Handling & care of velvets

It is imperative to ensure that the velvet you have specified is suitable for upholstery use and recommended that the pile faces.

Always employ correct techniques including seaming the cut edges and folding twice before nailing or stapling the velvet to prevent the fabric from unnecessary rupture and tearing. We recommend using an interliner even if the velvet has been back coated, rather than applying velvet directly onto foam fillings, as fabric will last longer and pile-loss will be reduced.

When ordering velvet for curtains, it is important that the required cuts are advised so that any irregularities can be allowed for. When making velvet curtains it is recommended that the pile faces up, as this will ensure a deeper and more intense colour, and any pile disturbance will disappear quickly as the pile relaxes.

Velvet curtains should be lined to protect against direct exposure to ultraviolet light, thus reducing pile loss, colour fading, and fibre degradation. A lining will also enhance the drape and general appearance of your curtains. We recommend always using a pull cord or rod to open and close velvet curtains as hand contact will likely bruise and crush the texture of the pile.

After hanging velvet curtains they should be drawn across to allow the pile to breathe and relax. The pile will continue to relax and improve aesthetically over time due to surrounding atmospheric conditions. Velvet will breathe and relax in different ways depending on the environment/climate it lives in. For example, in high humidity environments the velvet will relax well on its own, however, in a dry climate, velvet often needs assistance to settle correctly. In this situation, velvet can be sprayed with a fine water mist to lightly dampen the fabric, then left to untouched dry completely. After drying, most creases and marks will have dropped out and the pile will have lifted.

Note: We recommend this technique is performed by professional curtain installers and not by the designer or homeowner, as if done incorrectly the velvet may be permanently marked.

Cotton velvet is a natural product and, being a pile fabric, it will always bruise or flatten. If you run your hand over the surface the pile will move, press on it and it will leave a mark, brush in the right direction and it will return to its natural state.

If the pile flattens the angle will alter and result in areas of the pile appearing lighter or darker in shade. This can easily be mistaken for uneven dyeing or shading but is in fact an inherent characteristic of velvet/pile fabrics.

During transit, velvet will always endure some marking. This does not render the velvet unusable as the fabric can be corrected by rubbing or brushing once it has been made up as drapery or upholstery.

Larger rolls of velvet are transported suspended in cartons and smaller orders are protected by corrugated cardboard and plastic wrap. Despite this, bruising may occur if the roll is dropped or other heavy items are placed ontop. If this occurs, it is recommended that the fabric be unrolled, laid flat on a table, and left for several days to allow the pile to ‘breathe’ and recover naturally.

Any severe bruising can be removed by gentle steaming the reverse side of the fabric. Before cutting velvet, it is a sound practice to unroll the fabric at the end of the working day and allow relaxing overnight before cutting.

Rolls of velvet should always be stored hanging horizontally, either in a shelving system designed to suspend rolls or in the original box. Velvet must not be stored vertically as this will cause creases that are difficult to remove.

Velvet should always be rolled with the pile surface on the inside. Tightly rolling against the pile will ensure the pile is not flattened during storage or transport.

Learn more about this luxurious textile in our previous article For the love of velvet and explore our complete range of velvet textiles here.