So you want to know how to wash an acrylic yarn blanket? That’s fantastic! We welcome both- your curiosity and your landing on this web page. But do you know what acrylic is?
In knitting, acrylic is one of the most common and popular yarns. The reason is, despite being inexpensive, it does not bleed and is versatile! You will see most of the knitted blankets feature this material.
As soon as you knitted your acrylic yarn blanket, it would have been wise if you washed it. Why? Simply because it contains a lot of dirt and dust that may have gathered on it while stitching. Only that?
No, dear! Knitters wash because they want a softer and less stiff yarn blanket. And this washing has been a part of their professionalism.
How You Can Wash Acrylic Yarn Blankets?
The acrylic yarn knitted blanket is sure to get deformed in a typical washing machine. Then what to do? Well, you will find it easily washable in a regular washer and dryer. Another good news is- you can come up with a hand wash as well. Allow us to show the steps below!
Step One: Soaking
It is the preparatory step. Here, at first, you merely need to dip your blanket in a basin of cold water. Later on, it will help distribute soap and soften any sticking stains. In this phase, you can see whether an item might have gotten stuck on your blanket.
Hey, don’t forget to make sure that your blanket is fully submerged. Apart from that, you have to remove any knot for sure that may have formed. Then pick the blanket from the basin and drain the water. However, dare not wring it, alright! If you do so, it will have loose threads in its body as a result!
Step Two: Washing
Have you prepped the blanket? Okay fine. Now before submerging the blanket, dissolve your detergent in cold water. You might be using powdered detergent. In that case, make sure that there are no clumped soaps. Chances are there that this soap may stick to the blanket.
And having chosen the handwash, do not scrub its surface. It will help avoid felting. Besides, it would help best if swished and squeezed until removing all specks of dirt.
Step Three: Rinsing
At this stage, it’s urgent to remove all the soap and residual dirt. For this, you need to dip the blanket into generous batches of water and squeeze. We think around 3 to 4 basins will suffice. However, you can keep rinsing to ensure zero suds. You can even use a fabric conditioner on the final rinse, provided that you have its recommendation from the manufacturer.
Step Four: Squeezing
Having the final rinse, you better squeeze out as much water as you can from the blanket. It will help your yarn blanket dry shortly. Or you might be in a hurry. In that case, before pressing, it will be wise to wrap the blanket on an absorbent towel. However, dare not to wring it, okay?
Step Five: Drying
Please do not dry your acrylic yarn blanket hanging on a wire or pole. It permanently thins out a blanket when the user becomes habituated. Moreover, it will stretch the yarn where the wire is. On the contrary, it will be wise to dry the blanket flat on a surface. You better let it support its weight to the full extent. It generally takes 24 hours to get done with drying.
Step Six: Reshaping
This is the final stage. Here you have to help the blanket return to its original shape. How? Well, keep pushing on the knots gently. But it may get damaged the same way from hanging if you tug or pull it. Better adjust your blanket most gently.
Remember, even if a single thread gets tugged or gets caught on wires, your blanket will get damaged. Let nothing scratch on your blanket. Put aside such risky elements to get a good result.
Can You Machine Wash an Acrylic Yarn Blanket?
Now let’s think about whether you can machine wash your acrylic yarn blanket. That’s also important! An acrylic blanket is almost a plastic blanket because acrylic is a petroleum-based human-made fiber.
You can wash and dry this synthetic yarn using a washing machine. Compared to other natural fiber stuff, acrylic is more affordable and easily washable. It does not shrink and bleed at all. So no doubt, you will find it more advantageous.
Here’s how you can machine-wash your acrylic yarn:
- Before all, you need to take off the yarn labels. Then you have to go through the information written on it. There will be a guideline for washing and drying. Moreover, you will get relevant information like yarn weight or color, the manufacturer, etc. So before loading your yarn to the machine, remove the labels and make the best use of the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- Your yarn blanket is in a skein or bundle, right? And it is yet to get a structured form. So it would help best if you put it inside a lingerie bag. This will help you wash it with your other laundry. And yes, get your yarn loose enough for water to seep through while washing.
- You need to use a mild detergent setting your washing machine to a gentle cycle at this phase. Do you want your yarn softer and smell good? Well, then it would help best if you used a fabric softener.
Following that, you may either rinse with cold water or warm water. Especially, wash all the detergent and softener. Afterward, put your yarn in the dryer with a dryer sheet. Please don’t forget to set your dryer to low heat. And after getting done, remove it as soon as possible.
Thus, you will have your acrylic yarn blanket turned soft and ”okay” for knitting! Hopefully, you have got a crystal idea from the steps above. At the same time, you might be curious to know whether an acrylic yarn stretch after a wash. Let’s deal with that too!
Can You Put Acrylic in the Dryer?
Yes, but you should know what to do when you put your yarn blanket in the dryer. You see, being made of synthetic materials, even after washing many times, a yarn blanket can maintain its shape. You merely have to be cautious about high temperatures that can cause permanent wrinkles and shrinkage. To ensure a low-temperature cycle while loading your knitted acrylic items in the dryer.
Does Acrylic Yarn Stretch after a Wash?
When you wash knitted stuff of wool or cotton at a warm temperature, it will shrink. On the contrary, knitted stuff of acrylic does not react exactly this way to washing and drying, no matter whether you use cold or warm water.
However, if you use warm water, your acrylic yarn will stretch to some extent, at least. But you can wash it regularly without any fear of shrinking significantly. Moreover, such acrylic yarn does not need any handwash. You can comfortably clean it with a washer and dryer.
Is Acrylic Yarn Good for Blankets?
It is a common question. You would be glad to know that acrylic is the best yarn to make blankets. There are a number of colors you will have out there in markets. Apart from that, this yarn is affordable, and does not shrink or bleed as we said earlier. Moreover, you can additionally soften this soft element by washing it according to the directions above.
As warm, lightweight, and hypoallergenic, acrylic yarn is a fantastic alternative to wool. As a natural fiber, it is indeed a perfect substitute for others. And it does not require your heed. Nonetheless, you can enjoy a natural feeling with acrylic yarn blankets. Most importantly, it does not fade even after multiple washes.
You can not only soften the acrylic yarn before knitting but also after knitting. A less stiff blanket is favorable to all. And the more it becomes softer, the more it becomes smoother as well as less scratchy!
Can Acrylic Be Heat Dried?
Yeah, you can dry your yarn acrylic using heat. Many modern washing machines feature this. However, please don’t ignore to check whether you have such instructions from the manufacturer. And most importantly, it is a must to keep the machine’s thermostat at a low temperature. Acrylic is a plastic material that you should never forget.
You can even go for a sunbath if it echoes with manufacturer’s advice.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Question: Does acrylic yarn shrink in the dryer?
Answer: Yes, the dryer heat can give birth to shrinkage. As a synthetic fabric, acrylic gets shrunk. Additionally, even it may cause the fabric to melt or stretch out of shape!
Question: Does acrylic yarn lose color when washed?
Answer: No worries, acrylic yarn does not lose color due to the use of detergents. It is synthetic and petroleum-based, so does not bleed color. However, you should avoid any type of bleaching powder. Apart from ruining the blanket color, bleach hampers its threads’ texture!
Question: Can you wash 100% acrylic?
Answer: We can go for a machine wash for most acrylic clothes, although some labels need dry cleaning. The reason is- we cannot wash their inner or trim structure.
Question: How do you wash a synthetic blanket?
Answer: Well, just like cotton or linen, you need to put your synthetic blanket through the washer and dryer. Just one thing, you have to wash them in cold or warm settings since such a blanket does not tolerate a high temperature.
Question: Does acrylic yarn soften after washing?
Answer: The more you wash your acrylic yarn, the more you soften it. And it is a fact for almost any yarn.
Question: Can acrylic yarn be tumble-dried?
Answer: Yeah, why not! You can tumble-dry acrylics. However, you need to ensure a warm setting for that. Plus, it would help prevent static electricity if you use dryer sheets. After getting finished, remove your cloth as early as possible from the dryer!
Question: Does acrylic stretch out?
Answer: An unstabilized acrylic fabric stretches out. Such acrylic’s shape changes drastically. Due to frequent wear and shrink from the heat and tumbling of cleaning this sort of stretching may occur. So it will be wise to ensure dry cleaning as many times as possible.
The Final Thoughts
Most knitting experts suggest washing acrylic yarn before knitting. On the other hand, the rest advise washing after getting done with a project. Don’t get confused! Both approaches are handy.
For the sake of comfortable bedding, you cannot compromise a neat, clean, and stress-reducer blanket. And when it comes to acrylic yarn blankets, it would help best if you testified its washability. Hopefully, you have secured a healthy concept from this article on the know-how of washing an acrylic blanket.
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