Can You Iron Velvet? How to Get Wrinkles Out of Velvet Easily
Velvet is a unique fabric. It comes with a unique pile while holding a luxurious texture when you touch it. Once made exclusively from silk, it is now made from a variety of fibers including cotton, linen, and even synthetic fibers. The material does a good job on furniture, curtains, and pillows.
Can you iron velvet? Velvet will wrinkle on you and the expert, Martha Stewart, says that you should never iron velvet. You will ruin the pile and damage the embossing. Her words are backed up by other experts and they all suggest using steam instead of applying direct heat to the material.
To learn more about ironing and the velvet fabric, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about. Your experience with this fabric may be different than but you should always be careful when thinking about ironing this material.
Ironing Velvet 101
Does Velvet Wrinkle Easily?
It can and that answer may surprise many who think the thickness of the fabric prevents wrinkles. But the short, dense piles that create the material’s look, are also very sensitive to pressure.
That means that wrinkles can get into your velvet clothing, curtains, or pillows quite easily. Getting them out again will take a lot more work than other fabrics due to the sensitive nature of this thick fabric.
You can’t apply direct heat to the material nor can you deal with the wrinkles right side up. It is going to take some work but removing the wrinkles can be done if you know how and follow instructions correctly.
To avoid getting wrinkles, you may want to use the velvet items in a low use area of your home. That way they remain in top shape and continue to make your rooms look elegant.
How to Get Wrinkles Out of Velvet
There are many steps to this process. Be prepared to read a lot of information as these steps must be followed properly if you want to have a successful operation. In case you do not want to remove the wrinkles yourself, it may be best to leave the task up to your dry cleaner.
- Step 1: read the care label on the velvet item that you need to have the wrinkles removed. Make sure you can use steam and non-bleach chemical treatments.
- Step 2: Either fill up the water tank on your steam iron, then set it to the steam function as it begins to warm up, or use your hand steamer.
- Step 3: Turn the velvet fabric inside out, if possible or with the nap side down away from the steamer or iron. It is safe to steam the nap but this option is safest to use.
- Step 4: While waiting for the iron to heat up, set up your ironing board and place a velvet needle board on top of it. The needle board is long and narrow and won’t hold all the velvet at the same time. Place the material upside down or inside out on this board.
- Step 5: Now mist the material with a wrinkle release spray and then hold your iron about 1 inch above the fabric. Then glide the iron or steamer nozzle over the material from side to side.
- Step 6: Continue to do step #5 for the length of the garment or curtain, etc. Move the fabric over the needle board as you go. The iron or steamer should reach both ends of the needle board as you glide.
- Step 7: If the wrinkles are not completely gone, remove the needle board, turn the garment, etc., right side out and repeat step #5 until the wrinkles have disappeared.
There is a way to steam the velvet item by hanging it up as well. Those steps are:
- Step 1: Hang the velvet item up inside out so that it does not bunch on the floor.
- Step 2: While you are waiting for the steamer to heat up, mist the material with the wrinkle release spray. Then hold the steamer about 1 inch away from the material.
- Step 3: Starting at the bottom, move slowly up the velvet garment till you get to the top. Since steam rises you can take full advantage of the steam and get those wrinkles out easier.
- Step 4: Gently run your free hand over the velvet to smooth out any wrinkles you see.
- Step 5: Turn the item right side out and repeat steps #3 & 4 till the wrinkles are gone.
Can You Iron Velvet?
No, you should not iron velvet. It is best to not put pressure on the material as pressure is one of the causes of wrinkles and can damage the pile and the embossing. It is almost second nature to reach for the iron when you see wrinkles but when they are in velvet resist that action.
As you just read, steaming the material is the best way to remove wrinkles from velvet. This means that if you have a steam feature on your iron, then you do not have to resist that hard.
Just hold the iron above the garment and try to convince yourself that you are getting some extra exercise in. Velvet is nice to look at but it is something else to keep looking so attractive.
By following the steps given above, you should be able to keep your velvet in top shape and impress your guests when they see it over your windows, like pillows, or even as a fine dress.
What Temperature do You Iron Velvet?
There are a couple of words of caution that need to be said here. If your velvet items have sequins it is best never to iron the garment or material. The sequins can melt on you and that goes with sequins on any fabric type.
The second word of caution here is that while you may have had success using a pressing cloth and the iron set at #3. this is not recommended and you are lucky if the velvet escapes any harm. if you have used light pressure then that is okay as long as the pile and embossing do not get damaged.
If you need a real temperature mark then it is 148 degrees C and 300 degrees F. The best advice that one can follow is similar to when a cleaning label says dry clean only. Do not iron velvet but steam it.
Accidents happen and the best way to avoid accidents is not to open the door for accidents to happen. It may take more work and time to steam velvet but that is better than damaging the material.
How to Iron Velvet Dress
Despite all that we have said you are still eager to use your iron and not get that extra aerobic-type exercise in through steaming, then you need to be most cautious when ironing a velvet dress.
Turn the dress inside out and place it on a plush white towel. You can use a pressing cloth if you want but it is not mandatory. Use gentle or very light pressure with your iron set at 300 degrees F or #3 setting.
Once you have done the wrong side, turn the fabric right side out again and use the steam function on your iron or a hand steamer, and refresh the pile. Do not steam on the inside of the garment.
Hopefully, you have not damaged your fabric with your iron. If you can avoid it, do not iron at all costs.
How to Iron Velvet Curtains
If you call using the steam function on your iron, ironing, then move your dial to that setting. Then as the iron warms up, hang your curtains up so that they do not bunch up on the floor. You will add wrinkles to the fabric and to your workload.
next, hold the iron about an inch away from the fabric and start at the bottom of the curtains. When you hang up those curtains make sure the wrong side is facing you and your iron.
Go slowly moving side to side moving up when one level is done. Don’t forget to rub your hand gently over your curtains to remove those wrinkles. Once you have reached the top, turn the curtains over and repeat.
Or you can follow the instructions using the needle board but be careful that the ironed curtain portions do not bunch up when you move the fabric. keep the curtains straight at all times
If this is too much hassle, use a hand steamer or send the curtains off to the dry cleaners. They have better setups than you may have at home.
Steaming Velvet
By now you should know that steaming is the preferred way to remove wrinkles from velvet. Ironing velvet should only be done in rare instances and then you must be very careful as you work. Try not to allow yourself to be distracted when working on velvet.
The instructions given previously are the ones you should follow even when using your iron to steam the fabric. There is no alternative way that we found except to pass the buck and send it off to your neighborhood professional cleaner.
Don’t forget to use a non-bleach wrinkle release spray to help loosen up the fibers and make it easier to remove those wrinkles.
Some Tips for Steaming Velvet
Now it is time to add a few tips to help you get those wrinkles out easily.
First, once you have steamed the wrong side of the fabric, inspect the nap on the right side to see if any damage or other harm has occurred. If none has, then steam the other side.
Second, if you need to increase the steam then do so in small increments. Too much too soon will not help keep your velvet stay in top shape.
Third, keep the iron or steamer moving at all times. Do not pause for long periods of ironing time or you may cause the damage yourself.
Fourth, for a double-sided velvet item, clip the fabric to a skirt hanger, using a tissue to protect the clipped portion of the scarf, etc. Steam one side first, and it may be that you won’t have to steam the other side. As you steam, pull gently on the bottom of the material to help remove the wrinkles.
How to Remove Creases from Velvet Upholstery
The first step in this process is to vacuum the velvet chair, etc., before trying to remove the wrinkles. You do not want any loose dirt to become embedded into the fabric and make your problem worse.
After vacuuming, use a handheld steamer and set it for the temperatures already given above. Then starting at the bottom, work your way up to the top of the chair. This maximizes the use of steam and helps get those wrinkles out. Make sure no water drips on the velvet.
If you do not have a steamer, a soft bristle clothes brush and your strokes should go in the same direction the nap goes in. If the wrinkles are stubborn, try using a suede brush.
With the steam option, a nice soft terry cloth will be better to use and. Wipe with your hand going from top to bottom first. You can go from the bottom up after that step.
Some Final Words
When it says do not dry clean, do not dry clean. The same principle works for velvet when it says do not iron. If it says that, then do not iron but use steam instead to get rid of those wrinkles.
Velvet is delicate so it takes delicate, careful work to remove those ugly wrinkles. Just be patient and block out enough time to get the job done right.
