Can I wash a 9kg blanket in my 10kg washing machine?

Technically it fits, but mechanically it is a very high risk. The wet weight and eccentric inertia can break the shock absorbers and the drum spider, as domestic washing machines are not designed for such dense point loads.

What cycle should I use for a weighted blanket?

Always cold or lukewarm water (maximum 30ºC / 86ºF) and gentle or no spin if you do it at home (not recommended). In industrial laundry, we use specific programs that manage load distribution before spinning.

How to dry a weighted blanket?

The ideal method is air drying flat to avoid deformation. If you use a dryer, it must be a large capacity industrial one at low temperature, as excessive heat can melt the internal polyethylene pellets.

Why Your Weighted Blanket Can Destroy Your Domestic Washing Machine

Close up of a gray weighted blanket folded and a domestic washing machine drum

Weighted blankets are trendy. Weighing between 7 kg and 12 kg (15-25 lbs), they promise deep sleep thanks to the pressure. They are fantastic for sleeping, but they are weapons of mass destruction for a domestic washing machine. As a repair technician, I'm going to explain why putting this in your home machine is a terrible idea, and not because I want you to come wash at my place (which I do), but because of pure mechanical physics.

The Problem Isn't the Weight, It's the Inertia

Many people think: "My washer says it holds 10 kg, and my blanket weighs 9 kg. It fits perfectly!". Grave error.

The load capacity the manufacturer sells you refers to cotton clothing distributed evenly. A weighted blanket is not normal clothing. It is filled with glass microbeads or plastic pellets that act as "dead weight".

1. The Wet "Cannonball" Effect

Dry, your blanket weighs 9 kg. When it gets wet, the fabric retains water, but the pellets do not. This creates an unstable mass. Unlike a pile of t-shirts that distribute throughout the drum, the weighted blanket tends to ball up compactly. You have 12 or 14 kg concentrated in a single point of the drum.

2. G-Force and Disaster

Here comes the physics. When the washer tries to spin, that 14 kg ball rotates. Centrifugal force grows exponentially with speed. An unbalanced load of this caliber at 1000 revolutions per minute generates brutal lateral force.

Domestic washing machines have concrete counterweights and suspension springs calculated for standard laundry. When you put in a load with such high eccentric inertia, the shock absorbers bottom out and hit the chassis. If you insist, the next thing to give way is the axle or the rear bearings.

Tech Tip:

I have seen new washing machines (less than 2 years old) with cracked tubs from trying to spin one of these blankets. The repair usually costs over €200, or directly implies changing the machine.

Why LaColada Machines DO Handle It (And Yours Doesn't)

It's not magic, it's industrial engineering. At LaColada Ponferrada we use IPSO and Domus machinery. The difference isn't just that they are "bigger", it's how they are built inside:

Soft Mount Suspension: My machines aren't just resting on the floor. They have an independent suspension system that absorbs extreme vibrations without transmitting them to the chassis or blowing out the bearings.
Reinforced Axles and Bearings: The axle of a domestic washing machine is usually the thickness of a thumb. That of our industrial machines looks like a truck driveshaft. They are designed to withstand high inertia loads thousands of times.
Smart Inverter Drive: If the machine detects that the blanket is balled up, the industrial motor has the strength and intelligence to redistribute it before accelerating, something domestic ones try but often fail to achieve with such weight.

Guide: How to wash your weighted blanket without dying trying

If despite my warning you want to wash it at home, or if you decide to bring it to our laundry (the smart choice), here is the step-by-step guide to avoid ruining the blanket, as they are not cheap either.

Step 1: Check the label and weight

If the blanket weighs more than 7-8 kg dry, forget about the home washing machine. Don't risk it. If it weighs less (children's models of 3-4 kg), you could try it at home, but watch out for vibration.

Step 2: Does it have a cover?

Many weighted blankets have a removable outer cover (like a duvet). Wash the cover as many times as you want. The inner part (the heavy one) should be washed as little as possible, only when strictly necessary (1 or 2 times a year).

Weighted blanket for sale in online stores

Step 3: Washing (Cold Water)

Always use cold or lukewarm water (max 30ºC / 86ºF). Excessive heat can soften the plastic pellets or damage the technical fabric.
Important: Do not use fabric softener. Softener creates a waxy layer that reduces the breathability of the blanket and can affect how the internal beads move.

Step 4: Drying

Here you have two options:

Air drying: It's the best, but it takes a long time. You have to lay it flat (horizontal). If you hang it wet on a vertical drying rack, the weight will deform the fabric and break the internal seams, causing all the beads to fall to the bottom.
Industrial Dryer: At LaColada, use our dryers but select medium or low temperature. Our dryers have huge drums that allow the blanket to "open up" and dry evenly, something impossible in a domestic dryer where it would remain a wet and hot ball.

In short: that blanket that takes away your anxiety can generate a lot of it if a metallic "clack-clack-clack" starts sounding in your kitchen. For the cost of a coffee and a bit of reading time, bring it here to wash. Your bearings will thank you.