How to Clean Velvet

When it comes to cleaning velvet, velvet is one of the only materials which you can actually ruin using just about any cleaning technique. This is because velvet is a fine weaved material using very complex procedures of heavily double weaving to create a thick soft, fuzzy effect. The problem with cleaning velvet is that there is a high risk of actually crushing this weaving effect and changing the velvet texture to something much less appealing in an irreversible state. This article will help you learn how to properly clean velvet without having to repair or toss the material out due to severe damage.

Brushing and Vacuuming

If the velvet just needs regular keeping up on but does not have any actual stains or liquids involved in the needed cleaning you can simply brush the velvet and vacuum out access dirt to avoid any future stains or problems. With brushing a velvet material you always want to brush before and after vacuuming this is to make sure that the hair on the velvet of the material does not get all funny and off. When brushing velvet you want to be brushing in the direction of the nap to prevent accidentally separating any parts of the velvet. Than when you vacuum velvet you can use a normal hand vacuum with a specific nozzle piece which is designed for velvet. This nozzle can be purchased at just about any store which deals in vacuums and vacuum accessories.

Water And Dish Detergent

If your velvet material does get any specific types of stains on it a bit of warm water and a few drops of dish washing detergent should be able to get the stain out. The problem is you do not want to get your velvet wet, so what you should do is put the mixture into a shakeable container and shake the mixture really well until suds begin to form. Instead of using the liquid you should pick up some suds with a gentle cloth and as lightly as possible dab the stain with the cloth and suds. Try to be as careful as possible to avoid any wetness to your velvet.

Spills

When you spill liquid on velvet material the procedure of cleaning your velvet may be a bit more complicated. You should find a dry and thick absorbent cloth or towel and dab the spill as lightly as possible. If you push down too hard you risk damaging the velvet so we really must emphasize that you need to dab as lightly as possible. By pressing down too hard you risk pushing in the spill even further and creating an even more serious problem with getting the spill out. Once you have gotten as much of the spill out as possible, if the spill is anything other than water you should use the water and detergent method to try to remove any remainder of dried spillage.

Betsy Cline

Betsy Cline has been a professional house cleaner for 15 years and also a mother of 4 amazing kids (who make lots of messes). She is the founder of How to Clean It and loves to share tips and advice for cleaning up anything life throws at you.

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