Wash blanket?

[Adele Zagorski]

Please can I ask is it better to wash a baby blanket?  I'm not sure whether to wash the blanket on completion before giving it as a present. 

[magiccrochetfan]

welcome to the ville!

 

It can't hurt to wash it.  I'm assuming it is made of yarn that can be washed and dried by machine.  I would remove it from the dryer while it is still damp and lay it flat to dry; that way it will look more crisp.  Sometimes things can look kind of bunchy if dried all the way in the dryer.  Some acrylics apparently absorb very little water because they come out of the washer almost dry and if that is the case i would not put it in the dryer at all but just lay it flat as soon as I took it out of the washer.  

[ReniC]

The one time I mailed a crocheted afghan and some smaller items that I had not washed to a niece, for me was a mistake.

When my niece came to visit, we were talking about the items and she said as soon as she opened the box she could "smell my house". I was embarrassed, but, she went on to explain, "It didn't stink, it just smelled like Auntie's house".

I remember as a kid, when we visited certain family members, I would "smell old people's house". Guess my house now "smells like old people's house". LOL

We don't smoke and don't have pets. So even though I know everything is clean, I wash everything I crochet to avoid household smells.

[redrosesdz]

I always wash gifts right before I pack them up.  First, it makes is smell nice, like Reni said.  But, most importantly it allows me to make sure it still looks good after the recipient washes it.  I check it carefully for snags and any loose woven tails.

[LianaInStitches]

I always wash crocheted items before giving them as gifts. I've read that yarn often contains carcinogens as a result of the manufacturing process it goes through. Because of that, I'm always careful to wash my hands after I crochet, and I always wash my items before I use it or give it to anyone, *especially* children! 

[Nevermore1]

I haven't given anything as gifts but would make a point of washing the item first if I did. Mainly to make sure it was clean and to help soften it up and verify that it doesn't unravel if something was loose and I wasn't aware of it. I would hate for someone to get a gift and wash it and have it come out of the wash either damaged or destroyed.

[buggainok]

I'm going to post a little different opinion. I do not wash items that I crochet before I give them as gifts. Many people, especially babies and children, are sensitive to different detergents. I always let the recipient know that the item has not been washed, and that they can wash it or not, and use the detergent they prefer.

 

I learned this lesson with one of my granddaughters, who has asthma. My daughter said the blanket I washed and gave to her made her wheeze. So now, I don't wash anything - just in case.

 

I also donate hats to a charity for chemo patients. They ask specifically that you do not wash the hats for that reason - sensitivity to detergents could cause discomfort.

[ratdog]

I understand the concern about sensitivities. However, if a child is that sensitive the parent should wash everything before giving it to the child even if you washed it first.

 

Yarn has already been sitting around collecting "stuff" and smells long before you purchase it in the store.

[Nevermore1]

I understand the detergent issue. I have asthma and am unable to walk down the detergent aisle without having trouble breathing. I also breakout in a rash from most detergents. If you're concerned about a reaction use a non-perfumed detergent that doesn't contain dyes.