HOW to Use an Electric Blanket?

S

Scott Free

Joined
Sep 15, 1999
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Now that we have an electric blanket, my wife tells me that you use them only to warm up the bed. I always assumed you kept them on all through the night. Is my wife right about this? Yeah...of course she is. I'm just shopping for a second opinion.

Scott
 
If it's UL approved, it can be left on all night if you don't have a tendency to roll and wrap yourself up in the blanket. In this way, an electric can be a good energy saver because you can turn the thermostat down for the whole house and just heat yourself.
 
Um ... yeah ... just like all the other blankets. You throw all the blankets off the bed before you get in, right? They're only there to keep the bed warm.... :rolleyes:
 
All nighter here.. thats why ours has a 8 hour timer, and turns off automatically. it doens't need high all hight, just to get warm, then on low for the rest of the night..
 
My parents were given one with dual controls . Somehow they switched the controls .She kept turning hers up to get some heat and he kept turning his down to reduce the heat. He had a terrible night dreaming he was in the fires of Hell !!! In the morning he was in a vile mood !
 
mete said:
My parents were given one with dual controls . Somehow they switched the controls .She kept turning hers up to get some heat and he kept turning his down to reduce the heat. He had a terrible night dreaming he was in the fires of Hell !!! In the morning he was in a vile mood !
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That is hilarious. If that had happened in my house my wife would have woken up next to a puddle of melted husband. She would want it cranked to 11, and I wouldn't want it on at all.
 
Hi All-

Cancer rates have been shown to be higher in areas with high-tension wires nearby, so it absolutely does not make sense to have electrical current running right near your body for HOURS at a time for MONTHS and YEARS on end...

Your wife is correct in that the electric blanket should be used only to warm the bed before you get ready to go to sleep.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
mete said:
My parents were given one with dual controls . Somehow they switched the controls .She kept turning hers up to get some heat and he kept turning his down to reduce the heat. He had a terrible night dreaming he was in the fires of Hell !!! In the morning he was in a vile mood !
Click to expand...

That brings back memories as a 12 year old turning the electric blanket on about 5 minutes before going to bed and getting overheated, and having vivid dreams about getting up and turning it off, and wondering why I was still burning up, because I hadn't. Central heating wasn't invented in those days, and there was regularly a quarter inch of ice on the inside of the bedroom windows. You knew when it was really cold when dad's tweed overcoats were put on the bed :)

To the OP, underblankets should always be switched off when you get into bed. Overblankets can be left on all night if regulated. Underblankets should only be used on the bed during winter months and not left there all year. They should be tied to stop them bunching up. They should be visually checked every year and checked by an electrician at 5 years, and replaced every 10 years. Mum and dad had one that developed a hot-spot and scorched the bottom sheet and mattress.
 
I hate to say I don't like them but sooner or later they are going to get dirty and have always had a fear of laundering them and a wire break. Repack it and give it to your mailman. Nothing beats a cold bed with a good comforter to keep you warm.:D :o
 
I agree with Blue Jays. There is conflicting medical evidence (isn't there always), but some studies suggest higher incidences of cancer with electric blankets. It is basically sleeping in an electromagnetic field. I prefer an extra comforter and snuggling. :D

Jack
 
There are electric blankets with brains. They sense the temperature of your body and cycle off and on. We have a kingsize with to seperate controls and they work great. As far as laundering, just use the gentle cycle. I have had mine for years with no problems. You can then turn down your heater thermostats and save on energy. This winter natural gas prices are rising 40-50% here in Socal. Don''t get to caught up in the effects of certain things. That computer monitor, cell phone, headset, and microwave are suspect to bad things also. Good luck
 
Hi CPK-

Most people should be able to crank-up an electric blanket for a half-hour before they jump in the sack. A person buried beneath sheets, afghans, and comforters in a pre-heated bed who CAN'T remain warm probably needs a medical check-up to determine the cause.

There shouldn't be a need to operate an electric blanket with a person underneath.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Blue Jays said:
Hi CPK-

Most people should be able to crank-up an electric blanket for a half-hour before they jump in the sack.

~ Blue Jays ~
Click to expand...

Dad eventually used an electric timer for it to come on at a certain time around 10.30 pm. It saved the "have you turned the blanket on" question every night.
 
I'm reminded of an old Joe Jackson song, "Everything gives you cancer."

No caffeine
No protein
No booze or
Nicotine
Remember -

Everything
Everything gives you cancer
Everything
Everything gives you cancer
There's no cure, there's no answer
Everything gives you cancer
 
SIFU1A said:
if i get cancer from my blankie i'll just consider it gods will
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Why can I see the angels circling around you with water pistols at the electricl socket. I'm a bit psychic...:eek:
 
You haven't experienced electrically heated decadence until you've tried an electric mattress pad! It fits just like a regular mattress pad, with two controllers. No blanket to get tangled, no way to mix up the controllers after initial installation, no way to kick the blanket off.

Our bedroom is unheated and we keep the door shut to keep from waking the dog (and to keep the dog from waking us) - with no heat circulating from the rest of the house, the room turns into an icebox. Space heaters and baseboard heaters scare me, because I'm convinced they'll burn the house down. The mattress pad has been our savior.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3985291
 
mete said:
My parents were given one with dual controls . Somehow they switched the controls .She kept turning hers up to get some heat and he kept turning his down to reduce the heat. He had a terrible night dreaming he was in the fires of Hell !!! In the morning he was in a vile mood !
Click to expand...


Kind of reminds me of the time my law partner got a fancy new Chevy Yukon during the summer after driving a POS cavalier for years. Both of us dumb hicks were sweating our b*lls off complaining about how sh*tty the air conditioner was in that Yukon. After a couple of days, we learned all about this fancy new seat heater technology :o :rolleyes:
 
I can't sleep with them on - I wake up too hot.

My parents, though.......

2 years ago in Maryland when the power was out for a week due to ice storms I warned them in advance to stock up on firewood and batteries, etc. Told them to move into the den (where the fireplace is) to stay warm and cook. They said nahhhh, we're not worried, we have an electric blanket to keep warm.

They spent a week at my sister's house. :D
 
I've lived in some cold climates and keep my thermostat way down at night, but honestly never understood the need for an electric blanket. I just wear warm night clothes and use good covers and stay toasty all night.
 
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