How to Care for Velvet Fabric? Tips for Maintenance

Velvets are incredibly plush and soft to the touch, but with proper care, they can also last a long time.

Nothing screams luxury like velvet. Velvet, the material of royalty, red carpets, and holiday parties, is adored for its gleam, vibrant color, and plush feel. It was traditionally made of fine silk and handled with care to preserve the delicate nap.

However, velvet needs very specific maintenance in order to keep its beauty and shape, unlike some cozier fabrics.

So, how to care for velvet fabric? Once per week, use a soft hand brush or a special upholstery attachment to gently vacuum the furniture. This will remove any dust or fuzz that has formed on the surface of the fabric and prevent displacement

You will learn all you need to know about caring for your velvet from this guide. And we have a Fabric Care 101 for you to keep your fabrics fresh.

How to Care for Velvet Fabric?

Although velvet is susceptible to pressure marks, once it is unwrapped, they vanish quickly. To preserve the best pile appearance, it is advised that only dry cleaning be used on all velvets.

Cotton velvet is a delicate material, and it is easy to disturb the pile. However, with careful handling and an understanding of its characteristics, velvet-based products can be enjoyed for many years.

If the pile is indeed crushed, the pile’s angle will change, which could make some parts of the pile appear lighter or darker in shade. It’s common to refer to this as pressure marking, which is easily confused with uneven dying.

After being unpacked, newly made velvet products typically need time to condition in their surroundings. The pile will relax and lift during this time, enhancing the velvet’s richness and luster.

A light steaming or gentle brushing in the direction of the pile will also help if any pressure marking is still present.

Know Your Velvet

Did you know that various fabrics can be used to make velvet? We didn’t, so we made the decision to research this fabric more. We discovered that velvet was historically primarily made of silk, which explains why only royalty and the affluent wore it.

However, to make it more affordable in the present, it is now made with nylon and rayon fibers. Cotton is the source of the similar velveteen fabric.

Before laundering, we always check the garment care label of our clothes. We know that silk velvet requires expert care because it is so delicate and susceptible to being handled roughly.

So for this fine velvet, dry cleaning is your best bet. materials made of polyester, nylon, velveteen, etc., can be hand washed if the care label permits.

How to Wash Velvet?

The fabric used to make a velvet blanket has a significant impact on how to care for it. Some plush velvet blanket materials, like polyester velvet, might be washable in a machine. It’s probably best to avoid washing that blanket if it has a down fill or intricate embellishments.

In some circumstances, dry cleaning might be appropriate. If you are unable to find any velvet blanket care instructions, err on the side of caution and spot clean.

You can quickly clean up a spilled glass of wine, for instance, by blotting the area with an absorbent towel. Then, until the stain is removed or has diminished, alternate using damp and dry towel blotting.

Avoid rubbing wine or other stains-causing liquids into velvet. Instead of rubbing in a circular or back-and-forth motion, use a soft, well-aimed up-and-down motion to blot. This prevents you from rubbing the liquid into the velvet pile or spreading it widely across the fabric, both of which make stains harder to remove.

How to Treat Spillages on Velvet Fabric?

Avoid rubbing it with a cloth or trying to clean up a spill on velvet cushions or upholstery. Velvet can be easily stained by liquids, and rubbing may make the spill penetrate the fibers more deeply. Simply blot the surface while being careful not to rub or apply pressure to the fabric with a dry, highly absorbent cloth.

After wiping the surface, you can either let the fabric air dry naturally or use a hairdryer without heat held at a safe distance to lightly dry the area. Read to learn How to Get Candle Wax Out of Velvet Fabric.

We advise taking the fabric to a dry cleaner if your spill is more serious. To guarantee that the velvet is returned in the best condition, look for a dry cleaner with experience cleaning velvet.

How to Keep Velvet Pillows Fresh?

Throw pillows made of velvet are an elegant way to incorporate this material into your home’s interior design. A velvet throw pillow adds luxury and comfort to your seating and sleeping areas in every room of the house, from the living room to the bedroom.

Throw pillows made of velvet occasionally need to be cleaned. A case-by-case basis should determine how you approach this care.

Spot cleaning with a warm, damp towel is required for velvet throw pillows with covers that are sewn to their filling. Make sure your towel is white and free of any stains or dyes that could stain the pillow.

To prevent material transfer, use a cloth towel as opposed to a paper one. This mild spot-cleaning method should also be used on velvet pillows with embellishments and removable cases.

You might be able to wash the velvet throw pillow cover on a gentle cycle in the washing machine if you can separate it from the pillow insert. The substance that the velvet is made of, though, might put a limit on this.

To make sure you aren’t possibly harming the soft fabric by putting it through the washer, read any provided care instructions. Velvet pillowcases that are machine washable are frequently dryer safe as well, but typically only when tumble dried at low heat.

Other Tips on Caring for Velvet Fabric

To keep velvet looking its best, practice proper care including:

Invest in a Lint Roller

We advise purchasing a high-quality lint roller to properly care for our velvets. We noticed that velvet attracts a lot of lint, dust, and dirt, which can be quite a task to remove. On our dark-colored velvet clothes, the lint stands out sharply and completely ruins their appearance.

But there are easy things you can do, like washing your clothes inside out, using similar-colored clothes and fabrics, and avoiding lint-producing materials like towels, fleece, etc., to help keep the lint situation in control. Between washes, extra lint and dust could be removed with the help of a lint roller.

Take Care of the Creases in the Right Way

When it comes to velvet clothing, ironing velvet fabric is strictly forbidden. A garment steamer is the best way to remove any wrinkles on velvets as ironing crushes the fibers and can leave a permanent imprint on them.

The garment should be hung, and the steamer should be moved up and down while remaining at least half an inch away from the fabric. Never make the same mistake we did, where you hold the steamer too close to the fabric or concentrate on one area for too long, damaging the velvet. We then use our hands to gently smooth and shape the clothing.

Avoid Folding During Storage

Our velvet clothing was initially folded for storage. We then noticed that folding was leaving creases on them, which were difficult to get rid of. Even if we fold, we make sure to cushion the folds with acid-free tissue paper to avoid creasing. Instead of folding velvet clothing, it is preferable to hang it.

Conclusion: Care for Velvet Fabric

The delicate weave of velvet makes the pile susceptible to wear and movement over time. In an effort to fluff up the fibers, you might try using a steamer on the reverse side. the pile with a gentle brush after that.

If you have a beautiful piece of velvet, you have to take the time to protect it and give it the proper care and maintenance. If not handled with care, velvet is a delicate fabric that is easily damaged.

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