How to Wash Sherpa Blanket?

All tricks and tips about washing these softies accurately and safely

Written by Olivia Paxton. Updated on How to Wash Sherpa Blanket

Sherpa is a known and favorite fabric for everyone who loves cuddling on the sofa on a cold winter day! This plush and wool-like material consists of artificial fibers yet it has an outstanding softness and can keep you warm easily without being too heavy (unlike real wool, for instance).

However, there is one big problem with sherpa. It can easily get ruined after the very first laundry! The fabric is way less durable in comparison to natural materials which makes it rather fragile and in need of extra attention and care.

This is why, if you are afraid that your favorite sherpa blanket will fall apart after you take it out of the washing barrel, read this article attentively since we will share a couple of handy suggestions on how to wash a sherpa blanket to make it last nearly forever.

How to Wash Sherpa. Nuances And Tips to Consider

Sherpa is a rather delicate material which means laundering it is a challenging thing. The general rule of thumb will be to avoid washing it with other materials and items, use delicate laundering liquids, and set the washing machine on a warm or cold water cycle.

But even if you accidentally mess up with your sherpa blanket, it’s always easy to get the new one from one of the modern decor stores near you, f.ex  modern decor from Papaya store or any other local brands, there are plenty of options at the market right now.

When it comes to sherpa blanket material, many people still tend to confuse it with similar fabrics, such as fleece or shearling. However, despite the fact that they do look similar, sherpa is rather distinct.

How to Wash Sherpa
Photo by Thomas Welch on Unsplash

Sherpa possesses many characteristics that natural wool has. For instance, it keeps the body warm the same well, and it even resembles the appearance of wool with that notorious fluffy surface and bumpy texture.

However, sherpa is not wool mainly because it is a man-made artificial blended fiber that often contains polyester or acrylic.

Sometimes cotton can also be added, however, this is not that common practice. Such specifics make this type of fiber somewhat demanding in terms of cleaning no matter whether you need to know how to wash a sherpa jacket or a throw blanket.

Now let’s take a closer look at how to clean sherpa and how the laundering process must go on step by step.

Take Care Of Stains First

The first step is to deal with any stains prior to tossing the item into the barrel. See, if you skip this stage, the substance that has stained the material will most likely get deeper into the fibers making it impossible to remove the stains later!

This is why grab a generous amount of mild dish soap and apply it directly onto the stained zone of your softy. After soaking it for ten minutes, the washing product will release the mess making it simpler to get rid of it during the laundry. Now it’s ok to simply blot it up with a paper napkin.

At this stage of washing, never go for any chlorine-containing products since they will destroy your item over time!

Also, in case the stain was set with an oily substance, it is fine to sprinkle some cornstarch on it to absorb the remaining oil.

And remember not to rub the blots since it will only make things worse.

Laundering

Many people believe that their washing machines can damage sherpa fabric somehow, but this is not so. It is not the barrel or spinning that makes these fibers get ruined, in most cases, it’s about color bleeding and matting that happens when we wash sherpa with other items and materials.

As long as we wash our softy alone, the washing machine is no harm. Simply make use of the gentlest cycle available and launder the item in either cold or warm water to exclude fading and don’t stress the fibers. And don’t stuff the barrel with a pile of other clothing!

Remember that your sherpa needs a lot of space to move freely.

What About Drying?

The final step of the cleaning process is making your soft plush blanket dry.

Since we are talking about sherpa, the optimal solution will be to hang it up using a clothesline. Like that, you will protect the item from any deformation and other possible distortions and damage.

A drying rack might also be an acceptable option, by the way, if you have one.

But what if you have no time to wait a whole day until your throw blanket is dry? Well, then it’s fine to toss it into the drying barrel, only ensure you use the lowest and gentlest setting, otherwise, there is a risk of melting the material!

As you can see, cleaning sherpa is not as scary and complicated as you might think! However, the material does need some extra attention in terms of care to keep it soft and presentable longer.

To make sure you will have your favorite plush softy the same comfy longer, stick to the described directions and suggestions regarding care and maintenance, and you will be able to enjoy this incredibly cozy material almost forever.

How to Keep Sherpa From Matting?

Have you ever taken your sherpa blanket matted out of the washing barrel? If yes, then you probably wondered how to avoid such a scenario next time. But why does this type of fiber get matted at all?

The most common reason is that sherpa items were laundered along with other garments and fabrics. Sherpa needs enough space in a barrel to be both properly laundered and for retaining its shape and appearance. This is why the only way to keep it unmatted is to launder it alone.

And if you need to know how to unmatt sherpa, the simplest solution is to…brush it!

Just take the matted item, sprinkle it with some aqua-and-fabric-softener blend, and brush moving in different directions. This will restore the fibers and bring the softy back to life again.

How to Keep Sherpa Soft?

Sherpa is known for its incredible softness.

This trait of the material makes it our number one choice for winter cuddles since it feels so cozy to warm yourself being wrapped in such a blanket! However, its softness can get easily damaged, and it is our carelessness that leads to it.

Sherpa, as you probably already know, is a rather delicate and demanding material.

We can’t just toss it into the washing barrel with other clothes and set the ordinary laundering regime! This is the direct way to destroy this plush softy.

How to keep sherpa blankets soft?

This is perhaps the most widespread question from all the sherpa items owners! And the solution is surprisingly simple! Just launder it alone.

If you do that when having other fabrics and colors in the same barrel, the result can be rather unpleasant, both for you and your blanket.

How to Make Sherpa Blanket Soft Again?

Sometimes we can forget about certain nuances that a fabric has when we wash it. It usually ends up the same way, with the ruined or damaged item that needs our additional care and extra treatment.

With sherpa, it is all the same. Even if you are aware of how to wash a sherpa blanket correctly, there is always a chance that you toss it into the barrel along with other garments when being in a hurry, for instance.

What if anything like that happened and now you need to restore the softness of the blanket again?

  1. Our recommendation is to sprinkle it with water that contains a diluted fabric softener in it.
  2. Like that, the fibers will become softer and more malleable.
  3. And then you brush the sherpa item moving in different directions.
  4. As a final touch, roll it over with a lint-removing roller.

This was a brief guide on how to clean a sherpa blanket, how to keep sherpa blankets soft, and how to fix matted sherpa in case it happened.

This material is rather delicate and prone to damages, remember that when going to launder it.

It is better to spend more time and wash your sherpa separately (but keep it good-looking longer) rather than treating it carelessly and wasting your time on restoring the material afterward.

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Olivia shares all she knows about the hotels, houses, and home cleaning with Beezzly readers. And she knows a lot! 15 years of work experience as a Manager in a former Four Season Service gave Olivia an exceptional base of professional knowledge and practical experience.
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