![]() ![]() “High-end, luxury velvets may have mohair, cashmere, silk or other premium fibers in the pile, with cotton or polyester backing,” George says. You may find cotton backing with pile that can be cotton, polyester, rayon or linen. (That tends to go for velvet items like drapes too-sorry if that dispels any Scarlett O’Hara fantasies.)įinally, true velvet is also differentiated by fiber content and can range from 100% cotton in both backing and pile to 100% polyester or polyester microfiber in both backing and pile. Because it has to stand up to a lot of wear, velvet used for upholstery is much heavier and stiffer than that designed for velvet clothing. There’s lightweight (mostly used for drapery and accessories), medium weight (considered to be residential quality) and heavyweight, which is the commercial grade of velvet. Then there’s velour: a knit fabric with a pile surface that resembles velvet but is lighter and has more stretch and less durability - “often used for home textile accessories, slipcovers, bedding, curtains, and other applications that will not be exposed to as much surface abrasion or tension as upholstered seating,” George says.Įven if you’re 100% sure you’re dealing with genuine velvet, there’s a wide range of types of velvet that can vary considerably by fabric weight, which also indicate how well-made and how durable your velvet is. One of the two you’re likely to encounter is velveteen, a woven fabric with a shorter, flat pile. ![]() There are fabrics that mimic or are similar to velvet but aren’t actually velvet. The back side is a tightly woven plain fabric that holds the cut fibers in place.” “The top surface, or pile, is created by cut fibers that stand up almost straight, like a toothbrush. “True velvet is a woven fabric that resembles animal fur and has two distinct sides,” George says. There are also different types of velvet, like cotton velvet or polyester velvet, and that may affect how you clean velvet furniture, as well. Before you embark on a velvet cleaning odyssey, figure out whether or not you actually have genuine velvet. “Professionals use special low-moisture cleaning methods that will deep-clean your upholstered furnishing to remove allergens and embedded soil, and would understand any special setting that your velvet upholstery might require,” George adds. To deep-clean velvet furniture pieces employ the help of a professional carpet and upholstery cleaner every year or two (more frequently if your home has pets and children). “Wet cleaning or machine washing will give the fabric an aged or vintage appearance at best and cause the pile to pill or fall out.” Dry cleaning or spot cleaning with a non-water-based solvent cleaner is recommended for upholstery velvets,” George says. Velvet is considered a dry-clean-only textile, whether it’s upholstery on a chair or the fabric of a fancy dress. “Because the surface pile is composed of cut fibers, wet washing, especially by machine, will cause the pile to loosen and shed. If you’re absolutely dying to toss velvet drapes into a washing machine, stop yourself right now. There may be special finishes, dyes, backings, zippers, buttons, or other added components that could influence cleaning and care decisions.” Anything that requires high heat could damage synthetic fibers or singe natural fibers. “Anything that requires excessive abrasion or suction might remove pile from the surface. And always you have to take into account what it’s made of: “Anything that requires long-term heavy pressure will crush the velvet pile permanently,” George says. The important thing to keep in mind about velvet is that you should not smush it or otherwise ruin the pile. ![]() Home dry-cleaning product (for synthetic or wool-based velvets)īefore you tackle any particular velvet piece, always read the label with cleaning instructions.Dish soap and water or an upholstery cleaner.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |