Velvet bedding offers elegance and luxury to bedrooms. Its beautiful plush texture that gives a cozy and soft touch is perfect to relax into and fall asleep.
The term velvet doesn’t just refer to one type of fabric. It can mean velour, flannel, microfiber, and real velvet.
When it comes to caring for real velvet, it isn’t just a throw in the washing machine and walk away.
As much as we love velvet blankets and sheets, there is some caretaking involved.
It is important that you know exactly how to wash your velvet fabric to ensure you don’t damage the fabric beyond repair.
If you have fake, synthetic fibred velvet, you don’t have to be so careful, but the real, natural velvet fibers need to be properly cared for.
You should follow the instructions on the care label, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry; we explain the right procedure for washing velvet bedding.
Table of Contents
How To Wash Velvet Blankets
When it comes to washing velvet blankets, you can either hand wash or wash in your machine. If you use your machine, you need to use a gentle detergent with no bleaches or fabric softeners. Only wash with cold water and use a gentle cycle. You can place them in the dryer but use a gentle, low cycle. You can use a pre-wash stain remover as long as it is safe for velvet fabric.
Sorting Your Laundry
Your velvet blankets should be washed on their own. If you wash with other items ensure they are of the same color to avoid the dyes from transferring.
It is important that you don’t wash any type of velvet with other fabrics that often produce lint.
Ensure you don’t wash with other bedding or towels as these will shed badly and leave lint balls all over your velvet blankets.
Pre-treating Stains
If there are stains on the velvet, you can pre-treat the stain with a mild detergent.
Use a soft cloth or your fingers to work the liquid into the stain. This needs to be let sit for 10 minutes before you go ahead and wash as normal.
Washer Cycle And Water Temp
It is best to hand wash velvet, but if you prefer not, it can be washed in the machine on cold water, gentle cycle.
A gentle cycle is better for velvet as it has a slower spin cycle and less agitation. You can also wash on a wool cycle which works the same as the gentle cycle.
Choosing Your Laundry Detergent
It is important that you only use a mild detergent and avoid using smell washer whiffs or any type of fabric softeners. Only use the recommended doses for the velvet material.
If you use too much, it will stay in the fibers and make them stiff and cause matting to occur.
Loading Up The Machine
If you have decided to wash the velvet blankets with your machine, a large capacity washer is best. You don’t want the blanket too squashed in as it won’t wash properly and can cause rubbing.
If you have a washer that has an agitator in the middle, you want to try and load the blanket around the drum evenly.
Overloading your washer will lead to wrinkles in the velvet that can be hard to get out.
Hand Washing Velvet Blankets
To use the hand washing technique for your velvet blankets, a bathtub works best. All you need to do is fill the bathtub with cold water and add in your mild detergent.
Using your hand, mix up the detergent evenly in the water.
Add the velvet blanket and push it into the water, so it is completely soaked.
You can leave the bedding to soak in the water for 20 minutes. Once the time is up, use your hands to squeeze the fabric in the water instead of scrubbing or rubbing it together to clean it.
Pull the plug out and let the water drain out. Squeeze the water out of the blanket but avoid wringing it.
Now you can fill the tub with fresh, cold water and swirl it around to rinse the blanket. If the water is extra soapy, you can repeat the rinsing.
When you have finished rinsing the blanket, you can pull the plug and squeeze out the excess water.
Drying Your Blanket
Your velvet blankets are best to be air-dried either on a clothesline, clothes rack, or draped over something that is off the ground.
Velvet blankets can be dried in an air dryer as long as you use low heat.
High heat can damage the velvet fibers. Adding wool dryer balls to your cycle can speed the drying process and fluff the velvet fibers up.
Restoring The Velvet Fibers
If you find after drying, the velvet appears to be creased or crushed, a clothes steamer is a great way to lift the fibers up.
To do this, you need to hold the steamer nozzle about 6 inches away from the fabric.
Avoid holding the steamer in one spot as it can damage and burn the fibers. Ensure the blanket is completely dry before using the steamer.
Conclusion
Velvet is a beautiful fabric and great for keeping warm on wintery days.
While many of us are happy to add velvet fabrics to our bedding routine, we tend to forget it needs to be well cared for.
There are plenty of velvet care products available that can help you to care for your blankets. make sure you are only washing when you really need to.
If the blanket isn’t dirty and was washed not long ago consider popping on the clothesline to air out and flap around in the wind. This can freshen the blanket up without the need for washing and drying.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should I Wash Velvet Blankets?
If you use a top sheet, the blankets can be washed once a month. If the blanket is directly on your skin, washing once a week is suitable to remove sweat and dead skin cells.
Can I put velvet blankets in the dryer?
Velvet blankets can go in the dryer, yes! As long as you use a low heat setting and put it on a gentle drying cycle only.