We have a few heavy chenille throws with fringed edges. They are marked "dry clean only" and last year I took them to the cleaner's. The fringe came back pretty well tangled (they had warned me and made me sign a release before they were cleaned). This year I'm wondering if there are any other options for cleaning them.
Oh, and they do need a cleaning, as they've been in our family room since fall. They've been used for forts, sleds, and tugs-of-war. My husband uses at least one every night during his TV time (and longer if he falls asleep on the couch). Other items that get less use may be OK with an airing out on the line, but these really need more than that...
Honestly, I would probably just throw them in the washer. I mean, they're blankets and their being used by your family on a regular basis, I'd rather they be clean than worry about the tangles.
Ugh - I hate anything with fringe on it.
I have a few non fringed chenille throws and they wash up great in the washer dryer.
What we use most are the beach blanket sized towels we get at Costco in the spring.
They look great and wash up beautifully.
We use them in the car, as throws, in the yard, at the beach - everywhere.
My cousin had given me a chenille throw that had been her parents that they never used. There wasn't any washing instructions with it. I washed it and threw it in the dryer and it was ruined. There were several large spots where it was threadbare from all the little fibers coming out. My lint trap in my dryer was so full that I'm surprised the dryer didn't overheat. The throw went right onto the trash.
Ask the cleaners if it will work for you to braid the chenille or make "ponytails" to keep it from getting tangled.
Did you detangle them or are they still tangled up? If they are, I'd probably just go ahead and wash them myself at this point and throw them in the machine, but maybe that's just me. You could also try washing them by hand in the sink or tub with some woolite or something. Do they still make that Dryel stuff...where you can do your own dry cleaning in your dryer?
I wash a good bit of my "dry clean only" clothing on the gentle cycle and then hang it to dry. Also, I rarely hand wash the "hand wash" items, instead I use the mesh lingerie bags on the gentle cycle.
I haven't tried this, but I would put only one of the blankets in a mesh laundry bag, then wash on the gentle cycle in your machine. I would hang it over a drying rack so that it didn't stretch too much until it was dry. You could probably fluff it in the dryer for 10-15 minutes without causing bare spots if the blanket dries stiff.
Good Luck!
