Looking after it
What we do in the workshop, which holds for most of what we sell. Your fabric's own page has the specific instructions, and anything from Home & Bath follows the care label sewn into the piece.
Read the label first
What follows is what we do in the workshop, and it holds for most of what we sell. It does not override the care instructions on your fabric’s own page, and Home & Bath goods follow the care label sewn into the piece.
Velvet — most of what we sell
EverydayShake it out and hang it. Velvet recovers on its own better than any cleaning does.
CreasesSteam from the back, never press from the front — a hot iron on the pile flattens it permanently. Hanging it in a bathroom while a shower runs works surprisingly well.
SpillsBlot, do not rub. Rubbing moves the pile as well as the stain. Cold water on a clean cloth first, and only then anything stronger.
CleaningDry clean. Home washing is where most velvet gets ruined, and a cloth this size is a lot to lose.
Jacquard, sequin and lace
JacquardMore forgiving than velvet. Cool iron on the back if you must, and keep steam away from any metallic thread.
SequinNever iron. Heat melts sequins onto the cloth. Steam at a distance, and store it flat rather than folded on a crease.
LaceHand wash cold if the label allows, dry flat, and keep it away from anything with a hook or a rough edge.
Storing it between uses
Rolled, not foldedA fold becomes a crease, and a crease in velvet becomes permanent. Roll a cloth around a tube if you have one.
Somewhere dryDamp is the enemy of everything here. A cupboard indoors, not a basement or a garage.
Out of the lightStrong sun fades the deep colors first — Burgundy, Navy, Forest.
Test it on a sample
A $1.00 sample is also the safest way to test a cleaning method. Wash it, steam it, spill on it — better a swatch than forty cloths.