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Thread Number: 91991
/ Tag: Detergents and Additives
How do I wash this? |
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Post# 1165406 12/2/2022 at 17:16 (504 days old) by Paulg  (My sweet home... Chicago) |
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This was given to me by a dear friend and it has sentimental value. Rarely used, I don’t recall ever washing it. However, the time has come.
I imagine my top-loader will unwind or shred it and for that reason I am asking your expert advice. And… what DO you call this sort of blanket? Thanks for your inputs!
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Post# 1165408 , Reply# 1 12/2/2022 at 17:25 (504 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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Post# 1165409 , Reply# 2 12/2/2022 at 17:32 (504 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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| Post# 1165410 , Reply# 3 12/2/2022 at 17:38 (504 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
I'm not familiar with that Speed Queen washer. Does it have a two speed motor?
If it does, use the slower speed and add more water than usual to allow enough room for rollover. I've washed a bunch of these in the past and never had a problem in 2 speed machines. If your Speed Queen is a one speeder, you'll have to manually a run the it like a Maytag Fabric-Matic let the machine agitate for a minute then let it soak for a couple minutes, rinse and repeat. To be honest, if your washer is one speeder, take the afghan to a laundromat and use a front loader. | ||
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Post# 1165413 , Reply# 4 12/2/2022 at 17:51 (504 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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For something like that I recommend using bath tub to soak/wash (cleaning it first of course). After rinsing let item sit for a bit so most of water drains. Carefully squeeze a bit to get more water out, then gently lift into laundry basket or other container.
Unfold afghan and place into top loader distributing evenly around agitator. Set washer for gentle spin (if two speed), or do a short spin if only one speed. To dry either spread out on floor (placing clean towels or a cotton blanket underneath), or spread out over a bed that won't be used for awhile (again placing clean towels or a cotton blanket underneath), and let dry. Either way you can speed drying along by placing a fan nearby to promote air circulation. If item is made from man made fibers fibers it won't absorb much water and won't be very heavy after washing. In which case draping over a clothesline may work. OTOH if it's made from cotton yarn it will absorb quite a bit of water. Even after spin dry will still be on heavy side and hanging to dry could result in pulling out of shape. | ||
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Post# 1165414 , Reply# 5 12/2/2022 at 17:52 (504 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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It depends upon what kind of yarn the Afghan was made with on how you should wash it. If its made from wool yarn then I’d hand wash it in cold water with Woolite or other mild detergent or soap and then squeeze as much water out of it as I could after rinsing it. Then you should be able to safely spin it on low spin speed. Then stretch it out in to its original dimensions and allow it to air dry.
If its made with acrylic yarn you should be able to safely wash it in warm water on the gentle cycle, or if no gentle cycle like Dan said allow it to agitate for a minute, then allow it to soak for 5 minutes or so, then rinse and spin. With an acrylic yarn Afghan you should be able to dry it safely on low heat in the dryer, but NO high heat. You can tell the difference between wool and acrylic yarn by the feel. Wool will be stiffer and not as soft as acrylic yarn. Also wool tends to be water repellent, if you pour some water on a small area and it runs right off instead of absorbing its wool, not acrylic. I’ve washed acrylic yarn afghans as outlined above and they came out beautiful. Eddie | ||
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Post# 1165416 , Reply# 7 12/2/2022 at 18:26 (504 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.)) |
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A Laundromat: | ||
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Post# 1165417 , Reply# 8 12/2/2022 at 18:26 (504 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI) |
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My aunt made similar afghans, hers were made of poly yarn. Tossed in the machine dozens of times with out issues. It really depends on the construction and material used. If its a question I'd opt for hand wash the first time and go from there based on results. | ||
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Post# 1165418 , Reply# 9 12/2/2022 at 18:27 (504 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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Post# 1165420 , Reply# 10 12/2/2022 at 18:42 (504 days old) by Paulg (My sweet home... Chicago) |
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Deluge of suggestions
Thanks to all for the immense amount of great information! Didn’t quite expect so much info so fast and am appreciative.
Washer is a two-speed AWS52NW SQ. However, I will not be agitating it but rather may just use the tub as a soaking mechanism as suggested. I trust my results will be good if I heed all suggestions above.
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Post# 1165422 , Reply# 11 12/2/2022 at 18:50 (504 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Post# 1165427 , Reply# 12 12/2/2022 at 19:14 (504 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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 There are several of those handmade afghans in the family. I believe they're all synthetic, no wool. They've all been machine-washed on delicate several times but it isn't ideal to agitate them for more than a couple/few mins. The suggested soaking method is good. Handwash on my F&P Intuitive would be OK, it's a *very* slow action (gentler than the 3rd speed on a belt-drive KM/WP) and short agitation time. | ||
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Post# 1165451 , Reply# 14 12/2/2022 at 22:47 (504 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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Post# 1165457 , Reply# 15 12/3/2022 at 02:20 (504 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Post# 1165471 , Reply# 16 12/3/2022 at 07:18 (504 days old) by joeekaitis (Rialto, California, USA) |
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Smallest laundromat front-loader or a friend's front-loader. Delicate cycle. Dry flat. This post was last edited 12/03/2022 at 08:10 | ||
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