Asked on Dec 14, 2017

Soften blanket??

Kno8228129
by Kno8228129
How do I soften a blanket? I used a half a bottle of downy, and bounce sheets, and its still not soft?

  10 answers
  • Cindy Corean Cindy Corean on Dec 14, 2017

    Try washing it in hair conditioner. Even a pretty cheap one, but plenty of it, ought to do the trick for your blanket. If it helps, but still isn't quite right, do it again.

    • Heidi Heidi on Dec 10, 2020

      Soak it in the hair conditioner first. Then wash on “rinse” only. Soak for a good hour tho. Then dry. I’m doing the same thing. If the blanket was made with Acrylic (like mine) soak longer and pray lol. I have found that when it comes to blankets; Acrylic is the heaviest, which you want in a blanket.

  • Ken Ken on Dec 14, 2017

    I suppose the question is was it ever soft? Perhaps you just have a scratchy blanket there. Not all blankets (or towels) are soft.


    If the blanket has seen repeated wetting and hanging out to dry it is possible that there is mineral buildup but that seldom happens to blankets. Let's say it did. White vinegar will dissolve the minerals but it might take more than one washing with a bunch of vinegar.


    That's too much Downy unless you bought one of those sample size bottles.

  • 27524803 27524803 on Dec 14, 2017

    The reason it may not be soft any more... is that there is too much soap residue dried into the fabric.... Soak the blanket in a strong vinegar solution and the warmest water the material can stand to break down and remove the residue, then use the wash cycle with no soap and more vinegar (about a cup) then put the fabric softener in the rinse cycle and dry as usual. Repeat as needed... When you wash the blanket in the future... use less soap, vinegar in the 1st rinse and fabric softener in the 2nd/extra rinse. Note: too much fabric softener can build up in the fibers too.

  • Linda Sikut Linda Sikut on Dec 14, 2017

    Before you do anything else, I would recommend washing it with just vinegar in the water. You've already got a lot of softener in the blanket and the vinegar will wash it out and possibly soften the blanket on it's own. If it doesn't at least it should have a lot of the old softener washed out so you can try Cindy's idea of using hair conditioner. You didn't mention what type of fabric the blanket is made from and that might be the issue. For example, I've never felt a blanket with any kind of wool in it to be soft. If it's a relatively new blanket it should still have washing instructions on it. You could read those instructions to see if there is any help there. I also use 3 tennis balls in the dryer (especially with a large item like that) to keep it fluffed up while it's drying. Wishing you the best.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Dec 14, 2017

    perhaps it has too much wash powder still in it.........

  • All great suggestions here! I no longer use commercial chemical based products for the most part and I do not have a front loading HE washer either. Use a free and clear type detergent, and not too much. Toss in a couple heaping tablespoons of baking soda. Use white vinegar in the rinse. Then in the dryer use felted wool dryer balls. All the chemicals are building up in the fabric of the blanket. If it is acrylic, it may take longer or never get truly soft. Next time you are shopping for blankets, consider 100% cotton. Makes a huge difference and there are many weight and weave options depending on your budget.

  • Heidi Heidi on Oct 14, 2020

    I’ve made 2 blankets with cheap ‘Mainstay’ yarn from Walmart. How do I soften up this cheap yarn before xmas?

  • LewisMad LewisMad on Jan 02, 2021

    There are several methods ho to soften a blanket. To use olive oil, pour about half of a cup of oil over the water. Move the blanket around in the water to disperse the conditioner/oil over it. Push the blanket up and down in the water several times to disperse the conditioner through the fibers. It helped me and made all the blankets in my house so soft. It is important also to know the materials of your blanket. I usually buy weighted blankets with qualitative materials because I like it when the things I buy last. I like to pay more, but I know that the object is very qualitative.

  • Lifestyles Homes Lifestyles Homes on Jan 02, 2021

    If the fabric has been subjected to too hot of water or dryer, the plastic in the fabric (polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene, nylon, acetate) could be melted at a fine level.

    If the rinsing instructions don’t work, look at the fibers with a magnifying glass.

  • Sharon Sharon on Jan 10, 2021

    If you use dryer strips it might have a buildup of wax on it, I would put 1/2c of vinegar in the wash, and in the rinse. This always works for towels.