Tag: Mohair

How to maintain and clean mohair velvets.

Mohair velvet can be notoriously difficult to clean. If you are in any doubt please contact a professional cleaner. You will probably get that recommendation from most fabric companies. The following information is provided as a guide and is not a formal recommendation by KOTHEA.

As with many fabrics, prevention is the best cure. A regularly cleaned velvet will last longer and cleaning should consist of brushing with a hard clothes’ brush and regular vacuuming. As part of a cleaning routine we would suggest expert cleaning approximately every 5 years.

Removing Stains

You should never attempt to remove more serious stains. That should always be undertaken by a professional.

It is possible to remove minor stains but always test any cleaning method on a small area that is not normally visible.

For stains that have not dried try using an absorbant and dampened, lint-free cloth. Do not use a coloured material as the colour may rub off into the velvet. Should water fail to work you could instead try a diluted upholstery shampoo/cleaner carefully following the manufacturer’s instructions. Rub very gently on the fabric, finishing in the direction of the nap. Afterwards ensure that all chemical residues are removed.

Make sure the fabric is not used again until thoroughly dry.

Dealing with wear and tear

As indicated earlier, a regular cleaning regime is requried for velvets. If no such regime is followed the fabric can become prematurely worn most noticeably, for example, on the regularly used parts of sofas or chairs. Frequent movement by a person on the velvet pile will cause the pile to be pushed in all directions; sometimes, eventually, resulting in matting. Once the pile has been moved in different directions the shade of the fabric can appear to have changed. This is a natural property of the fabric and is exacerbated by excesses of heat or humidity.

Fortunately, mohair velvets usually take and keep colour well and usually also have high rub tests.

Only on clean fabric try the following; apply a thoroughly clean and dampened cloth for 10 hours and then dry naturally for 10 hours in a well ventilated room. Only dampen the cloth slightly with pure/distilled water. Never ‘wet’ or soak the cloth or the fabric when cleaning.

Source: KOTHEA and Spearson Textiles