Blankets form an essential part of any home, and there are many experts who claim that you can never have too many blankets. They say that while you should at least have two blankets for every member of the house, there’s no limit to how many more you can have. That, of course, goes with the exception of stuffing all your closets with blankets & comforters.
There are other experts who claim that you must only have a couple extra blankets over and above the number that is used by your family on a regular basis. So if you are a family of three, five blankets is what you should ideally have. If you are a family of six (like ours), eight or maybe nine is good enough.
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There was a time when our family of six had over 20 blankets and comforters because ours is a desert area and winters can get extremely cold here. But the same blankets that kept us warm in the winters looked like a load of clutter in the summers. Our bed boxes were all stuffed with blankets, throws and comforters during the 8-month long summer season and came out only when it was time for winters. Although we could do with just 10 of these blankets, it was hard to let go of the remaining half because they met differing needs of our family. While some were suitable for mild winters, there were others that we got custom-made for heavy winters.
Blankets & comforters are bulky and take up a whole lot of space in your house. As much as they are needed in your home, there needs to be a sweet spot for how many blankets you can have. If you are thinking about cutting down on the number of blankets in your house, don’t forget to take a few things into consideration:
1. Your Bedding Needs
Many people like to put blankets instead of sheets on their beds during heavy winters. If you’re one of these people, it’s alright to have an extra blanket for every bed in your home. This is in addition to the number of blankets your family needs on a daily basis to cover themselves at night.
Also, many people, like myself, have a habit of sleeping with more than one blanket to wrap themselves in. If that’s the case with you, the blanket requirements can be more for you and your family.
2. Do You Often Host Sleepovers?
If you have frequent sleepovers at your home with friends or family members coming over, you might have to keep some extra blankets to make sure your guests stay comfortable. We, at our home, have three extra blankets for guests and thankfully, we have managed to stick to this number for years now. In case we are expecting more guests, which is very rare, we tend to adjust for the night. In such cases, I take one blanket instead of two or share with my sister.
3. Do You Nap On The Couch?
As someone who often crashes on the couch during the day, I always need a blanket to curl up with. Instead of having an extra blanket for the couch, I just grab the one in my bedroom and put it back there after waking up. You can always choose to have an extra blanket for your couch but in case your linen closet is already overflowing with too many blankets and comforters, adding an extra blanket can add up to clutter. Try as much as possible to make do with the blankets you already have.
4. Blankets For Emergency
Our family likes to have an extra blanket in the car for emergency. We travel a lot for my parents’ hospital visits and carrying a blanket helps us ensure that they don’t feel cold if we were to get stuck in traffic. A blanket is also what comes handy when we have to stay at a hospital lounge when any of my parents need to be admitted.
Also, you never know when the old blankets get damaged or require cleaning. Make sure that you are prepared for such situations by having a couple extra blankets as backups.
5. Do You Have Pets?
If you have pets at your home, you might want to have blankets for them to relax with. Depending on your choice, you can use the old moth-eaten or threadbare blankets for your pets or buy pet-specific blankets for them.
6. Stay Prepared For Extreme Weather Conditions
Sometimes, the weather conditions in your area might require you to keep blankets that are suited for different weather conditions. I have three blankets, all of different thicknesses, to cater to my varying needs during the winters. I usually just pick a thin blanket as winters begin and move over to the heavy ones as the weather gets cold. You can either choose to keep blankets of different thicknesses or stick to two blankets per person.
What To Do With The Decluttered Blankets?
Once you’re done figuring out which blankets to keep and which ones to declutter, it’s time to deal with the ones that you’ve decided to let go of. You can donate the blankets that are in good condition or sell them off at a thrift store. Many of those tattered and threadbare blankets can be dropped at an animal shelter near you. Blankets that are damaged beyond use should be thrown away at the soonest or they’ll find their way back into your home.
I hope this post helps you decide how many blankets are too many for your home and get rid of the rest. The best thing about decluttering blankets is that it never goes into trash. Blankets that are merely clutter for you can be heaven for the homeless. Also, many pet shelters will gladly accept the threadbare or moth-eaten blankets and bedding as well. Make sure that you always donate the excess blankets or give them away to a charity this Christmas.