Place the blankets in your washing machine. To prevent abrasion with other clothes, it is best to wash fleece items together, combining like colors. Before you begin, set the washer on the gentle cycle. Stronger washing cycles may cause the fleece to form knots. Use only warm, not hot, water on fleece. Add laundry detergent to the washing machine, but do not use a laundry detergent that contains bleach. It’s also a good idea to avoid fabric softeners when washing fleece because they will damage the water-repellent finish that is applied to many fleece items during manufacturing.