Material
Throw
A blanket on furniture, so it takes the spill the sofa would have taken. The fibre decides the detergent and weight decides the handling.
- SurfacePorous
- WashingMachine
- Colour run riskMedium
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What throw can and cannot take
- Heat Use with care
- Water and soaking Tolerates it
- Acids, including vinegar Tolerates it
- Strong alkalis Tolerates it
- Solvents Use with care
- Chlorine bleach Use with care
- Abrasives Use with care
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for throw
Check underneath first. A throw is often the top layer and liquid goes through it into the sofa, so lifting it and looking is the first job rather than the last.
Then treat the throw as its fibre requires. Cotton and acrylic take biological detergent and a cool wash; wool needs a neutral wool detergent.
A heavy knitted throw stretches badly when wet, so support its weight and dry it flat rather than over a line.
Check the label
A throw is a blanket that lives on furniture, which means it usually catches the spill that would otherwise have gone on the sofa. That is worth knowing, because it makes a throw the cheapest thing in the room to have ruined.
Stains on throw
- Baby sick Lift the throw and check whether the sick went through to the sofa or bed underneath, because that is the mor...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Blot throw, pretreat a permitted washable patch with liquid detergent, rinse and use a cool labelled wash. Ai...
- Breast milk Blot and cold-rinse a label-approved washable item. Use your compatible biological liquid detergent and a per...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from throw before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care label,...
- Coffee Blot first. If the label permits, gently rinse cool water through the back of the mark, supporting the fabric...
- Concealer Lift the concealer, flush Throw from the back with cool water, pre-treat the oily residue with one drop of wa...
- Cooking grease Lift and blot cooking grease from Throw, absorb the oil, pretreat both sides with washing-up liquid for 10 mi...
- Deodorant Rub a fresh white deodorant mark off throw while it is dry. For residue that remains, follow the care label a...
- Hair dye Blot hair dye from Throw, test the mildest compatible cool detergent route, clean inwards, remove residue and...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Throw, work from the reverse with a drop of washing-up liquid, rinse cool, wash to the car...
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Throw, absorb the residue, pretreat both sides with a little washing-up liquid, wash to t...
- Nail polish Lift free polish without rubbing. A small mark on plain washable compatible cloth may respond to the linked l...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity throw can tolerate. Use a labelled pet urine enz...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Throw, flush from the reverse with cool water, pretreat the remaining film, wash to th...
A throw is a decorative blanket, usually cotton, acrylic, wool or a blend.
It is protecting something more expensive
Which is the most useful thing about it. A throw that has taken a spill has usually saved a sofa, and it is worth checking whether it succeeded before starting on the throw itself.
Knitted throws stretch
A loose knit full of water is very heavy and pulls itself out of shape. Support it when lifting and dry it flat.
The fibre still decides the chemistry
Biological detergent on cotton and acrylic, neutral wool detergent on wool.
Fringes tangle
A fringed or tasselled throw will knot itself in a machine. A mesh bag or hand washing avoids that.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
How to remove stains from baby clothes, Persil UK
manufacturer
UK manufacturer guidance to act quickly on formula, blot when immediate washing is impossible, rinse under cool water, soak for at least 15 minutes where the care label permits, pre-treat with detergent and then wash to the care label.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
A guide to newborn laundry, American Cleaning Institute
trade body
Cleaning trade body guide to pre-treat breast milk, formula or spit-up with an enzyme stain remover, soak fresh marks for at least 30 minutes and older marks for several hours, launder, and keep stained items out of the dryer until the mark has gone.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
How to wash wool, Woolmark
trade body
Wool industry body guidance that wool garments are machine washed on the wool setting, which is a gentle action at 40 C, or hand washed in lukewarm water at about 30 C, that a neutral mild detergent should be used, and that garments are dried flat rather than tumble dried.
Checked 7 September 2026