Wool Felt 101: How to Clean And Maintain Your Wool Felt Products

Do you own any wool felt products? Had an accidental oopsie? Felts are highly mistaken with the impression of being difficult to clean with. And we are here to debunk and prove you otherwise. After reading how to clean wool felt with proper care, you will realize it is very effortless. Another bonus point is that you will not need any expensive or special felt product cleaning tools.

Most frequently asked questions:

• What are the major factors that ruin your felt products?
• How to dry clean felted products?
• How do you get stains out of felt?
• How do you clean felt balls?
• Can you steam clean felt?
• Any tips and tricks?
• How do you store your felt products?

1. What are the major factors that ruin your felt products?

Before we start with how do you clean felted wool; Let's first understand the main devils that ruin your felt products.

1. Moisture: Felt when dry, are very durable and can undergo harsh beating without having much after effect. However, when we talk about wet felt, it's a whole another personality. They are fragile and delicate. We recommend avoiding storing felt products on low ground, bathrooms, garage doors, or in any humid area. Keep your felt products as dry as possible.
2. Pests: Pests can do serious damage. Moths and carpet beetles love wools. It's always better to use prevention methods rather than having to deal with annoying infestations. Some easy preventions could be using lavender scents or storing your felt products in airtight and secure containers. Keeping them in breathable cotton bags can also be a great alternative. However, for worst-case scenarios, you can get any store-bought pest repellent products. But make sure, you read the instructions well before using them. That being said, we have never received any complaints from our clients regarding pest infestation. 
3. Source of Light: Felt and Yarn uses azo-free dyes for dying the wool. Besides the type of dyes used, the lightfastness of the die can be affected if the product is directly exposed to the source of light. Direct exposure can result in deteriorating the dyes, minimizing the vibrance. 

After the devils are taken care of, moving on to how to clean wool felt. Let us show you how to clean felt fabric with minimal effort. 

2. How do you get stains out of felt?

Wools are an amazing stain and liquid repellent. Acting fast; take a tissue and immediately blot off the liquid. It should be almost like nothing ever happened. To imagine the worst, it might leave you with some stain. 

Dry cleaning will not be able to help you in this case. This brings another question, can you wash craft felt? 

Yes, we can. Depending on which felt product you are dealing with, handwashing and machine washing can be possible. Nevertheless, we do not recommend washing cat caves, shoes, or rugs. I can’t stress this enough "Be As Gentle As Possible". 

Now after that being said, let's hop to the best and safest method for washing felt:

1. Spot Clean: Supposedly of any stains, the probability of it being smeared all over is very less. Therefore, we recommend spot cleaning in comparison to cleaning the whole product. Few things to keep in mind;
   • Use cold water, do not use hot water.
   • Heat can shrink your felt, which you don't want.
   • Mix the cold water and mild soap. And ever so gently rub where the stain is.
   • To remove any soap residues, damp lint-free cloth with clean water and again, very gently wipe it off. Repeat as required.
   • For drying, use a dry towel and press down to remove excess water.
   • Let it air dry.

1. Soak And Squeeze: For craft supplies and small felt products. For a more thorough felt product cleaning procedure, you can use this method:
   • Dust off all the dust particles as much you can.
   • Fill up cold water in a sink, or any container. Do not use soap.
   • Dunk the felt product into the water, let it fully submerged.
   • Take it out and easy does it' when squeezing the water out.
   • You can also soak in water for a few minutes if needed.
   • Continue repeating this felt product cleaning procedure as required.
   • Remember to only squeeze it and not to ring or twist it at any cost while draining as much water as possible.
   • Use the towel to pat dry.
   • Then let it air dry.
   • Right after washing, you might experience that your product has lost some softness. Don't worry it will regain its bounce back with time.

Please do not soak your wool felt cat caves, shoes, and rugs in the water. This method is only suitable for small craft supplies. 

3. How to dry clean felted products

Nobody likes dusty felt items. In case of any dirt or dust particles stuck to your felt products, a simple dusting works like a charm. For any spillage situation, let it dry first. After completely dried, a light flicking or tickling will do just fine. 

4. How do you clean felt balls?

Felt balls are the easiest to clean. A simple dusting, spot cleaning, or any above techniques can do charms. Squeezing your felt balls can sometimes change and deform the shape. You can lightly roll the felt ball in your palms to restore its round shape. You can do the same for any craft supplies. 

5. Can you steam clean felt?

Yes definitely! You can help to quicken drying time by steaming felt. Sometimes your wool felt products can look a little bit sorry, and need a little bit of makeover. Whoop out your steamer, it can smooth out the wrinkles and transform it into looking brand new. 

6. Any tips and tricks?

• If there is a stubborn lint stuck in your felt product then use masking tape to extract it. 
• Use small scissors to trim any strays.
• Using scents such as Eucalyptus, Lavender, and tree tea to repel bugs, mosquitoes, and pests. 
• To remove any nasty smell or greasiness then you can use salt, vinegar, baking soda, or lemon. Use any of the above substances and mix ¼ of it into the water. Remember not to soak your product for more than 10 minutes, or else you might risk losing the integrity of your product.

7. How to properly store your felt products?

We have never experienced any complaints or feedback from our customers regarding any pest infestation. 

A pest infestation can be easily avoided if proper storage is done. 

Before storing any felt product, it’s advisable to give a proper sunbathe for a minimum of 15 minutes. In case of any existing infestation, using store-bought pest repellents could be helpful. Clean the cupboard, or container before storing your product. 

Microwaving small felt supplies for less than one minute in low heat can kill any existing larvae or insects.

After properly cleaning, you can use an airtight container to store your products. Making sure no water intervenes. A great trick is to use a couple of those silica gels you get in the container with your felt product to ensure it’s moisture-free.

For clothing or shoes, store them in a breathable cotton bag. Our dryer ball bags are made out of 100% wool with a drawstring that can make sure no pests enter the bag. The size is perfect to store shoes, scarves, mittens, and clothes. 

I hope the in-depth instructions help with your confusion. Our felt products are extremely durable and can last you for up to 7 years. But that being said, proper cleaning and maintenance ensure the longevity of your products. 

Wool products are not only low in maintenance but have an abundance of benefits. It is eco-friendly, renewable, hypoallergenic and all our products are azo dye-free, safe for both humans and animals. Do yourself and nature a favour by using felt products. For any further inquiries about our products, feel free to message us. 

Good Luck!