Goodbye Winter: 6 Effective Ways to Wash & Store Your Blankets & Bed Linen!

One of the main reasons why you should not overlook the proper washing and storage of your winter blankets and linens is because it can help increase their lifespan. This means you won’t have to invest in new bedding every other year.

After an entire season of use, your winter blankets and sheets are bound to be dirty, even if you can’t see the dirt with your naked eye. Over time, we’ve learnt that besides bacteria and germs, it is common for sheets and bedding to have body oils, stray hair (especially if you have a pet at home) and other grime.

So, before you shove this winter load into a closet or bed drawer, do take note of these 5 simple and effective washing and storage tips:

1. Use a Gentle Cycle & the Right Washing Detergent

We always remember two ground rules for washing our winter bedsheets, blankets and pillow cases- setting the machine to a gentle cycle and using cold water for washing. The reason for this is that we’ve noticed hot water may degenerate the fibres of our winter bedding over a period of time. It could also lead to shrunken sheets, something we definitely want to avoid.

Coming to the delicate cycle, it works because it is similar to giving our winter beddings a gentle massage while still ensuring a thorough cleaning. We’ve experienced that fast cycles tend to just clean the surface of the blankets and sheets and are not very thorough.

While we’re happy to share insight into the right technique for caring for such fabrics, one should also know how to pick the right laundry products for cleaning winter blankets and linens. We noticed that the fibres and softness of winter bedding may suffer damage when washed with harsh products.

So, we decided to look for fabric care products specially designed for such bed linens! We finally stumbled across Comfort Sweet Dreams Fabric Conditioner

on a visit to the market and found that it had specially curated fragrances with relaxwave technology for your bed linens. This fabric conditioner not only maintains the texture but also leaves a soothing Lavender and Relaxing Rosemary fragrance for a good night’s sleep!

After a couple of uses, we observed the real benefits of this formulation. Not only did it leave our blankets and other bed linens with a soothing fragrance but also ensured the fabric was maintained with unbeatable softness!

Click here for an in-depth guide to washing your blankets!

2. Don’t Forget to Add a Fabric Conditioner

While doing our research on washing and caring for winter bedding, we also learnt about fabric conditioners. What is a fabric conditioner? It’s basically a product, which when added to the laundry cycle, helps ensure that the blankets and sheets remain soft, and their fibres are intact. According to the reviews by mothers on Comfort Sweet Dreams Fabric Conditioner, it gave the exact results as promised on the product label. We first soaked the bed linens for 5 mins in a bucket of water containing 20 ml of Comfort Sweet Dreams and put it to dry. It requires no rise after.

Our blankets and linen came out looking and feeling soft, and there was a fresh fragrance emanating from them. Upon reading the label, we learnt that Comfort Core Fabric Conditioner not only has fragrances designed with Relaxwave Technology but also provides 99.9% anti-bacterial action. Giving a 360 solution to caring for our beddings.

also , the best part is that it can be used for both hand and machine washing.

We follow the below-given steps while using Comfort Core Fabric Conditioner:

• Bucket Wash

While bucket washing, after washing bed linens with laundry detergent, soak them for 5 minutes into a bucket of water containing 20 ml of Comfort Sweet Dreams and put them out to dry. You don’t even need to rinse after in Comfort.

• Semi-Automatic Machine

We first wash the bed linens with detergent as usual. Then pour 40 ml of comfort in the machine tub in clean water during the last rinse cycle.

• Top Load Machine

If your machine has a softener compartment, pour 40 ml of comfort at the start of wash cycle. Otherwise, pour 40 ml of comfort in the machine tub during last rinse cycle

• Front Load Machine

Simply pour 40 ml of comfort in the softener/conditioner compartment at the same time as you add detergent and youre good to experience ultimate soft and fresh smelling bedding!

3. Make Smart Use of the Dryer 

We sometimes feel like our winter linens and blankets brazed a storm when they come out of the machine dryer-all wrinkled and lifeless. This reminds us that we need to make smart use of the machine dryer.

Over a period of time, we found that the reason this happens is because it may put too much load into the dryer, there is little space left for the blankets and sheets to fluff up. So, how do we ensure that our winter blankets and linens are wrinkle-free? Well, we tried washing them separately and filled the machine dryer up only halfway. Trust us, the results surprised us!

GSC Tip: If you take out your winter linens and blankets slightly early from the dryer i.e. prior to the end of the drying cycle, it is easy to smooth out all creases since they are a little damp and therefore, more flexible.

4. Pack the Bulk to Reduce Volume

After washing comes the tricky bit of packing the heavy winter blankets, sheets, throws etc. A lot of trial and error and plenty of research led us to an amazing packing solution for all the bulk of bedding.

We fold our linens and blankets up as securely as we can (to make the load smaller) and use special vacuum storage bags for reducing the volume, especially in the case of down comforters. We have noticed that this also helps keep the blankets free of dust and other allergens.

We avoid cardboard completely since it can attract pests like rats.

5. Figure Out a Place for Storage

Now that you’ve cleaned your winter blankets, bedsheets, and linens, don’t even think about shoving them into a storage space like the garage. We’ve learnt that it might be a good idea to invest in a cushioned bench that can be placed easily in your bedroom, right ahead of your bed. It serves the dual purpose of acting as storage and a stylish piece of furniture!

Even if you don’t want to get a cushioned bench, remember to store your winter bedding in a dry, cool place. This is one of the best tips for avoiding colour fading of your blankets and linen. Storing in garages and basements does not work because these areas can become quite humid.

6. Get Your Storage Area Ready

Before you start piling up your winter blankets in a cupboard, bench or any other storage area, make sure to clean it well. We generally do this by pulling everything out and using a water and vinegar solution for wiping the area. Be absolutely sure that the area is dry before you place your bedding and linens in there.

If you wish to keep your storage space extra fresh and odour-free, then we recommend placing some baking soda (in containers) inside the storage. We’ve found this technique to be extremely helpful in keeping any moisture and smells away.

We hope these five tips will help you wash and store your winter blankets and linen the right way!

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