As the weather has turned colder this month, there’s one thing that’s been helping me to keep the chill at bay during the evenings.
That’s having an electric blanket secured to my bed and ready to turn on if and when overnight temperatures drop. Plus, a heated throw folded up on the sofa, ready to curl up under, so I don’t have to turn the central heating on yet.
However, before I began testing out the best electric blankets for Ideal Home, I hadn’t owned one since I was a kid, and it turns out, there’s one thing I hadn’t realised about electric blankets.
Namely, that you can wash an electric blanket. Which, to my mind at least, makes them a far better investment than I thought.
I’d always considered a heated blanket to be a bit of an expensive luxury. After all, if you’re anything like me, the sofa is for snacking, and snacking naturally means the odd crumb and occasional sticky fingers.
I didn’t much like the sound of a blanket that I couldn’t put through the washing machine to get properly clean every once in a while.
Similarly, I know an electric blanket goes under your bottom sheet, so it’s protected from close contact with your body. But still, since becoming Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor, I’ve learnt a *lot* about how easily sweat, grime, and dead skin cells can penetrate through the covers to stain bedding below.
I didn’t particularly like the idea of adding a layer to my bed that I couldn’t wash. Read our guides on how to get rid of yellow stains on a pillow or how to clean a mattress if you want to get grossed out over bodily fluids in your sleeping environment!
But, as it turns out, I didn’t need to worry, because every electric blanket and heated blanket I’ve tested over the past four years has been washable, and machine washable at that. There’s no need to bend over a bathtub to rinse out an electric blanket by hand.
But how is that possible? After all, we all know water and electricity definitely don’t mix safely.
‘Most of our throws and blankets are designed to be machine-washable,’ explains Maria Bullen of heated wellness brand, Dreamland. ‘Simply unplug and detach the control unit before placing your throw in the machine.’
Yep, it isn’t a blanket rule (no pun intended), but if your electric blanket has a detachable power cord – which every electric blanket I’ve tested has – there’s every chance it can be machine-washed.
Just make sure you *always* check the care label to make sure this is 100% the case before you bring your blanket anywhere near water, and definitely don’t get liquids anywhere near your blanket whilst it’s plugged into an electrical socket.
‘Never assume that an electric blanket is safe to machine wash if there isn’t a care label or manual included,’ confirms Rebecca Swain, mattress expert at Winstons Beds. ‘You’ll also want to check for any exposed or damaged wiring before washing,’ says Rebecca.
‘Before first use each season, check the fabric, wires, and controller for any wear or damage,’ agrees Maria.
But, as long as your electric blanket is in good nick (and if it isn’t, you shouldn’t be using it anyway) and its care label gives you the green light, you can then proceed to putting it in the washing machine and giving it a thorough clean.
‘Wash on a gentle cycle at 30-40°C, then either air dry or use a low tumble setting to keep the fabric soft and the heating elements protected,’ explains Maria. Our guide to how to clean an electric blanket has the full breakdown.
Just make sure to ‘keep drinks and liquids away when the electric blanket is in use,’ warns Maria, ‘they don’t mix with electric textiles’.
So you can eat your favourite snack whilst toasting on the sofa under your heated blanket or when hurkle-durkling in bed on a lazy morning, but avoid sipping a hot chocolate whilst using an electric blanket.
Personally, that’s a compromise I’m very happy to make. After all, the marshmallows are the best bit of an autumn hot chocolate anyway!
Machine-washable electric blankets
Dreamland
Snowed In Dual-Control Heated Mattress Protector
A comfortable sleep surface, dual controls that allow each side of the bed to be warmed independently, a wide range of temperature settings, and an auto-shutoff timer make this one of the best electric blankets I’ve tested, and it’s machine-washable at 30°C.
Silentnight
Comfort Control Electric Blanket
It’s a far more basic design, but I’ve found this affordable electric blanket still does a great job of warming up the bed. There’s no auto shut-off timer or dual controls, and I could feel the wires a little under my bedsheet, but it keeps away the chill without breaking the bank, and it can be machine-washed at 40°C.
Dreamland
Luxury Heated Throw
This heated throw regularly keeps me feeling super cosy whilst snuggled up on the sofa. Super soft and velvety, it comes with a detachable socket so you can use it as a normal throw in warmer weather, and that means it’s also machine-washable. You can pop it into the machine at 30°C.
I’ve rounded up three of my top recommendations for machine-washable electric underblankets and heated throws above.
As the weather continues to get colder, they’re definitely my go-to for staying cosy on cold winter nights. And, now that I know they’re machine-washable, that means they’ll be able to keep me warm for many winters to come, too.
Read the full article here