Can you put a sherpa blanket in the dryer?

Only if its care label allows it, and then on the lowest heat setting. High heat can shrink or melt the polyester fibers and mat the pile, so air drying is the safer choice. Our plaid throw with a sherpa reverse is labeled tumble dry low; our cable-pattern throw is labeled air dry.

Why does a sherpa blanket get matted after washing?

Heat and friction are the usual causes: hot water or a hot dryer can shrink or melt the fibers, and washing with towels or jeans rubs the loops into pills. Wash it cold on a gentle cycle, on its own, and dry it with little or no heat.

Can you use fabric softener on sherpa?

Care advice for sherpa says no to fabric softener and to bleach. For a softer rinse, add about 1/2 cup of white vinegar instead.

How do you make a sherpa blanket soft again?

Brush the pile with a soft bristle brush, with the surface lightly dampened with cold water, to lift the loops and pull out buildup, then shave off any pills with a razor or a fabric shaver. If it still feels stiff, wash it again cold, without softener, and air-dry it.

How often should you wash a sherpa throw?

About once a month for a throw in everyday use. Sherpa wears faster the more often it is washed, so spot-clean and brush it between washes.

How to Wash a Sherpa Blanket Without Ruining It

By the Urban Picks team · Updated November 9, 2026

Sherpa throws are soft because of their curly pile, and that pile is easy to ruin: hot water, a hot dryer, fabric softener and rough laundry can leave it flat, matted and pilled. This guide covers how to read the care label, treat stains, wash and dry a sherpa throw, and bring back the fluff when it starts to flatten.

Key takeaways

Read the care label first: sherpa throws differ, and the label wins over general advice.
Pre-treat oil stains with dish soap for about 10 minutes and other stains with cornstarch overnight.
Wash cold on a gentle cycle, alone or with other fleece, with mild detergent and no bleach or fabric softener.
Air-dry flat or on a line; if the label allows a dryer, use the lowest heat, and never iron sherpa.
Brush the pile with a soft brush and shave off pills to bring back the fluff.

What sherpa is and why it mats

Sherpa on a throw blanket is a synthetic fleece, usually polyester, with a curly, looped pile on one side that imitates sheepskin. The pile is what makes it soft and warm, and it is also the part that suffers in the wash.

Two things flatten and mat it. Heat can shrink or even melt the polyester fibers, and friction against rougher fabrics tangles the loops into pills. Most care advice for sherpa also rules out bleach and fabric softener.

Start with the care label

Care labels differ from one sherpa throw to the next, so read yours first. Our plaid throw with a sherpa reverse is labeled machine wash cold and tumble dry low, with no ironing and no bleach. Our cable-pattern throw, which pairs 220 GSM sherpa with a 260 GSM shaggy jacquard sherpa side, calls for a cold gentle cycle and air drying.

When a label and a general guide disagree, follow the label. Where a throw has no care instructions, the cautious routine below is the safe default: cold water, a gentle cycle and little or no dryer heat.

Plaid Throw Blanket with Sherpa Reverse
From $48.63
Plaid on one side, solid sherpa on the other.
Throw Blanket with Tufted Cable Pattern and Sherpa Reverse
$42.56
Raised texture for your reading chair or couch.

Treat stains before the wash

For an oil or grease stain, work a small amount of dish soap into the spot and leave it for about 10 minutes, then wash the whole blanket as usual.

For other stains, rub a little cornstarch or baby powder into the spot with your fingers and leave it overnight to absorb. If a mark is still there the next day, rub it gently with a cloth dampened with cold water and a drop of dish soap.

Keep bleach and harsh stain removers away from sherpa.

Machine-wash it cold, on a gentle cycle, on its own

Wash the throw alone, or with other fleece and sherpa blankets in similar colors. Towels, jeans and other rough fabrics rub against the pile and leave pills and lint behind.

Choose cold water and the gentle or delicate cycle. Hot water can mat the pile and take away its softness.

Use a small amount of mild detergent. Skip bleach and fabric softener; if you want a softer rinse, add about 1/2 cup of white vinegar in place of softener.

Hand-washing in a tub of cold water is gentler still, if you have the room for it.

Dry it with little or no heat

Air drying is best. Lay the throw flat on a drying rack or hang it over a line, indoors or out, and turn it over once so both sides dry.

If the label allows the dryer, use the lowest heat setting. High heat can shrink or melt polyester fibers and leave the pile flat, matted or shedding.

Do not iron sherpa. Our plaid throw's label says not to iron it, and direct heat flattens the pile.

Bring back the fluff: brush and de-pill

If the pile looks flat after a wash, brush it. A soft bristle brush, like one you would use on a pet, lifts the loops and pulls out trapped lint. Dampen the surface lightly with cold water first so the buildup comes away more easily.

For small pills, run a razor or a fabric shaver lightly over the surface. Then press a strip of tape over the loose fluff so it does not end up back on the blanket.

How often to wash a sherpa throw

Sherpa wears faster the more often it is washed, so for a throw in everyday use about once a month is enough. Between washes, shake it out, spot-clean marks and brush the pile.

A throw shared with pets may need washing more often; use the same cold, gentle routine each time.

Choosing a sherpa throw that is easy to care for

A sherpa reverse on a printed, plaid or textured face gives you two surfaces in one blanket: a flat face and a soft pile side. Check the size, the fabric and the care label before you buy, especially if you would rather use the dryer.

Our reindeer throw is microfiber with a white sherpa reverse, 50 x 60 in, with white reindeer, trees and snowflakes on red. Our plaid throw with a sherpa reverse comes in six colors at 50 x 60 in, and the cable-pattern throw comes in gray or cream, also 50 x 60 in.

Reindeer Throw Blanket with Sherpa Reverse, 50 x 60 in, Red
$28.83
White holiday motifs on red, with a white sherpa reverse.
Plaid Throw Blanket with Sherpa Reverse
From $48.63
Plaid on one side, solid sherpa on the other.
Throw Blanket with Tufted Cable Pattern and Sherpa Reverse
$42.56
Raised texture for your reading chair or couch.

Questions

Can you put a sherpa blanket in the dryer?: Only if its care label allows it, and then on the lowest heat setting. High heat can shrink or melt the polyester fibers and mat the pile, so air drying is the safer choice. Our plaid throw with a sherpa reverse is labeled tumble dry low; our cable-pattern throw is labeled air dry.
Why does a sherpa blanket get matted after washing?: Heat and friction are the usual causes: hot water or a hot dryer can shrink or melt the fibers, and washing with towels or jeans rubs the loops into pills. Wash it cold on a gentle cycle, on its own, and dry it with little or no heat.
Can you use fabric softener on sherpa?: Care advice for sherpa says no to fabric softener and to bleach. For a softer rinse, add about 1/2 cup of white vinegar instead.
How do you make a sherpa blanket soft again?: Brush the pile with a soft bristle brush, with the surface lightly dampened with cold water, to lift the loops and pull out buildup, then shave off any pills with a razor or a fabric shaver. If it still feels stiff, wash it again cold, without softener, and air-dry it.
How often should you wash a sherpa throw?: About once a month for a throw in everyday use. Sherpa wears faster the more often it is washed, so spot-clean and brush it between washes.