How to Properly Clean Your Sherpa Blanket

Learn to clean and care for your sherpa blanket so it stays soft and fluffy

Co-authored by Safir Ali and Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: January 6, 2025 Fact Checked

Nothing like cuddling up on a chilly evening with a cup of hot tea, a good book, and a nice warm sherpa blanket. But after a few chilly evenings, that plushy fleece throw will need to be washed. Every blanket is different, like delicate (but warm) snowflakes, and requires a specific method of washing to ensure it keeps in good condition for as long as possible. So when it comes to sherpas, how do you wash them? Stick around: we’ll tell you how to wash your sherpa blanket the right way so it stays soft and warm and fluffy for years to come.

This article is based on an interview with our professional dry cleaner, Safir Ali, co-founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

Wash a sherpa blanket in your washing machine with cold water and a gentle detergent.
Air-dry the blanket since heat from your dryer can cause the polyester fibers to shrink or melt, making the blanket less soft and fluffy.
Maintain your sherpa blanket's softness by regularly brushing it with a bristle brush or using a razor to shave pills off the fleece.

1

Spot-clean oil stains with dish soap.

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Apply a bit of dish soap to oil stains prior to washing the blanket. If you’ve got a penchant for eating pizza while bingeing Curb Your Enthusiasm, your sherpa blanket may have suffered an oil stain or 2. Before tossing your sherpa throw in the wash, spot-clean any oil stains with a small amount of dish soap. Apply the dish soap to the afflicted area and leave it there for 10 minutes, then add the blanket to the wash.
- Wash the whole blanket as usual after spot-cleaning oil stains. Applying dish soap beforehand will help the stained fibers to loosen up, so that the washer has an easier job cleaning the blanket.

2

Sprinkle baby powder on non-oily stains.

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Using your fingers, rub a bit of baby powder into the stained area. Then leave the powder there overnight. The cornstarch in the baby powder will help absorb the stain.
- If the stain is still there the next day, apply a small amount of dish soap and rub the stain with a cloth damp with cold water. A little friction goes a long way in removing pesky stains!^{[1]
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- If you don’t have baby powder, you can also use cornstarch.

3

Machine-wash your blanket alone.

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Sherpas should be washed solo or, if need be, with other sherpas. Wash your sherpa blanket with any other item, and you run the risk of the fragile fibers of the sherpa blanket pilling or unraveling when they come into contact with rougher fabrics.^{[2]
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- You can wash your fleece blanket with other fleece blankets, but only wash with similar colors to avoid color bleeding!^{[3]
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- Because sherpa blankets are so delicate, try to limit yourself to washing them no more than once a month. The more they are washed, the quicker they will wear out.

4

Add gentle detergent or non-detergent soap.

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These blankets are too fragile to wash with harsh detergents. They are at risk of falling apart if they are washed with anything other than a gentle detergent or non-detergent soap. That means no bleach or fabric softener, either!^{[4]
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- In place of fabric softener, try a ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of vinegar.

5

Select cold water and use the gentle cycle.

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The synthetic fibers may shrink or even melt in high heat. Washing your blanket in hot water may result in it becoming matted and losing its softness, but cleaning your sherpa on a cold and gentle setting will ensure it stays soft and fluffy.^{[5]
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- For best results, hand-wash your sherpa blanket. It’s more work, but your delicate blanket will thank you with many years of softness! (The same goes for washing sherpa jackets.)^{[6]
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6

Air-dry your sherpa blanket.

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Because the polyester material is so sensitive to heat, air-drying is best. Machine-drying your blanket may result in shedding or matting. Hang it on a line to dry outside or inside on a rack.^{[7]
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- If you are in a bind, you can tumble-dry the blanket on low heat.

7

Keep your blanket soft by brushing it regularly.

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Brush your blanket with a bristle brush to eliminate buildup. Over time, sherpa fleece has a tendency to pill—that is, the fleece acquires buildup as a result of friction from rubbing against towels, lint, or other fibers. Perform regular maintenance on your blanket by brushing it with a bristle brush or tangle teezer—any brush soft enough you would use it on a pet.
- To make the buildup easier to snag, dampen your blanket with cold water prior to brushing.

8

Remove pills from your blanket with a razor.

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Shave your blanket with a razor to keep it soft. Next time you’re zoning out watching TV under your sherpa blanket, take a razor and gently run it over the fleece to catch any small pills. Eliminating buildup will keep your blanket soft and fluffy for a long time.
- Pro-tip: after you’re done shaving your blanket, apply double-sided tape to your hand and gather all the pills that have fallen to the floor to ensure the blanket doesn’t just sweep them up again.