Needlepoint guide
How to clean needlepoint
Most needlepoint only ever needs dusting. Water can make dyes run, so start with the gentlest method and stop there if it works.
On this page 7 parts
First: is it old or valuable?
If the piece is antique, fragile, has silk or metal threads, or matters a great deal to you, do not clean it yourself. Conservators advise against washing historic wool and silk at all, and against vacuuming anything with powdering fibers or many broken threads. Ask a textile conservator. Everything below is for sturdy, modern pieces.
Step 1. Dust
Lay a piece of clean plastic window screen over the needlepoint. Cover the cut edges of the screen with cotton tape first so they cannot snag. Turn the vacuum down to low suction and vacuum through the screen with a soft brush attachment. Do not press down: the suction lifts the dirt. Lift the screen and move it to the next area.
No screen? Stretch a piece of nylon stocking over the end of the vacuum hose and hold it just above the surface.
Often this is all a piece needs.
Step 2. Test for colorfastness
Before any moisture, test every color, including the sewing thread and backing. Put a drop of water on an out-of-the-way spot, press white blotting paper or a white cloth on it, and look at the white. Check again after a few minutes. If it passes with water, test again with the detergent mix you plan to use. Any color on the white means that thread will run: stop there and do not wet the piece.
A clean test is not a guarantee. Dyes sometimes run anyway, so go carefully.
Step 3. Spot clean
If the colors hold, mix a small amount of mild detergent with cold water. Dampen a clean white cloth and blot the mark. Then blot with a cloth dampened in plain water to take the detergent out, and blot dry. Do not rub. Dry flat, out of direct sun.
Step 4. Wash only if you must
A sturdy, colorfast piece can be washed by hand. Take off any backing and take out the insert first. Use a basin big enough for the piece to lie flat, filled with cold water and a little mild detergent. Let it soak for about ten minutes, pressing it gently. Never rub, wring or squeeze. Rinse in changes of clean water until no soap is left. Roll it in a towel to take out the water, then block it on a board while damp so it dries square. Drying can take a couple of days.
Keep needlepoint out of the washing machine and the tumble dryer.
Chair seats and upholstery
Dust a seat the same way, through a screen. A seat cannot be soaked and blocked while it is on the chair, so for anything beyond dusting and careful blotting, ask a textile conservator before you wet it.
Keeping it clean
- Keep needlepoint out of strong light. Light fades colors and weakens fibers, and the damage adds up and cannot be undone.
- Store pieces clean and completely dry, flat or rolled around a tube rather than folded, wrapped in washed cotton sheeting or unbuffered acid-free tissue.
- Wash your hands before stitching and cover the work between sessions. The oils on your fingers end up in the stitches.