On cold winter weekends, curling up by the fire with a good book is a wonderful indulgence. Especially, if you have a plush velour throw to keep you warm. If you’re more of the outward-bound type, a plush velour throw is still your best friend après anything. But how do you keep the fibres fresh all year round? All that snuggling can take its toll.
Velour is one of the softest fabrics on the planet and, consequently, requires careful washing to maintain its uber soft feel.
Prep
Separate your velour blanket from other laundry items. Not only is the colour in your velour blanket prone to bleeding during the first few washes, but washing your blanket in a fully loaded washing machine can cause too much wear and tear. Fibres can become matted (sometimes referred to as pebbling), ball up into little round bits that come off (pilling) or result in strands of loose fibres (shedding). So washing separately really is best!
Wash
Wash velour in cold water on the gentle cycle. It’s important to add the correct amount of detergent required; velour does not require much to clean. Adding too much detergent can make the fabric stiff. Once the wash cycle is complete, remove from the washer and shake. This will make sure the fabric dries faster.
Dry
Heat can also damage the fibres, possibly even burning the material. Luckily, our modern washers are very efficient at getting most of the water out of the blanket during the spin cycle. So your velour blanket shouldn’t take long to dry. Place the blanket in the dryer to tumble dry with NO HEAT. Remove from the dryer when dry, and fold for future use!
Photo by Efraimstochter
