Wall Tapestry Care – How to Clean and Maintain Tapestry Fabric

Wondering how to care for your wall tapestry? We absolutely love transforming a space with a beautiful new tapestry, so every day we hand-pick new ethically made, high-quality coverings to add to our selection for you.

It means we have some answers about how to clean your wall hanging without specialized products. 

It takes a bit of time, but with the recommendations outlined in this piece of content, the tapestry that has been your baby since your dorm days should be good as new.  

Once you've hung up a wall tapestry, it should not require much in the way of maintenance. That said, everything has to be cleaned sometimes. But what process should you use?  

The first thing you should do is gently brush any dirt off the tapestry. You can do this with a soft-bristled paintbrush. You can also vacuum it with your upholstery vacuum attachment.

If there is any caked-on dirt, of course, you'll need to rub a little harder.

You can also try loosening the dirt by cleaning it with some cold water and a washcloth, but be sure the fabric dye doesn't run if you are cleaning in this way.

It would be easy to end up with a dripping, color-running mess if you are not careful.

You can also try to spot-clean one spot on your wall hanging at a time, but it's best to test your cleaning method on an inconspicuous corner of the wall tapestry.

How to Remove Creases and Wrinkles

If your tapestry has been in storage or transit for any length of time, it may have developed a crease or two. You might have a question about how to flatten it smooth again.

There are several different ways to deal with tapestry creases. These are usually resolved when you lay out the tapestry or when you hang it.

Try lying it flat with an old sheet or tablecloth on top (to protect it from dust, or your cat, for example) and some items on top of the sheet to weigh it down. In a few days, your wall tapestry should be flattened.

You can try to steam iron the tapestry on low to medium heat. If you do this, use a press cloth between the iron and the back of the tapestry.

Here are some tips:

• Don't move the iron back and forth, instead put it in one place and hold it there for a few seconds, between moving it to the next area. 
• You can also use a steamer if you have one. Hang the tapestry up and then use the steamer as directed o the product packaging. Use it on low steam first.

Excessive moisture can cause dyes to run or otherwise damage your wall tapestry or hanging, so be careful. 

• Another way to deal with a crease in the material is to weight the bottom of the tapestry. 
• You can use magnets along the bottom to weigh the hanging down, which will result in its hanging taut. 
• If there happens to be a rod pocket at the bottom, you can also insert a rod or weights into the pocket.

Where Should I Hang My Tapestry?

Excessive heat can also be a problem. It shouldn't be too hard to search for such a location to install your hanging rod.

Choose walls in a room in your home where you can share it with people who will be able to experience the beauty of the wall tapestry.

You can also display it on the ceiling or behind the bed instead of a headboard. This looks particularly cool if your tapestry has tassels.

No matter which room you place your tapestries in, the members of your family will be able to enjoy and experience the tapestry art.

How to Deal with Fading

Tapestries may fade over time, but if you keep them out of direct sunlight, this may take a very long time. You might enjoy the look of a faded tapestry.

In essence, it adds character and can make the piece look like originals made by hand in India or other parts of the world.

Can You Wash a Wall Tapestry?

Be sparing with detergent, or use a gentle one. On no account should you wash on hot. Leave your clothing out of the machine when you're attempting this, as well.

Otherwise, having other things in the washer with wall tapestries can cause them to pill or degrade if the fabric is delicate.

What about Tapestries with Smoke Damage?

If your tapestry has damage due to cigarette smoke or caused from a fire, you're going to have a bit of a hard time cleaning it, but all is not lost!

Smokey Smell

Coating the tapestry in an ample amount of baking soda, and allowing it to cure over several days out of direct sunlight should help the tapestry absorb much of the smokey smell caused from cigarettes or fire damage. Get into all the crevices of the fabric.

You may be tempted to deep clean your tapestry with scrubbing, but please be cautious as this could further damage the fabric or loosen the threads. 

Woven tapestries are particularly challenging because there is much more surface area for smoke to become embedded. In this case, avoid the washing machine.

Yellowing

Yellowing from cigarette smoke is a major problem that can make a once beautiful and colorful tapestry appear dull.

Your best bet is to first coat the tapestry in baking soda like above to remove any smells. Then try rinsing the baking soda off the tapestry. Once air-dried try soaking it in a solution of 1 part diluted white vinegar to 12 parts warm water overnight. 

The reason you don't want to mix baking soda and vinegar in this instance is that the base nature of baking soda will counteract the acidic vinegar, leaving basically water to do the work. When used separately, they can each do their job more effectively.

As before do not scrub the tapestry, but gently work in a mild detergent the next day and thoroughly rinse your tapestry. You may need to repeat this step a few times to remove tougher stains.

Allow it to air dry in between each cleaning session to avoid the buildup of mold or mildew.

If the tapestry is beyond repair, consider recycling the wall tapestry or turning it into a tapestry bracelet. We've also shared some tips on how to repurpose your tapestry on our blog. Go check it out!