw on a sofa

A throw is the quickest way to change the mood of a sofa, and a patterned one brings colour and narrative to a room in a single gesture. Our Rabbit throw in Blueberry carries a mirrored folk pattern: spotted rabbits with feathered tails leap among flowering vines on a soft taupe ground, framed by a deep blue border and finished with hand-knotted fringes. A few ways to place a throw like this:

1. Over one arm. Fold the throw lengthways into thirds and drape it over the arm of the sofa, so the fringes fall towards the floor.
2. Across one back corner. Hold the throw by its centre and let it fall loosely over the corner where the back meets the arm. It looks casual and invites you to pull it over your knees.
3. Along the seat. Fold it into a long band and lay it across the front of the seat cushions to protect them and to add a line of colour.
4. Over the back. On a plain sofa, spread the throw flat across the back so the whole design shows, and let it work like a tapestry.

Repeat one colour from the throw in your cushions so the arrangement feels connected. Our guide to velvet cushions shows how to mix shapes and textures, and wool beside velvet is one of the richest pairings in a living room.

How to style a throw on a bed

On a bed, a throw adds weight, warmth and a layer of pattern over plain bed linen. The classic place is the foot of the bed. Fold the throw lengthways and lay it across the bottom third, with an even overhang on each side.

For a larger statement, choose a king-size throw. At 215 x 245 cm, our Rabbit throw in Forest black can lie across the foot of a large bed or be spread over the covers. Its design sets pale rabbits and blooms against a black centre with an olive green border. Pair it with cushions in a related green or plum, and let the bed linen stay calm.

A wool blanket folded on a chair or at the end of the bed keeps extra warmth within reach on cold nights. If you enjoy layering print on print, our story on maximalist decor brings the same thinking to a whole room.

Frequently asked questions

Can you wash a 100% wool blanket in the washing machine?

Only if the care label allows it. Look for a machine-wash symbol, then use the wool or hand-wash programme with cold water, a low spin and a wool detergent. If the label says hand wash or dry clean only, follow it. Our Bees blankets are 100% wool and dry clean only.

Can you put a wool blanket in the dryer?

Keep it out of the dryer unless the label states that a wool or low-heat setting is safe. Heat and tumbling together are the main causes of shrinking and felting. Dry the blanket flat on a towel or a rack, away from direct heat.

Can you put 100% wool in the dryer?

The same rule applies to any pure wool item. Some wool clothing is treated to withstand a dryer and says so on the label. Without that instruction, air dry it flat.

Is Dawn dish soap ok for wool?

We would use a detergent made for wool. Washing-up liquid is designed to cut grease, and it can strip the natural oils that keep wool soft and springy. A pH-neutral wool wash cleans gently and rinses out well. For a blanket labelled dry clean only, leave stains to the dry cleaner.

Find your wool blanket or throw

Read the label, wash with cool water and a light hand, dry it flat, and let fresh air do most of the work. Explore our wool and silk throws and our wool blankets, each one woven with a story.

Klaus Haapaniemi & Co. is a Finnish design house that designs, prints and produces its own homeware and clothing, founded in 2010 by designer Mia Wallenius and artist Klaus Haapaniemi.