Protecting Your New Printed Blanket

Custom printed blankets have become increasingly affordable and popular while also undergoing rapid improvements in the quality of the image that is printed. However, it will still be necessary to take proper care of this type of blanket if you are to preserve its appearance.

Wash The Blanket By Itself

When you are washing the blanket, you should avoid placing other items in the washing machine with it. If this mistake occurs, the colors of the other garments may bleed onto the printed blanket. Also, the friction caused by the blanket rubbing against these garments can be damaging as it may rub off the pigment or tear out the fabric threads that are dyed.  

Only Use Color-Safe Detergent

The type of detergent that you use to wash the blanket will be another important consideration. Using a detergent that is not formulated to be safe on colors can cause the printed image to degrade. This is particularly problematic if the printed blanket will have a face or other highly detailed image on it, as the color fade can make these pictures much more difficult to see.

Avoid Using The Dryer

Placing a blanket in the dryer can be one of the more damaging things that you will do to your fabric. This is due to the intense heat as it can cause the pigment to fade. Rather than using the dryer, you should allow these blankets to line dry. This will take much longer, but it will drastically extend the life of the printed blanket. If you lack a yard, you can keep these blankets inside and place a fan to blow on it. Positioning the blanket so that it receives sunlight can help to dry it more quickly, but you will need to avoid letting it get wet due to surprise rain showers.

Apply Stain Guard After Each Time You Clean The Blanket

Having the printed blanket develop a stain soon after washing it can be an unfortunate problem. When these stains form, they can ruin the appearance of the image. A stain guard will reduce the ability of these stains to form, but the process of washing these blankets can remove this coating. Therefore, a new coating should be applied after washing the blanket but before you use it for the first time. These coatings are color-safe, which will prevent them from harming the image. However, you will still need to wait several minutes for this coating to dry to avoid accidentally removing portions of it.

For more information on caring for custom printed blankets, contact a company like MyPhotoFast!