Here's Why Blankets Feels so Comforting Straight From the Dryer
There are several psychological reasons why a clean blanket straight from the dryer feels so comforting.
Published Aug. 5 2024, 4:33 p.m. ET
![A smiling woman in a green shirt holds a white blanket next to an open dryer.](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/480x251/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/640x335/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/768x402/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/1024x536/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/1280x670/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/1440x753/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/1600x837/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/4bBpBs-PO/2160x1130/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-0-1722535849956.jpg?position=top 2160w)
There may be nothing more satisfying than a warm, freshly laundered blanket. But why exactly does a blanket feel so comforting after coming out of the dryer?
Perhaps it's that first touch of the still-warm blanket that elicits such happiness and serenity when we happily yank it from the machine.
Kick your socks off, get comfy, snuggle your companion animal beside your favorite blanket, and let's explore the many reasons why a blanket feels so comforting after being removed from the dryer.
Oxytocin — the love hormone — makes a blanket from the dryer feel comforting.
![A smiling woman in a checkered shirt rubs her blanket against her cheek.](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/480x252/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/640x335/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/768x402/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/1024x536/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/1280x670/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/1440x754/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/1600x838/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/XY9w9tAg3/2160x1131/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-1-1722881202196.jpg 2160w)
When we snuggle with our blanket fresh from the dryer, our bodies may release oxytocin, per the weighted blanket brand Nuzzie. From what we know of this feel-good response, it helps us feel cozy and reinforces us to seek the same feeling in perpetuity.
Oxytocin is a hormone, per Harvard Medical School's Harvard Health Publishing, that is aptly referred to as the "love hormone" and the "cuddle hormone" because it is produced in our body when we do such things as cuddle with a romantic partner.
Holding a blanket fresh from the dryer may activate our parasympathetic nervous system.
![A smiling woman in a button-up shirt holds a white blanket next to an open dryer.](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/480x252/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/640x335/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/768x402/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/1024x536/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/1280x670/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/1440x754/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/1600x838/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/KeW3DDLrf/2160x1131/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-2-1722881827748.jpg 2160w)
If the flood of oxytocin from a good blanket cuddle isn't enough, you'll be pleased to know clutching a blanket from the dryer activates our parasympathetic nervous system, per Nuzzie, which makes us feel safe and calm — especially with a freshly washed weighted blanket.
The science behind weighted blankets is sound, and according to Penn Medicine, snuggling a weighted blanket use helps calm our heart rate and is a helpful tool to alleviate some symptoms of sleep disorders and comfort those with varying diagnoses.
A fresh and familiar smelling blanket is comforting, too.
![A smiling woman in a brownish and reddish sweater holds a white blanket next to an open dryer.](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/480x252/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/640x335/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/768x402/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/1024x536/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/1280x670/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/1440x754/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/1600x838/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/qrvF1BTPK/2160x1131/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-3-1722885978479.jpg 2160w)
A familiar smell can bring a significant amount of comfort, especially when it comes to your favorite blanket, per The Swaddle. If your emotional support blanket smells like the laundry detergent that the blanket is usually washed in, the comforting sameness can be a boon to your mental health.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, per Pittwire, found that familiar smells aided individuals diagnosed with depression during their recovery process.
A comforting blanket also releases "happy hormones" that relax us.
![A smiling woman is wrapped in a white blanket in bed.](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/480x252/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/640x335/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/768x402/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/1024x536/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/1280x670/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/1440x754/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/1600x838/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Y19auGvxa/2160x1131/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-4-1722886316657.jpg 2160w)
According to Buymode — which calls blankets "a staple of comfort and tranquility" — the gentle security that hugging a blanket brings releases other hormones, too. Your blanket straight from the dryer helps stimulate serotonin and melatonin production, which both bring about relaxation and prepare you for a proper night's sleep.
"Security blanket" is a pretty apt term, it turns out.
![A smiling child is wrapped in a beige blanket while sitting on her father's lap.](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/480x252/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/640x335/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/768x402/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/1024x536/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/1280x670/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/1440x754/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/1600x838/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0CzHoE8Q-/2160x1131/why-is-a-blanket-from-the-dryer-so-comforting-5-1722887088865.jpg 2160w)
Per Salt Lake City-based KSL News, there is merit to the term "security blanket," which brings comfort to humans and non-human animals alike. Put simply, a blanket from the dryer can be comforting emotionally, physically, and make us feel better all-around.