How to wash a heated blanket safely

Before you wash: the two rules

Everything else in this guide is detail. These two are not optional.

• The controller and power cord must be fully detached. They contain electronics and are not waterproof. On the Coza blanket the connector unclips in one movement.
• No heat drying, ever. No tumble dryer on a heat setting, no radiator, no hairdryer, no direct sun for hours. Heat is what damages the element, not water.

Step by step: machine washing a heated blanket

Seven steps, start to finish. Allow a full day for drying.

• Switch it off at the wall and unplug it. Let it cool completely if it has just been in use.
• Unclip the controller and the cord, and set them somewhere dry and away from the machine.
• Check the blanket over for damage — scorch marks, frayed edges, a crushed connector. If you find any, do not wash it; retire it.
• Put the blanket in the machine on its own. No towels, no jeans, nothing with a zip or a hook.
• Wash at 30 °C on a gentle or delicate cycle with a mild liquid detergent. No bleach, no fabric softener — softener coats the fibres and flattens the pile.
• Use a short, low-speed spin. A long high-speed spin puts mechanical stress on the internal wiring.
• Air dry flat, spread out over a drying rack or a clean flat surface, turning it once. Never hang it by one edge — the weight of the wet fabric pulls on the element.

Sherpa-faced blankets hold more water than flannel and take longer to dry. Start the wash in the morning.

Hand washing, and spot cleaning

If you would rather not machine wash it, fill a bath with lukewarm water and a small amount of mild detergent, submerge the blanket, and press it gently — do not wring, twist or scrub. Rinse in clean lukewarm water, press the water out flat rather than wringing, and dry flat as above.

For a single spill, spot cleaning is better than a full wash. Blot with a damp cloth and a little mild detergent, working from the outside of the mark inward, then blot dry and let the area air dry completely before use.

How often should you wash it?

Every two to three months for a blanket used most nights, or immediately after a spill. Less often is fine for occasional sofa use.

Washing less often is genuinely better for the element than washing more often, so use a top sheet or a duvet cover between you and the blanket where possible and wash that instead.

What to do before switching it back on

Three checks, and they take under a minute.

• Confirm the blanket is completely dry — including the corners and the seam channels, which dry last.
• Check the controller socket is dry and clean before reconnecting.
• Reconnect, run it on a low setting for ten minutes, and feel across the whole surface for even warmth. Any cold patch, hot spot or burning smell means stop using it.

Never use a heated blanket to dry itself. Running the element to speed up drying is the single fastest way to destroy one.

Storing a heated blanket between seasons

Store it rolled, not sharply folded — repeated hard folds along the same crease fatigue the wiring at that line. Keep it somewhere dry, at room temperature, with nothing heavy stacked on top of it, and with the controller stored alongside rather than wrapped tightly around the blanket.

Frequently asked questions