Velvet furniture is a bold and fun choice to add color, class, texture, and style to your home. Adding velvet to your home is a great way to upgrade your aesthetic and customize your living space without major modifications. Velvet is notoriously delicate and requires regular care and maintenance. Here is an easy guide on how to care for velvet furniture—and what to do about spills and stains, should they happen.

Regular care

Velvet is prone to marking and matting, so it’s important to regularly care for your furniture to preserve its life and look. You should clean your velvet furniture on—at least—a weekly basis. Once a week, vacuum your furniture with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum. Take care to be gentle when doing this, as velvet can mark easily and vacuuming too roughly can cause damage to the delicate fabric’s weave. After vacuuming your fabric, remove any covers or cushions to shake them out. Once both tasks are completed, gently brush your velvet furniture with a soft-bristled brush or a fabric brush to prevent matting issues.

Spill and stain maintenance

Spills and stains happen to all furniture, and a small spill doesn’t have to be devastating. All fabrics need different care to properly prevent or get rid of stains, and velvet is no exception. With velvet, being gentle is key to maintaining the fabric’s integrity and preventing any irreversible damage. For larger spills and deeply set-in stains, consider a professional velvet cleaning service. For smaller stains or less severe ones, you can handle it yourself with a few easy steps.

Spills

Try to address the spill as soon as possible after it happens. Take a dry cloth and very gently dab the spill location—take as much of the substance out of the furniture as possible to prevent it from setting into the cushion. Be careful not to rub or apply too much pressure, as these actions can severely damage the fabric. If this isn’t effective, try the method to remove stains.

Stains

Just like with spills, don’t rub the stain. Begin by choosing a cleaning substance. Many people choose to stick with a simple soap and water solution, while others opt for upholstery cleaners. Whichever cleaning method you prefer, make sure to test it on a small piece of your furniture that isn’t easily seen. This is to check how the solution will affect your fabric. Once you know how the solution affects your fabric and are pleased with the results, apply the cleaning solution to your stain by gently dabbing it. Once the stain is lifted from the fabric, dry the area with a hairdryer—but make sure to hold the dryer at a safe distance. Once the velvet is dry, brush over the spot with a gentle bristled or fabric brush to prevent matting and encourage the spot to match the rest of the furniture. If you’re thinking about getting velvet furniture but aren’t sold on the idea yet, consider getting a velvet wedge pillow cover to test how you like the look and feel in your own home. Plus, if you decide you do want to invest in velvet furniture, your wedge pillow will help tie your home together!