How to Wash Felt

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 13, 2019 References

Felt can be a difficult fabric to clean. Without proper care, it may shrink, fuzz, or pill. You should try to spot clean the dirty areas first. If you need to wash the felt item, wash it by hand or use the gentle cycle. You can also take it to the dry cleaners.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Spot Cleaning the Felt

1
Brush with a soft toothbrush. If there is surface dirt on the felt, gently brush it away with a soft bristled toothbrush. Brush only in one direction. Don’t rub in a circle or up and down. Scrubbing in alternate directions can cause the material to pile up and fuzz.^{[1]
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2
Dab the area with water. Dip a cloth in some warm water until the cloth is slightly damp. Press and dab at the dirt with light pressure, making sure not to rub. This may help remove some of the dirt.^{[2]
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3
Vacuum the felt. If there is loose dirt and dust on the felt, you can try to vacuum it away. Use a small vacuum nozzle and run it over the felt. If the suction on your vacuum is too hard, you can place some old panty hose or tights over the nozzle to help.^{[3]
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- Be careful when vacuuming around beading or ribbons. Make sure they are secure so you don’t suck them off the felt.
4
Steam clean your felt. You can clean your felt at home by steaming it. Use a tea kettle or pot and boil water in it. When the water starts steaming, place the felt over the steam. In your other hand, hold a soft sponge, lint-free cloth, or soft bristled brush. While holding the item in place, use the soft tool to gently brush the dirty area.^{[4]
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- This can be time consuming since you can only clean a little bit at a time.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Washing the Item

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Handwash the item. The best way to clean felt is to handwash the item in a sink. Use cool water. Handle the felt carefully as you move it around. Gently squeeze it a few times to wash it.^{[5]
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- Using hot water can damage the felt fabric.
- Some people use mild detergents, while others think using detergent will cause fuzzing on the surface.
- If you use detergent, make sure it is very gentle.
2
Wash the felt item on the delicate cycle. Though most felt items should not be washed, if you have an item you want to machine wash, you should wash it on the delicate cycle. Use a gentle detergent, like Woolite.^{[6]
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- Only wash the felt in a washing machine when it is extremely dirty, smells terrible, or you have tried everything else.
- Don’t wash felt items often. Only do this occasionally.
3
Remove excess water. You can remove excess water from the felt by pressing it between two towels. Don’t twist or squeeze out water. Flatten the felt as much as possible to its original shape.^{[7]
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4
Air dry the item. You shouldn’t dry the item in the dryer. Instead, you should air dry them. This may be on a clothing line or on a hanger in your home. Just make sure you place it in a cool area and not in the direct sun.^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Dry Cleaning Felt

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Determine if your felt is wool felt or synthetic felt. Wool felt reacts more negatively to washing than synthetic felt. Wool felt may shrink, bleed, or start to fuzz. Synthetic felt typically can be washed without too many problems. If you have wool felt, take more care washing it. If you have synthetic felt, it will probably be more durable.^{[9]
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- Wool felt should be dry cleaned because you could damage it by wet cleaning it.
2
Use a home dry cleaning kit. Many cleaning companies, such as Clorox, Proctor & Gamble, and Dial, have dry cleaning kits on the market. These kits come with directions that will walk you through the cleaning process so that you can safely clean your item.^{[10]
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- These kits cost around $10.
3
Take the item to the cleaners. If you have the time and money, you can take your felt article of clothing to the cleaners. A professional dry cleaner can clean the felt, which may be helpful if you’re nervous about trying or don’t want to mess up the item. Most dry cleaners won't touch basically anything that isn't clothing, however.^{[11]
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Community Q&A

Question

What method do I use to clean the white felt on a base drum beater? It's soiled with grease spots and is a dirty, off-white color. It is the beater operated with the foot on a drum kit. It's about 1" squared.

Community Answer

Given that actual felt used to be wool, rather than it's modern counter part which is a high blend of polyester, or missing the wool completely, it was not technically washable as it would lose both it's shape and size. I recommend treating it like a suede product and using a dry cleaning spray and stiff brush or simply coating it heavily with white chalk, working that into any oily stains and brushing it back out thoroughly with a vegetable brush, re-treating any area as needed. A stiffer metal bristle brush will be needed on some stains to break up the compacted felting.
Question

How do I clean felt-covered table mats?

Community Answer

It will depend on the type of stain. Unfortunately, most felt mats are meant to be disposed of if soiled despite all the work, but if it is not a heavy staining agent like kool-aid or coffee, you can try brushing it out when completely dried with a stiff-bristled brush. I do not recommend using water or soap as these will break down the felt, but a mild spray cleaner could be used on some colors and brushed up when dry. Perhaps spraying with a stain guard before using would help next time?