How to Wash Fabric Christmas Placemats Without Fading Them

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Christmas placemats are a beautiful addition to any holiday table setting. The bright red and green colors bring Christmas cheer into your dining room. But cleaning your placemats can tend to be a problem. Red and green dyes can bleed and fade into each other. Use the following steps to clean your placemats without fading them.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Papertowel or washcloth
Hot and cold water
Two bowls
Small scrub brush or toothbrush
Dishwashing liquid

Step1

Shake the placemats out to remove any loose food or other debris. Lay each placemat out on a clean flat surface. Take a large bowl and fill it with hot water and 3 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid. Take another large bowl and fill it with cold water. You will also need a small scrub brush or toothbrush. Take the brush and dip it into the hot water. With a brush, scrub only the areas of the placemats that need cleaning. Continue to dip the brush into the hot water solution and scrub the placemats until you have removed any stains. Using the dipping method, you are not using as much water as you would if you washed them normally and this prevents the dye from spreading or bleeding.

Step2

After you have cleaned all the stained areas, you are ready for rinsing. Place the placemats over a thick towel. Take a papertowel or small washcloth and dip it into the cold water. Squeeze out the cloth until all the excess water has been removed. Starting on one side of the placemat, take the cloth and press down onto the mat. Continue this process all the way to the other side, continuing moving down and across. This process will press out the hot water and soap solution.

Step3

After you have gone over the whole ma, turn your faucet on so that you get just a trickle of cold water. Take each placemat one by one and quickly run them through the water so that you remove any leftover soap. Do not saturate the placemat with water. Lay the placemat on a clean, dry towel after rinsing. Roll the towel and placemat with your hands to squeeze out as much excess water as you can.

Step4

Let your placemats air dry overnight. Do not place them in or near any high heat. Heat can cause the colors to bleed or fade.