How to Keep Soft Baby Blankets, Soft

The secret to Keep a Soft Baby Blanket, Soft is part of a Tide sponsored series for Socialstars™

We all know the stereotype around the baby blanket. The favorite blanket that a child latches onto. And Heaven help you if you happen to lose it! Your child will never sleep again!

It is fairly common that over the years, these blankets get worn. And then begin to look shabby. And then, of course, Mom wants to get rid of the baby blanket.

But then the child revolts!

“NO! It’s my special blanket! I can’t sleep without it!”

Now, said child has an emotional attachment to their baby blanket.

It’s very common. And quite frankly I can’t blame my kids for developing this attachment. Especially since their very special blankets have always been Minky and silk!

Hello! that just screams “Wrap me up and cuddle!”

There is something so very comforting about that favorite baby blanket.

You get wrapped up and snuggled in that baby blanket. There is no danger or fear when you are in your baby blanket.

It has been with you in every good experience in your most influential years.

I clearly remember my baby blanket. Well, one of them. I know I had multiple ones. But the last one is the one I really remember. It was white, with elaborate embroidery stitching and it was satin/silk!

It was so incredibly soft! It was so warm and cozy when I was wrapped like a burrito. I also loved how the outside had a cool touch from the cool summer night air as I left my window open at night.

That blanket actually stayed with me until I graduated High School! And yes, it was old and worn, and ratty, but man I loved that blanket! My mom finally hid it from me after I moved out for my summer job. I don’t know what became of it after I went off to college. I never saw it again. Sad Day! I loved that blanket.

So the least we can do as Moms is keeping that beautiful baby blanket looking nice for as long as possible while your child builds memories. That means taking care when it comes to washing it.

Because we all know it will need to get washed. That blanket gets dragged EVERYWHERE! From bed, to the playroom, to the dinner table, to the car, to the playground…EVERYWHERE.

And it goes through everything! Leaky diaper, baby spit, drool, spilled milk, spilled food, cracker crumbles, body odors from sweating baby as they refuse to give up their baby blanket in 80-degree weather…EVERYTHING!

Caring for the Baby Blanket

Read the label.

The first thing to do to care for the cherished baby blanket is READ the LABEL!

Many blankets (unless handmade) come with washing labels to help you know better how to care for your favorite baby blanket.

So read the label.

Never wash on a rough cycle or with the regular baby clothes or just thrown in with the regular bedding. No this is a cherished baby blanket. That is just asking for it to be worn out!

Follow the label instructions. If you don’t have a label – err on the side of caution and wash in cold water on the gentle cycle!

Many labels have moved to only showing symbols. Don’t worry If you struggle like I do, trying to remember what the symbols mean. We have you covered!

 

Just use our Laundry Label Printable. Print it out, laminate it and hang it up in your laundry room!

Wash Separately.

I know the blanket is small. But you also have a small setting on the washing machine!

Did you know if a garment doesn’t have enough room to agitate and get rinsed out well with water, that the detergents that remain in the fabric actually collect dirt easier? Which is why many clothes look dingy! They aren’t getting fully clean.

By washing the baby blanket separately or even with maybe 1-2 other special baby blankets, it means less agitation to wear out the fabrics.

It also means more access to being fully rinsed and removing detergents to keep the fabrics brighter.

The Right Detergent. 

Did you know it is just as important to choose the right detergent when washing clothes as it is choosing the cycle and temperature?

The wrong detergent won’t rinse clean, it can stain your clothing, or it can not clean it at all!

When it comes to washing our favorite clothing or the cherished baby blanket, I love to use Tide® PODS™ Plus Downy®. 

Tide PODS® Plus Downy laundry detergent pacs offer the Tide clean you love, but now with Downy Fabric Protect included! They help to clean, brighten, fight stains, freshen, and protect your clothes every time you do laundry! 

You don’t have to worry about spending extra money on your laundry detergent because the Tide PODS® works with both high efficiency and standard washers. It’s HE Turbo technology provides 6x the cleaning power in half the time!

But as a busy Mom, I just love the easy ONE STEP laundry process. Simply toss in the Tide PODS® Plus Downy laundry detergent pacs into the washing machine, put in the baby blanket, set the cycle and walk away! That’s it!

I have the laundry detergent, stain remover, brightener, and Downy Fabric Protect in one small pack! It’s So Simple!

You can replace four boxes with just one box of Tide PODS® Plus Downy laundry detergent pacs! Not to mention save money!

Just look how much room I’m saving! I cleared out the old stain remover, brightener, and fabric softener, cause all I need is this ONE box of Tide PODS® Plus Downy!

And I can rest assured that the Tide PODS® are taking the best care of our baby blanket, as it dissolves in all temperatures and protects clothes from damage while in the wash. Not to mention the incredible cleaning power!

 

Thus our baby blankets come out of the wash looking just as bright, fresh, clean and soft as the day we bought them!

Dry Carefully

The last step to caring for your baby blanket is selecting how to dry it once it has been washed.

You just spent all the time reading the label, ensuring it was washed carefully, you don’t want to ruin it now that we are in the home stretch.

Drying on the wrong cycle on the wrong temperature can cause the blanket damage or shrink!

The safest bet is to always line dry! If the blanket has had an especially rough week with baby’s diaper leaking on it, drying in the sun is preferable. It will help to kill any bacteria and leave it fresh. It’s a trick we learned when we were cloth diapering Jade.

If you don’t have a clothesline, you can use clothes rack for your most cherished soft and fuzzy items. They tend to pill in the dryer. So always line drying those are best.

If you don’t have time to line dry, select the appropriate dry cycle on the label. Again, Read the label!

If there isn’t a label, always err on the side of caution. Dry on the gentle or air fluff cycle. It might take a little longer, but your baby blanket and your baby will thank you for it!

Enjoy a fresh Baby Blanket

As a child, my favorite thing was to always curl up with my baby blanket right after it was washed. It was always so soft and smelled so fresh.

 

Now that you have taken the best care of your child’s baby blanket – they can build those same memories! So after the laundry is finished, put everything on hold, turn on a movie or pull out a book and curl up with your child and their baby blanket! Create more memories that will become the threads of love associated with their baby blanket!

 

What is your favorite memory of your baby blanket?

 

**Like all household products, KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN! Tide PODS® are not toys, candy or a fun stress ball pack. Which is exactly what they look like to children. So always keep your Tide PODS® stored in the original container, sealed tightly and high up out of child’s reach!**