Household Fabrics - Tips on caring for them

Unlike fabrics purchased in the retail environment that come with pre-sewn directions or how to properly care for them, custom made fabrics such as draperies, upholstery slipcovers, pillows, etc...do not.

Due to the fact that many homes have custom made fabric applications, it is important to know how to care for them so you don't damage your investment, and also so you don't ignore their need for maintenance and care as well.

Routine care, can be as simple as vacuuming them gently with an upholstery attachment to remove, dust, grit and other particles that are left behind from your visitors, and in the air. For example, I have a wicker chair that has a matching stool. Both pieces have removable cushions, however, for me it is very easy to use the upholstery brush once weekly to get the dust out and I always immediately see a difference in the shade of the fabric right away. It makes me feel good to know, that I have removed the dirt and dust.

Doing this on a regular basis will prevent particles from being pressed into the fabric, which can in turn damage the quality and longevity of your fabrics.  Keep in mind in the case of curtains, just because they aren't used for sitting does not mean you shouldn't remove the dust from them periodically in between laundering.  The dust can soil them and destroy the fabric, especially if the dust gets to the point where dust mites are inhabiting your fabrics, excessive dust can actually change the shade of a fabric's color over time permanently.  

The majority of upholstery fabrics are not easily removable, so to determine how to clean particular fabrics I have compiled a few cleaning tips based on the type of fabrics.

Pile Fabrics such as velvet, chenille, corduroy
Water and detergent are o.k. for preshrunk cotton, you should test a small area first for color fastness.
Make sure you are careful to avoid spot cleaning any areas that may have snags or threading pulls which can destroy the construction of the fibers. Pile fabrics made of polyester, rayon and acetate should be professional cleaned. Avoid ironing because moisture and pressure will cause the piles to flatten.

Jacquards  - brocade, damask, tapestry, and matelasse
If your fabric contains any silk, you must dry clean the fabric professionally.  Any patterns will require very careful mild washing, for cottons and linens, you can use a gentle cycle in the washing machine. If you are taking your fabric to a professional dry cleaner, careful inspect your fabrics for any loose threads to the professional cleaner so they are aware of those areas before working to clean your fabrics or even for upholstery.

Rayon
Rayon can typically be a washable fabric, however due to the way the fabric is made with water soluble coatings it is probably best to have them professionally cleaned. If there are tags that promote washing yourself vs. professionally, then go ahead and feel free to follow the manufacturer's recommendation for care.

Silk-crepe, taffeta and satin
One important thing to know about silk is, that silk should be kept out of the sunlight, as the sun and silk do not mix due to the delicacy of the fibers being prone to damage by the extreme heat of the sun rays. If you plan on having silk curtains, it would be wise to have cotton sewn into the back of the curtains. If you ever desire to iron silk, make sure you only iron the dull side of silk and not the lustrous front side. Silk is best dry cleaned. However, it can be washed by hand, with a very mild detergent recommended for use with delicate fabrics such as silk and later lay flat to dry.


Plain linen and cotton such as sailcloth, canvas, chintz, denim gingham, sateen ticking and toile. Any removable items such as slipcovers, curtains and other items can be washed in the machine in cold water as long as they are colorfast and preshrunk. If you are not sure whether they are either, test by using a wet washcloth in a small area of the fabric that would not normally be seen if possible. For fairly lengthy fabrics or heavy fabrics, you may want to hire a professional cleaner because the job at hand may end up being a little too overwhelming for you to take on. If you have a fabric such as Chintz you should never iron the fabric at all because the heat WILL damage the shine of the fabric finish.