i have a eddie bauer dark blue "polartec" blanket.  pet hairs and lint
cling to it no matter how i wash it, I even have dry cleaned it to no
avail?  Any way to get it fresh looking?

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Request for Question Clarification by aht-ga on 04 Apr 2004 19:13 PDT

rintin-ga:

Can you clarify whether you are having a problem removing the built-up
pet hairs and lint, or is the problem that after you wash it, the
static cling problem starts up right away?

There are some products that I can suggest to help in protecting the
Polartec material, and potentially reduce the static cling, but one
unfortunately attribute of fleece is its tendency to build up a static
charge that attracts lint and hairs. However, if you like I can
provide these product suggestions that should help you at least
prolong the amount of time between cleanings.

Please advise if this is something you are interested in, and I will
provide it in an Answer.

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

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Clarification of Question by rintin-ga on 06 Apr 2004 17:48 PDT

the pet hairs and junk cling before, during, and after washing, just
slight decrease after washing but still very noticable, thanks

rintin-ga:

Thank you for your question regarding your polar fleece blanket and
its tendency to attract lint and hairs. I can imagine just how
annoying this can get, especially if your pet has light-colored hair.

Hair and lint cling to the polar fleece blanket due to the static
charge that fleece naturally builds up. While you can never completely
eliminate static build-up on a dry fleece (and I'm assuming that
leaving the fleece perpetually soaking wet is not an option here!),
you can use some wash-in treatments that will help by coating the
fibers of the polar fleece with water-proofing material. This in turn
will change the surface properties of the fleece, helping to reduce
the build-up of static charge.

I would recommend Nikwax's line of outdoor clothing and equipment
washes and treatments for this purpose. Nikwax USA's website is:

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/

In particular, they have two products that you will want to try out.
The first is their Nikwax Tech Wash non-detergent wash, suitable for
machine washing fleece blankets. Before washing, definitely use a lint
roller (the sticky kind you can buy just about anywhere these days) to
get the bulk of the lint and hairs off the blanket. Then, let the Tech
Wash do its work in cleaning the fibers of the blanket.

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/product.asp?productid=181

Next, use Nikwax Polarproof, a wash-in waterproofing treatment for
polar fleece, to treat the blanket and coat the fibers. This coating
will help protect the fleece, as well as change the surface properties
of the blanket to help keep down the static buildup. Sure, it will
still build up static over time, but this treatment should help delay
the inevitable.

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/product.asp?productid=221

To find these products at a retailer near you, use the locator feature
on the Nikwax website:

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/locator.asp

I hope that this helps you out with the static cling problem. As you
probably already know from the "care" tag on the blanket, Ordinary
anti-static laundry treatments are not recommended for polar fleece,
and are relatively ineffective. This treatment routine should help you
regain some ground in this never-ending battle!

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher