How to Clean Moving Pads/Blankets

Moving blankets are made from a variety of materials and come in different levels of thickness. Keeping the blankets clean is important to extend their life as well as ensure you get your full deposit back if they are rented. These guidelines are general cleaning instructions that apply to most blankets. If available, consult the care instructions for your particular type of blanket.

• Vacuum cleaner
• Commercial sized washing machine and dryer (Laundromat)
• Bath tub
• Laundry detergent
• Tennis balls
• Towels
• Stain treatment

For machine washing scroll down

Vacuuming will allow you to remove the loose dirt and dust that can build up during the move.

1. Spread the blanket flat on the floor.
2. Vacuum both sides of the blanket.
3. Look over the entire piece to check for stains. Pre-treat all stained areas prior to washing with your favorite laundry pre-treatment product.
4. For smaller blankets, it is best to hand wash them.
5. Fill the bath tub or large sink with cool to cold water.
6. Add detergent and agitate it to mix.
7. Place the towel in the sudsy water and agitate it around to wash.
8. Pay special attention to stained areas. Hand washing allows a great opportunity to scrub each of these areas to ensure the stain is removed.
9. Once clean, drain the sudsy water and refill with clean water.
10. Rinse the blanket with the clean water.
11. Repeat rinses until the soap is removed from the blanket.
12. Squeeze out all of the excess water.
13. Hang the blanket to dry. Ensure it dries completely before storing. If the blanket still contains moisture, it could result in mold and mildew growth.
14. If the blanket is too large or cumbersome to wash by hand, it will be necessary to machine wash it.

Home washing machines are often too small, so it is best to utilize a commercial sized machine at a laundromat.

1. Again, ensure that all stained areas are pretreated with a stain remover.
2. Place the blanket into the machine and add the appropriate amount of laundry detergent.
3. Run it through the normal wash cycle with cold water.
4. Place the blanket in a commercial-sized dryer on a low-heat setting.
5. Add a tennis ball or a couple of damp towels to the dryer to help toss the blanket and ensure even drying.
6. Before storing, ensure there are no wet areas on the blanket to avoid mold and mildew from forming.

• Check the color-fastness of the blanket by dipping the corner into some laundry detergent. If the color runs, the blanket will need to be dry cleaned to preserve the color. (That is if you care about the color.)
• If renting, check with the rental company to ensure you understand the cleaning requirements. While some require the blankets to be cleaned prior to returning them, most will not require it because it is included in the rental fees.
• Because the moving blankets are not used regularly, cold water and mild detergents are sufficient for cleaning.
• If there is any mildew on the blankets, use the information in the guide How to Remove Black Mold/Mildew from Washable Fabrics.