Washing Upholstery Fabric Before Sewing

Let’s say you just acquired the perfect upholstery fabric you’ve been looking for and you can’t wait to have it sewn. Well, we acknowledge that clearly but there is something important you need to consider before even allowing any cut out on your fabric. You need to consider washing upholstery fabric before sewing. It is a very significant step as it prevents your fabric from shrinkage problems, eliminates any chemical residue and guarantee colorfastness.

However, you should familiarize yourself with the following things to know about pre-washing upholstery fabric:

· Types of fibers that require pre-washing

Just like garments, most fabrics require washing before sewing. However, there are exceptions such as 100% polyester upholstery fabrics that may not necessarily need pre-washing.

· Alternate pre-treatment ways

There are mainly two ways you can pre-wash your upholstery fabric. You can decide to either take it to the dry cleaners, use a domestic washing machine or hand wash it just like you would for any garments.

· Find the correct wash for your fiber

Upholstery fabric fibers and made of various materials that include cotton, silk, wool, linen, and rayon. Whether you will be going for knits, flannels, broadcloth, lawn or voiles, it is encouraged that you consider washing upholstery fabric before sewing.