Hi everyone!
I traveled to Peru in October and purchased a throw blanket in the market. It is a tightly woven design of bright colors. I'm not sure if it is 100% alpaca or some synthetic but it is not fluffy, it's just soft and pretty flat. I've had it sitting in the shopping bag from when I bought it since I returned because I don't know how to wash it. I plan to place it on a white couch and will probably only use it once a month. Do I need to wash it before I put it on the couch? I would prefer to wash it before I use it but I'm so afraid of messing it up. Does anyone have any information on washing this type of throw blanket? How do I make sure the colors don't run or fade? Thank you for any and all help.

>>How do I make sure the colors don't run or fade?<<

If you don't know what it is made of you can't be sure.

I'd maybe take an corner and dip it is cold water in the sink and leave it for a couple of minutes to see if the colors bleed. If yes you are probably out of luck and will just have to use it without washing it.

If it doesn't run, then I'd probably feel comfortable washing (or just rinsing) it by hand in cold water and laying it out flat to dry.

I'd treat it like an oriental rug. Beat or shake it to get out any dust, and once you determine the colors won't run, rinse in cold water and dry flat.

Personally, I would never put it on a white sofa.
Even products made in the US or somewhere you might expect better quality, can run/ rub off on other things .. especially white things.

Rub a wet towel on it and see if any color transfers..different colors may react differently. A corner may not test all colors.

If you want to test whether it is synthetic, snip some stray threads and melt with a match. A hard bead that you can't crush means you got "fleeced."

Chances are it is acrylic or a blend, made with commercial dyes.