Until I’m getting a respectable amount of sleep, I’m not going to exercise. This week was a bust.
I have a question about electric blankets. We’ve never had one. I’ve never slept with one, and I know nothing about them. But I bought one on Overstock.com for Nate for our anniversary.
(13 years, woo-hoo! Lucky 13)!
He doesn’t like being cold, and complains about getting into a cold bed most every night of autumn, winter, and spring, so I thought a nice electric blanket would be a neat gift. As we were putting it on the bed and reading the instructions, it said that the electric blanket needs to be on top of all bedding, and can’t be put under anything.
What?
I don’t get it. How does that work then, exactly? My question is this-
Is that something ridiculous they say to avoid any potential for a lawsuit, or is it legit? How do people use electric blankets? My intent was to put it between the comforter and the sheets to get things nice and toasty. Is that not the way they’re used?
I also have new flatware (really cool from Costco) that says not to leave food or moisture on them for any length of time, because they might discolor.
What?
It’s a fork. What am I supposed to do with it? I’ve been treating them like any other silverware we’ve owned and they look just fine. It seems that there is frequently some insane care or usage instructions that come with many things we buy; however sometimes, like I said, it’s legit. I don’t want to burn my house down if that’s truly an issue.
Will someone shed some light on this for me? Because I’m really quite annoyed at the prospect of either warming the outside of our comforter, or sleeping without a comforter entirely in the midst of winter for the opportunity to use our electric blanket. Both of those situations sound silly, and as I see it, can’t possibly be the way things should be.
December 12th, 2006 at 2:32 am
Dear Laura,
As a child I really felt the cold. (And this is in sunny Queensland, Australia!) I always slept directly on the electric blanket (placed on top of bottom sheet). Of course I still had a sheet and blankets/doona over the top of me. I think those instructions mean not to place a mattress protector/sheep skin/anything else over the electric blanket. Advice used to be to turn them on & warm up the bed, & then turn it off once you were in bed. (I used to leave mine on for most the night – but I think it did dehydrate me, & is probably a fire hazard! But I was nice & warm.) Have been enjoying your blog for ages. Can sympathize about the lack of sleep – you know it gets better!
December 12th, 2006 at 6:13 am
dan and I have an electric mattress pad. It’s a blanket that you are supposed to put on as a mattress pad. It has auto shut off. That, plus flannel sheets plus 2 down alternative comforters in a duvet, and dan’s toasty warm. 🙂
we put our flannel fitted sheet over our heated pad… the directions said to!
December 12th, 2006 at 7:11 am
I bought my mother an electric mattress mad for Christmas last year and it was a big hit, with Mum and with the cats. The mattress pad goes under the sheets and looks pretty much like any other mattress pad.
The electric blanket that I remember from my grandparent’s house, looked like a wool blanket with wires through in. I don’t know what the instructions were, but the blanket was always on top of everything else. And we all we ever really needed was the electric blanket, and a sheet.
December 12th, 2006 at 8:41 am
Laura, same as Suzette, the electric blanket and a sheet will be all you need, specially if you aren’t used to it. It WILL be a fire hazard if you put anything on top of it, and there are some brands that have been recalled because they did start fires. The auto shutoff is a safety, and if that blanket does not have one, I would only use it as a blanket. Thanks for all the knitting updates, I am so behind on making gifts. Deb
December 12th, 2006 at 9:12 am
Interesting. My blanket has the dual controls and auto shut off, plus 120 self checks per second.
This electric mattress pad sounds intriguing. Probably more of what I had in mind, quite frankly. But, we have one of those memory foam things on top of our mattress, under the sheet, so I don’t know if that would work, either.
December 12th, 2006 at 10:23 am
Hi Laura,
I use an electric blanket. I don’t remember the usage directions specifically, but I put mine between the sheet and the comforter. I started keeping my covers really neat and straight after I started using it, so I think it may have said something about avoiding having it folded or crumpled. I usually turn it on to warm the bed up and turn it back off when I get into bed. It does not have an auto shut-off.
December 12th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
On the boat, we’ve had it inside the duvet cover below the comfortor. Turn it on to heat up the bed and turn it off when you get in. A pre-heated bed is all you need.
December 12th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
I had one (electric blanket) in college back in the 80s. Then all these studies came out that indicated that electric blankets are bad for your health because they interfer with your body’s own electrical system. So, I got rid of mine and got a down comforter and a wool blanket.
December 12th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
I agree with Jeanne. If you google electric blanket problems, yikes! All manner of bad things . I like to be warm too, but have always been afraid of electric blankets. I discovered that uncooked rice retains heat nicely, so I sewed up a bunch of rice bags…..most are in the 5-9 pound range, in denim (old jeans legs, really), and they heat up nicely in the microwave (5-9 minutes on high), and I take 2 or 3 of these to bed with me every night. They are also good for on the sofa while watching tv. Where I live it gets much colder, and is so for longer than in your area. Anyone who has been to my house always asks me to make one or two for them.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:26 am
Just a side note on electric blankets:
When we were going through infertility treatments, my endcrinologist/ob/gyn warned us not to use an electric blanket (or alcohol, cigerettes, hot tubs, etc, etc) because studies have shown that it increases infertility and miscarriage. I tried to find some articles online for you, from reputable sources. The third article links electric blanket use to breast cancer. (I never heard that before!) (when looking at the articles, hit ctrl + F on your keyboard and type in “electric blanket”, then you can click the “find next” button and it will find that part of the article for you.)
http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/175.html
http://www.foresight-preconception.org.uk/booklet_healthproguide.htm
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/158/8/798
http://www.lifespan.org/adam/indepthreports/10/000022.html
http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/preconception/increasingodds.htm
Maybe call your own ob/gyn and see what they think about electric blankets and go with that. I think there are differing opinions.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:43 am
My husband complained of a cold bed, so I bought flannel sheets and no more complaints. He starts asking for them as soon as the weather dips below 65. I thought of an electric blanket once but with kids and animals didn’t wanna chance any fires or mishaps of any kind… I have heard of fires from comforters on top so be careful!
December 13th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
We had electric blankets when we were little, and they went just under the sheet. Do not put them under anything else or they could burn. Another tip, always check the wiring as I remember when I was little a bit of wire had come apart from the control, and when I turned it off a blue spark flew out. I nearly electrocuted myself, so you must keep an eye on them. I never use them now as I was turned off them as a child and now I overheat in bed and have to hang my feet out. I am sure they are made much better now, and Nate will feel toasty and warm too. Maybe the heat from the electric blanket will help your back feel better too.
December 13th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
you can also get a sheepskin mattress pad which should keep things warm, but the flannel will take away the initial shock of cold sheets.
I check your blog once in a while, but have been feeling bad about not knitting. I just finished a little doll (gnome with a pointy hat) and am regaining my confidence. Are you planning any more knit alongs? I’m anxious for some company in knitting.
December 13th, 2006 at 3:08 pm
p.s. I know nothing about electric blankets, but if you look on the instructions for the crib it probably says ‘do not leave child unattended’. 🙂
December 13th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Hi sister! Yup have no clue about e-blankets – but we did grow up with waterbeds and so if electrical currents are harmful to our health, than we are in trouble already! Call when you have a chance – and wow you do have a lot of helpful readers. I liked the art rag too 🙂
December 21st, 2006 at 6:14 am
The reason for all the electrical caution is “bed wetting”.
When I was in Australia, no one, and I mean no one heats their house and it get distinctly chilly for a few months. Everyone had an electric matress pad, with wool tufts. They would have it preprogrammed to turn to have the bed warmed up for when they went to sleep and then they would turn it off.
It isn’t too comfortable to have the bed toasty when you get it, to fall asleep and then to wake up in a sweat in the middle of the night.
Cheers
April 13th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
I put the electric blanket between the matress and the bottom sheet. Problem is the bottom fitted sheet keeps coming off the bed at night. I have tried lots of tricks to keep it on but. Nothing works. Can anyone help?