use & care
Cleaning your slipcover.
Machine washing.
WHEN DRY CLEANING ISN'T AN OPTION
Our care labels call out "professional cleaning" as the safest route. But we’ve seen beautiful machine-washing success—as have many of our customers—using a cold, gentle cycle, mild, brightener-free detergent, and keeping a mindful eye on the care instructions specific to each fabric.
A few pro-tips. While we recommend washing all slipcover components in the same session to keep the colors looking even, it’s best to wash each piece in different loads—overstuffing your machine can damage the fabric.
Be sure to close all zippers. And don’t wash your slip at home if your machine has an agitator (a rotating column in the center of the wash basket). Agitators can potentially snag the fabric, even on a gentle cycle.
Air drying.
AND A VERY QUICK FLUFF
Simple enough. Drying a slipcover straight out of the wash may cause it to shrink, so air-drying is a must. If you have a natural fabric slipcover, hang it to dry until it’s barely damp. Then tumble dry in the machine for a minute or two using very low heat—or no heat at all—to fluff the fibers back up to their usual perky selves.
Recycled Faux Fur should air dry completely—no need to tumble dry.
Spoiler alert: there’s no foolproof, works-every-time, miracle approach to washing a slipcover. There are simply too many variables. The nature of the fabric, the stain, how long it sits on the fabric fibers, the minerality of your water, the type of detergent you use—it all factors into the laundering process. Every spill is a unique, proverbial snowflake.
Our all-natural and recycled fabrics are wonderful materials to spend time with. And they’re removable and washable? Total gamechanger. However, it’s worth noting that, as with all high-quality fabrics, their beauty comes with a few limitations. Our style of luxury may be casual, but it isn’t invincible.
That said, we only offer fabrics we'd be excited to have in our own homes. And after living with these materials for years—and testing a wide variety of stains and spills—we've developed a few tried-and-true methods to keep your slipcover looking good as new.
We've outlined a few best practices for general cleaning and provided a breakdown of more specific care instructions by fabric below.
Dry cleaning.
THE BEST ALL-AROUND SOLUTION
As with any luxury material, laundering is usually best left to professionals. So, when it comes to cleaning or removing stains from our all-natural fabrics, dry cleaning will always deliver the best, most consistent results.
Of course, not all dry cleaners are created equal. Vet your dry cleaner, give them a Google, ask questions, and request they avoid extreme heat whenever possible.
We recommend dry cleaning all slipcover components simultaneously to maintain color uniformity.
Pre-treating & spot cleaning
TREAD CAREFULLY, IT'S TRICKY
All spills and stains can—and should—be pre-treated as soon as possible before laundering the entire slipcover. But the pre-treatment method is different for every fabric family—sometimes, it varies from color to color. Before pre-treating a spill, make sure to check the care instructions for your fabric family and then confirm the best pre-treatment method for fabric on the care cards below.
As a rule, you should never rub the fabric when pre-treating or spot-cleaning—it could further imbed the stain into the fibers and worsen the situation.
The first step for pre-treating a stain is the same for all fabrics—liquid spills can be gently absorbed using a clean, white cloth, and standing spills like ketchup can be scraped away with a spoon.
Please note that certain natural fabrics, especially our Light Weight Linen, Medium Weight Linen, and Washed Cotton Linen, are very prone to fading or discoloration when soaked—be careful not to add any water to the affected area when pre-treating.
WASHED COTTON LINEN, LIGHT WEIGHT LINEN, AND MEDIUM WEIGHT LINEN
These breezy, all-natural linen fabrics are meticulously pigment-dyed by hand. This dyeing method produces exquisite color variation but makes spot-cleaning a bit risky—especially since we don’t coat our slipcovers in any protective chemicals (water, dirt, or oil repellent) that might affect the look or texture. Read carefully and proceed with caution.
QUICK TIPS
THREAD-DYED COTTON LINEN
Every fiber of this stunning cotton-linen blend is saturated with dye before weaving for vibrant, nuanced color. It’s exceptionally colorfast and—for the most part—can be spot-cleaned. Just make sure to double-check the care card for your fabric color—spot-cleaning methods vary slightly by hue and type of stain.
QUICK TIPS
COTTON LINEN
Like its thread-dyed counterpart, whisper-soft Cotton Linen can be successfully spot-cleaned with a judicious dab of mild dishwashing detergent. If your slipcover is radiantly white Pacific Pearl—or if you’re negotiating an oil-based stain—you can even use a bit of enzymatic cleaner. Just remember that a little bit of any cleaner goes a long way, and always avoid soaking or rubbing the material.
QUICK TIPS
COTTON CANVAS
This structured, 100% all-natural cotton comes in an assortment of rich, striking hues. But it’s worth noting that the darker the color, the more pigment is needed to saturate the fiber—and the more susceptible it will be to fading in the sun or wash. It’s also normal for high-pigment colors to release excess dye during the first wash cycle. Cotton Canvas can be spot-cleaned but check the care card below for the proper pre-treatment method for the type of stain.
QUICK TIP
WASHED COTTON VELVET
You can wash these lavish, jewel-toned velvets in your home machine, and they can be spot-cleaned—as long as you keep to the care instructions for your fabric color and type of stain. Just keep in mind that while most velvet upholstery contains a little bit of polyester, our Washed Cotton Velvet is all-natural and just as sensitive to heat as any other pure cotton material.
QUICK TIPS
RECYCLED FAUX FUR
With Recycled Faux Fur, you can skip the dry cleaner altogether—machine-washing your slipcover at home will get you professional-grade results. This fabric reacts to spot-cleaning so well that there's often no need to throw it in the wash after treating a stain. Just remember, Recycled Faux Fur should never go in the dryer—allow your slip to air-dry completely.
QUICK TIPS