Caring for Faux Fur Blankets, Throws, and Pillowcases
Jump To: Easy Steps to Care for Your Faux Fur | How To Hand Wash Your Faux Fur | How To Machine Wash Your Faux Fur
You did an amazing job picking out the purrrfect faux fur home goods to complement your den, and your beloved faux fur throw does a wonderful job at keeping you warm and cozy for most of the year. However, your favorite faux fur throw can take a beating during those peak cuddle seasons—especially if you have pets that are cozying up with them too!
Not to worry, though! If your favorite faux fur throw or faux fur blanket is in need of some serious TLC (tender loving care) we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for our step-by-step guide on how to wash faux fur blankets, throws, and pillowcases.
How Often Do Faux Fur Home Goods Need to Be Washed?
To keep faux fur blankets, throws, and pillowcases in excellent shape for years to come, we actually want to avoid washing them too often. What's too often? Great question! It depends on how often you use your items and what kind of environments they are being exposed to.
For example, if you are the type to take your blanket to music festivals or camping and expose your faux fur throw to the grounds and dirt, you may have to wash it more frequently (several times a year) than someone who just keeps their faux fur blanket on their couch. Same goes if your favorite furry friends are constantly drooling and licking their paws all over your luxurious faux fur throws.
On the flip side, if your fluffy home goods aren’t getting a ton of use or are being used more for decor, then you can get away with washing your faux fur blankets as little as once per year.
When Should My Faux Fur Home Goods Be Washed?
Faux fur does require some special care, so it's important to follow these steps to ensure your fake fur home goods last a lifetime!
Easy Steps for Caring for Your Faux Fur
Step 1. Before you break out the cleaning supplies, take a look at your faux fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase and see what kind of condition it’s in. If it hasn't been used much outdoors or is mostly used as décor, it may just need to be dusted off a bit!
Take your faux fur throw, blanket, or pillowcase outside and give it a good jiggle to shake off any dust or debris that may have accumulated over time. Once you’ve given it a thorough waggle, grab your handy SpiritHoods comb and brush out any remaining debris while also fluffing out the faux fur.
You will want to apply medium pressure while brushing. If you don’t happen to have our custom comb, use a gentle one of your own that you may have lying around your place (just avoid any combs or brushes with particularly sharp bristles or teeth).
Another quick and easy method is to take out that vacuum cleaner and the upholstery attachment. This is a great way to give it a little sprucing up in between cleanings. Use the lowest setting to gently remove any dust or debris and reduce the amount of shedding before and after you wash your faux fur.
Step 2. Does your faux fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase smell a little funky? If there is a smell of any kind, grab a fabric deodorizer and give it a few sprays while your fake fur blanket or throw is hanging outside.
Step 3. Finally, hang your faux fur in a shaded open space indoors for about a day or so. Ideally, you’d hang it somewhere it won’t be touched for a few days so that the faux fur can breathe. Yes, faux fur needs to breathe. We all need to breathe. :)
Once it's had adequate hang dry time, lay it on your bed or couch with the fake fur side up. This way, the fibers can relax and fluff out. When you’re ready to store or display your faux fur products on your bed or sofa, just make sure to always keep the fake fur side up (liner side down).
*Important: Never hang faux fur in a cramped closet, in direct sunlight, or next to a heater.
Step 4. Celebratory drinks are in order (Kombucha anyone?) because you, my friend, are officially finished! *the crowd goes wild!* Your fake fur blanket, throw, and pillowcases should be ready for a good time once again! Roadtrip anyone?!
Great Tips, but I think My Fur Needs a Wash
If you need to wash your faux fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase, here's how to do it.
How to Spot Clean Faux Fur Blankets, Throws, and Pillowcases
Did you have a little beverage mishap? No worries! We know a little spillage happens even to the best of us. Try this spot cleaning method when there’s just a small part of your fake fur blanket or throw that needs some love.
Step 1. Using cold water only, dunk the spill into a bowl full of water. Slosh it around a bit and gently rub together the areas that need cleaning.
Step 2. Remove the faux fur throw from the water, then squeeze and press (DO NOT WRING!!). Get out as much water as you can. Hang dry, brush, and fluff to reshape the fur.
Step 3. If you’ve tried both airing out and spot cleaning with no luck—keep reading for the full wash treatment.
Never, Ever Use Heat on Your Faux Fur
Faux or fake fur is made from acrylic—which is a manmade fiber. What happens when heat meets acrylic? The acrylic melts. This is why you should never (ever, ever, ever!) use hot water on fake fur or put faux fur in the dryer.
Heat is DEATH to fake fur!
Heat will ruin the soft and fluffy faux fur you’ve come to love. You won’t be able to revive it (heat damage is permanent), and you’ll be sadder than a kid who dropped their ice cream cone on a nice sunny day. SO JUST DON'T DO IT!
To repeat: Never use hot water. Never put faux fur in the dryer. Write that down. Print and frame it. Get it tattooed on your arm.
Got it? Now you’re ready to get your hands wet!
Why and How to Hand Wash Your Faux Fur Blankets and Home Goods
Faux fur is a unique fabric that can last a lifetime when properly taken care of. To help maximize the lifespan of your fake fur products, we always recommend you wash faux fur blankets and other home goods by hand. This may sound tedious, but it's really not that hard and is the best way to prolong the life of your faux fur throw, blanket, or pillow.
While we do not recommend it, it is possible to machine wash your faux fur throw, but you’ll need to follow specific instructions. If your faux fur throw is made of 100% polyester (rather than acrylic), machine washing throw blankets may be a good option for you; just make sure you're using a Guppyfriend Washing Bag to protect the environment.
And if you ever have any questions about washing instructions, don't hesitate to call the company that made your faux fur. Their customer service team should be able to assist you with any questions. And if you got your faux fur item from us, here at SpiritHoods, we're ALWAYS happy to answer your questions!
Photo by cottonbro
How to Hand Wash Faux Fur Blankets, Throws, and Pillowcases in 7 steps
- Prep
- Fill
- Wash
- Rinse
- Squeeze
- Dry
- Brush
Step 1. Prepare — Take everything out of the pockets. Don’t forget about anything you might’ve stashed in our secret zipper pocket, too!
Step 2. Fill — Fill up a sink or bathtub with cool water. Most faux fur pillowcases can be washed in the sink. Be sure to remove the pillow insert before washing. Faux fur throws and blankets can easily be washed in a bathtub.
Step 3. Wash — Dunk your faux fur throw, blanket, or pillowcase in the water. Swish it around and prepare to be horrified by the amount of dirt that is released. It’s crazy how much dirt and dust particles can be hiding in your faux fur item!
*Should I Use Soap to Wash my Faux Fur Blanket? Most likely, the answer is no. The process of hand washing should remove most dirt from your faux fur throws and blankets. If you really want to use some, make sure it’s a light and natural soap. Avoid heavy detergents and bleach, which can permanently damage your faux fur. If you're going to use soap, just a drop or two of a natural Castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s will do the trick. Add the soap to the sink full of water first. Be sure to rinse your fur piece out thoroughly during this step and the next. You don’t want any lingering soap particles clinging to the fur.
Step 4. Rinse — Continue hand washing and add a few more drops of a gentle liquid soap if necessary. Slosh your fake fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase around. Take it for a swim and let the dirt fall off.
Empty and refill the sink or tub with fresh cold water (be sure to use a strainer for the drain to prevent any microfibers from making their way into the ocean). If you see any stains or visible spots on your faux fur throw, gently rub those areas together. You may need to rinse more than once to get any remaining detergent or dirt out.
Step 5. Squeeze — Once your fake fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase is nice and clean, it’s time to give it a squeeze or press. Use those muscles to gently, but forcefully press or squeeze out water from the faux fur throw, blanket, or pillowcase (do not wring it).
The water will make the fake fur heavy, so be mindful of the additional water weight when trying to work with it. You want to get as much water out now before hanging it up to dry.
Step 6. Hang Dry — Now that you’ve squeezed out as much water as possible, it’s time to hang dry. Hang your faux fur throw, blanket, or pillowcase in your bathroom or near an open window, or even outside (but never in direct sunlight!).
The more air circulating around your faux fur home goods, the faster they will dry. Larger faux fur products may take a day or two to fully dry. Check on it every few hours. Rotate the item to expose all sides. Place a fan nearby to help speed up the process. Once dry, the fake fur may look a little funny until you brush it out.
Step 7. Brush — Using a wide-toothed comb (like our wooden SpiritHoods comb), brush the fur back into place while it’s still damp. This will help the fur retain its natural shape. Once your faux fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase is dry, give it another brushing to help fluff it out. Use your fingers to move the fur neatly back into place, and you are finished!
Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova
Can I Machine Wash my Faux Fur Blankets, Throws, and Pillowcases?
As most of you know by now, we strongly recommend hand washing your faux fur blankets, throws, and pillows. However, there are some exceptions to the rule.
For starters, you can machine wash throw blankets and pillowcases IF the faux fur is made of 100% polyester and the label says it’s machine washable. However, if your faux fur throw, blanket, or pillowcase is made with some form of acrylic, DO NOT wash it by machine.
If you insist on machine washing, make sure your washing machine is a newer model that's high-efficiency (but still NEVER EVER use the dryer!). That said, there are some extremely important things to consider when machine washing your faux fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase.
How to Carefully Machine Wash Faux Fur Blankets, Throws, and Pillowcases
- Machine type
- Prep
- Protect
- Choose cycle
- Dry
- Brush
Step 1. Washing Machine — The type of washing machine you use matters. We recommend using a newer model (2019 or newer) high-efficiency washing machine to wash faux fur blankets, as most newer washing machines have a gentle mode that is actually gentle.
We do not recommend using public laundry facilities, as industrial machines are neither gentle nor sensitive enough to prevent damage to the faux fur throws. We also do not recommend using washing machines at apartment complexes, as they are also likely to cause damage to your faux fur throw blanket or pillowcase.
Step 2. Prepare — Take everything out of your pockets and secret zipper pocket (if it's a SpiritHood brand blanket or throw) before you wash the throw blanket.
Step 3. Protect the Environment — We strongly recommend getting your claws on a Guppyfriend Washing Bag to put your faux fur in while washing. This bag helps prevent microplastics from getting into the ocean! (How cool is that?!)
Since you only need to wash your item once in a blue moon, this bag is purrrfect for protecting our oceans. (We are currently working on developing a larger version of this wash bag to fit larger items so you can wash throw blankets and other large faux fur home goods. As soon as we have information to share, we'll let you know!). Simply follow the directions when washing your faux fur.
Step 4. Gentle / Cold Cycle Only — Run on the gentlest cycle possible, with cold water only! Once finished, press or squeeze out (do not wring) any excess water in the tub and hang to dry away from heat sources (including direct sunlight). Whatever you do, DO NOT PUT FAUX FUR IN THE DRYER!
Step 5. Hang Dry — Now that you’ve squeezed out as much water as possible, it’s time to hang dry. Hang your faux fur blanket, throw, or pillow in your bathroom, near an open window, or outside (out of direct sunlight). The more air circulating around the faux fur, the faster it will dry. Larger items may take a day or two to fully dry. Check on it every few hours. Rotate the item to expose all sides. Place a fan nearby to help speed up the process.
Step 6. Brush — Using a wide-toothed comb (like our wooden SpiritHoods comb), brush the fur back in place while still damp. This helps the fur retain its natural shape. Once your home good is dry, give it another brushing to help fluff it up. Use your fingers to move the fur back into place.
How to Keep Faux Fur Fluffy Fauxever
Ready to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty — errr clean? Follow these instructions on how to clean faux fur, and you’ll always have a fresh and fluffy faux fur blanket, throw, or pillowcase. Remember to never put fake fur in the dryer. Only use cool water and, if necessary, a light, natural soap when washing your faux fur blanket or throw.
PRO TIP: Always store your faux fur throw, blanket, or pillowcase with the fur side up. It is best to have the faux fur exposed to the air without any weight or pressure on it. So, keep your products fur side up on a couch or bed!
Treat your SpiritHoods home goods like fine cashmere, and they will last you for years!