I have a gigantic mess in my washing machine right now. It consists of hundreds of tiny pieces of Vellux blanket. Those are the comfy, spongy blankets you see in hotels all the time. I had mine for years, no problem. I noticed it started to get a little dusty, so I threw it in the wash. But that wasn’t dust. That was total fiber breakdown. I opened the washer to find a nylon mesh and what was formerly attached to it. I’m going to need the shop vac to clean it all up, and I’m worried it might have clogged the washer’s drain. Hopefully anything that can get through the small holes in the cylinder won’t be enough to do damage.

Anyway, I just wanted to warn others. If your Vellux blanket seems just a tad ratty (maybe some frayed edges), a piece falls off of it, or it seems unusually dusty, just chuck it. Not worth risking your washer, or the enormous pain in the ass it is to clean it up.