Minky fabric is a type of super soft hypoallergenic polyester. Sometimes minky fabric is called ‘micro fiber’ but typically minky has a distinct texture to it. For instance, baby blankets created out of minky often have a bumpy dotted pattern on one side. Minky is frequently used to create all sorts of items for small children because of its luxuriously soft nature. This type of super plush fabric is also used to create faux fur materials, patch blankets, fleece blankets, pillow cases, baby washcloths, and can even be used to make a weighted blanket.
- Normal Minky Washing
- Extra Care Tips
- Minky Washing Cautions
- Ink Stains
- Oil Stains
- Crayon Stains
- Other Stains
- Minky Replacements
Babies are wonderful messy little creatures (haha). There are all kinds of things you could spill on a minky to get it pretty grubby. I once even had a brand new baby snowsuit that was lined with super soft minky. I threw it in the washing machine before letting my baby wear it for the first time and unfortunately, there was a pen in the washing machine with it… Getting the ink out of a brand new item was not an easy task, but isopropyl alcohol saved the day.
The good news is minky fabric is washable but you do have to be careful with how you wash it if you want it to remain super soft. Let’s take a look at the best way to wash your favourite minky blanket and other minky items.
For normal washing to take care of your minky use these steps:
- Cold water
- Machine wash gentle cycle or hand wash
- Dryer on LOW HEAT or hang dry
Extra Care Tips:
- No detergent pods (use liquid detergent or powder)
- No fabric softener
- No dryer sheets
Make sure you’re using cold water. High heat can cause the minky fabric to be less soft because it’s a man made synthetic fabric that could melt. If you’re using a washing machine try putting it on a cold gentle cycle without fabric softener.
It is also not recommended to use a detergent pod on a minky blanket. Stick with a powder detergent or traditional liquid laundry detergent preferably with natural ingredients. For a seriously messy minky pre soak your fabric for 30 min in cool water with a cup of vinegar.
Hanging it to dry will help your minky fabric last longer. If you need it dry in a hurry the best advice is to tumble dry on a low heat setting. Air drying will help your blanket’s fibers stay in excellent shape and retain the original softness of your blanket.
Minky Washing Cautions:
- never dry clean or iron your minky fabric, it will melt!
- never use bleach.
How to Clean Stained Minky:
Ink Stains:
70-90% isopropyl alcohol –
You will want to test this out on a small corner of your fabric first. But in general, because minky is a type of polyester, it should be safe to use alcohol on it to remove ink stains. It’s what I’ve had the best luck with personally. Afterwards, make sure you wash all the alcohol out of your minky thoroughly, especially if the item is going to be used on sensitive skin like a baby’s. After the alcohol is rinsed out use a mild detergent and wash the minky item normally.
Baby Oil Stains:
Dishwashing liquid soap –
Use some warm water (never hot) and liquid dish soap to get the oil out. Then wash thoroughly with water to rinse out all the soap and oil. Hang dry for best results or tumble dry low with no dryer sheet. This will work to get body oil out of polyester fibers too. If you’d like to put your minky in the washing machine make sure it’s on a cold-delicate setting.
Crayon Stains:
Scrape and warm heat –
Scrape off all the wax you can first. Then put your minky between two pieces of white blotting paper and iron on a warm setting (never hot). The only thing to watch out for is a hot iron will seriously destroy the fabric so test your warm setting first. If you don’t have blotting paper, sometimes white paper napkins can work. You need something that the wax will stick to once it warms up a bit.
Other Stains:
You can always try a cup of white vinegar mixed with a cup of water. Let the blanket fibers soak in this simple solution if you’re having a hard time with a stain. You could also make a baking soda paste and let it soak into your stained fabric before attempting to wash it clean. Be careful not to scrub too hard because minky fabric stretches.
Minky fabric is warm and feels soft against the skin. It’s also a lightweight material which makes it perfect to use around babies. With the proper type of care, this is a fairly durable fabric that should last for years. I even had some drool bibs that underwent quite a bit of wear and tear and remained soft after multiple washes. When all else fails just remember: no hot water and use regular liquid detergent, hang to dry or air dry! Hopefully I’ve given you all the tips and tricks you need to take care of your own minky products in a simple way that will allow you to enjoy the most out of them.
Minky Replacements
If you’re looking for some beautiful new minky items to replace something that’s too far gone you can take a look at some of these. My favorite is the cactus themed blanket that would match a cactus themed baby nursery.
