How to Clean Felt

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Things You'll Need

  • Wool-safe laundry detergent, such as Woolite

  • Clean, dry towel

  • Damp, smooth dishcloth (not a terry washcloth)

  • Soft-bristle brush (baby hairbrushes work well)

  • Pot

  • Vacuum cleaner

Felt has a porous texture, which is hard to clean.

Felt is one of the most ubiquitous fabrics in day-to-day life. However, due to its rough and absorbent texture, it's also one of the worst fabrics for attracting stains. It also has a tendency to pill or shed, making it difficult to clean without damaging the quality of the fabric. But though it takes special care to keep your felt looking as good as new, with just a few common household items, you can remove even persistent stains.

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Machine-Washing Felt

Step 1

Felt fabric can be difficult to clean.

Set your machine's water temperature to cold wash and cold rinse. Set the agitation speed to delicate.

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Step 2

Add wool-safe detergent and place your felt in the washing machine.

Step 3

Run the machine.

Step 4

Lay a clean, dry towel on a flat surface. (The top of your washing machine or dryer works well for this purpose.) Lay the felt flat on top of the towel and let it air-dry. Do not put felt into the dryer. This will warp and shrink the fabric.

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Cleaning Shaped Felt Articles

Step 1

Cleaning shaped felt articles requires different steps.

Wipe the stain gently with a damp cloth to begin to lift the stain and draw it to the surface.

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Step 2

Brush the stain very gently with a soft-bristled brush, such as a baby hairbrush. Alternate between rubbing with the damp cloth and the brush until the stain lifts.

Step 3

For particularly persistent stains, boil a pot of water and hold your felt object over the steam. Alternate between holding it over the steam and brushing it with the soft brush until the stain lifts.

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Step 4

Let your felt object air-dry if necessary.

Step 5

Brush gently to align the fibers after drying.

Cleaning Felt Surfaces

Step 1

Vacuum felt surfaces before starting to clean.

Vacuum the surface before starting to clean, to remove any loose particles that might be embedded further in the felt during the cleaning process.

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Step 2

Wipe any prominent stains gently with a damp cloth. Brush with a soft-bristled brush. Alternate between rubbing with the cloth and the brush.

Step 3

Brush the surface after cleaning to align the fibers of the fabric.

Step 4

Keep felt surfaces covered when not in use if possible. Felt is particularly susceptible to collecting dust.

Tip

If you have a particularly bad stain, felt can also be dry-cleaned.

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