How to properly wash the embroidery with a cross on the canvas so that it does not fade
Embroidery is considered one of the most popular female hobbies. This is an exciting activity, because you can create an image of any complexity with your own hands using floss threads, beads, satin ribbons. Embroidering a piece is a long process, which consists of hundreds, thousands of crosses with threads of different thicknesses and sizes. After creating a masterpiece, craftswomen ask themselves a question: how to erase the cross-stitch embroidery on the canvas? This topic requires careful consideration, since handprints, stains of a different nature often remain on the picture, and the white canvas turns yellow over time.
Basic rules
Before washing the embroidery with floss threads, the product is turned over on the wrong side, inspected for "looseness" and thread protrusion. If there are any, they are removed with tweezers, tape, a sticky roller. It is also worth paying attention to pollution, geometric parameters. When using a hoop, the canvas tends to warp. In such a situation, the material is moistened with water and pulled.
The ends of the threads must be fixed, otherwise the crosses will bloom and the image will be ruined. To process the edges of the canvas, you can use transparent varnish, glue, tape.
Freshness will require a light wash using a mild liquid detergent for colored fabrics.
Experts do not recommend using powdered mixtures due to their incomplete dissolution. For convenience, cross-stitch embroidery is placed in a basin of warm water, diluted with washing powder. The material is gently wiped between the palms, rinsed. It is strictly forbidden to twist, wring the product, it must be hung up, let the water flow out.
When pushing up, the image is distorted, bent. After the water is drained, the embroidery is transferred to a dry cloth, covered with a towel, in which excess moisture will be absorbed. The product is transferred to an ironing board, ironed from the inside out. A terry towel is suitable for ironing - this will help maintain the relief and convexity of the pattern.
How to avoid color loss
Use oxygen bleach to prevent loss of shine and remove stains. It does not contain chlorine, does not cause loss of materials. It is not recommended to soak a product with a pattern in oxygen bleach, just a light wash followed by rinsing is enough.
To maintain the brightness of the pattern for a long time, the use of high-quality dental floss will help. They can withstand washing, do not fade. Their only drawback is their high cost, which is not very suitable for amateur craftsmen. If the embroidery has faded, it means that economy class threads were used in the work. This is especially true for the colors black, brown, red and blue. During moulting, the products are rinsed until the water is transparent.
Preservation of the brightness and saturation of the pattern occurs with the help of the right detergent and the right washing mode.
For the safe cleaning of the work, certain rules must be followed:
- Avoid fading and warping by pulling the fabric over a hoop or wooden frame. After stretching the canvas in a bowl, dilute the solution with laundry soap and water, apply the foam with a sponge. Rubbing lightly, spread the detergent over the entire fabric, then rinse with water.
- In case of heavy soiling, the board is soaked in a bowl of soapy water for 10 minutes, rinsed.
- You can restore saturation, remove gray shade with vinegar (1 tbsp. L.) And water (1 l.). Threads are wiped with cotton wool soaked in a solution, washed.
Often in Soviet home economics books you can find tips for bleaching stains on embroidery. Especially popular are recommendations for bleaching a product with a printed pattern using gasoline, acetone, potassium permanganate, glycerin and ammonia. For the preservation of the quality of the canvas, preference should be given to softer means.
How to wash by hand
Water temperature is very important for high quality hand washing. It must be warm, 30-40 ohC. If the temperature is too high, the wires will fall off. If a marker was used in the work, the product is rinsed off with very cold water. Hot water will fix the pigment in the tissue structure, making it impossible to remove it.
The pelvis should be chosen large, the image should not wrinkle. The free spreading of the cloth improves the absorption of the soapy solution.It is undesirable to use hard abrasive brushes and sponges - this damages the fibers of the threads.
How to choose a detergent
The detergent should be liquid - the powder will clog in the fabric, it will not wash off well and stains will result. Also, do not use stain removers for white laundry, especially products containing chlorine. Mouline threads are thin and brittle, losing their luster due to the aggressive effects of temperature and chemical compounds. The detergent should be free of chlorine, hydroperite and other bleaching elements.
What can be used to wash the canvas:
- colorless liquid soap, shampoo;
- laundry soap;
- soapy water and washing powder;
- dishwashing gel.
Dishwashing gel is not recommended, as it is aimed at removing fat accumulations, it can dry out the fibers of the threads, damage them. A laundry solution will be a budgetary and effective remedy. It is crushed with a grater, poured into a saucepan and poured with water. The mixture is brought to a boil, periodically stirred. After cooling, the liquid is ready for use.
Soak
Add 1 tbsp to a bowl of water. I. salt, otherwise things can be covered with a coating of hard water, will prevent excretion. The water should be warm, since the embroidery is most often contaminated with sweat secretions, which are removed at a temperature of 40 ohC. After soaking, start washing.
Washing
The product is washed very carefully to prevent the yarn from wrinkling and breaking. The image is gently moved between the palms, gently rubbing between the threads. For stale stains, scrub the sewn side with a sponge or soft brush. There are several ways to wash the material.
How to wash normally
The embroidery fades with squeezing movements, moving it along the pelvis.You will need to rinse several times. First you need to rinse with warm water, then with cold water. To preserve the shine of the threads, vinegar is combined with water (2 teaspoons for 3 liters of water). You cannot twist the canvas, they put it on a terry towel, iron it with an iron.
Elongation
Another method of washing is stretching with a wooden or plastic hoop over which the embroidery is stretched. The cloth is wiped with water and detergent, rinsed and hung up to drain the water.
Layered plain canvas
When using ordinary canvas, the standard washing procedure is followed. The fabric should be moistened to soften the stiffness of the threads. You can soak by spraying or soaking the product in a soapy solution.
water soluble canvas
The waterproof canvas is dissolved by soaking in hot water for 10-15 minutes. For this type of canvas, high-quality, colorfast threads are needed. For safety, experts recommend carrying out a control test on a small area, soaking it in hot water. When the result is satisfactory, they begin to soak the entire product. Salt is added to a bowl of water, the material is immersed for 30 minutes. If the canvas has not separated, it can be washed in hot water.
Stain removal methods
Embroidery tends to get dirty. How to remove different types of stains:
- Traces of ink are removed using Antipyatin, a soapy foam solution or an aqueous solution of glycerin.
- Blood stains, fatty secretions are removed with hydrogen peroxide, ammonia.
- The remains of a slate pencil are removed with soapy water, ammonia.
- Tea or coffee stains are removed with citric acid and hydrogen peroxide, after which the embroidery is rinsed in cold water.
- Traces of marker or marker can be removed with acetone, nail polish remover, hydrochloric acid.
- Remove mold with baking soda.
- Rust is removed with acetic acid.
- Cosmetics are washed off with alcohol.
The above components are spot applied to avoid contamination of the entire web. In this case, it is not recommended to soak the embroidery, you need to start washing immediately.
Can I machine wash
Experts do not advise washing in the washing machine, as this method is too harsh on threads, even when setting the delicate mode. The pigments may wash out or mix and the thread may fray. Loss of shape or rotting of the embroidery may be a consequence of machine washing.
Recommendations for the choice of detergents
The detergent should be liquid. Before starting work, the composition of the detergent is studied, it must be free of hydroperite, chlorine and its derivatives. You can choose the right product to clean the product according to the following rules:
- The washing powder gets stuck between the threads, gives white streaks after drying.
- Using a clear liquid or regular laundry soap, you can avoid damaging the embroidery pigments, while cleaning the thing thoroughly.
- Washing with baby shampoo is a great idea for embroidery with woolen threads.
- With the help of concentrated gels for multi-colored clothes, you can effectively clean the material.
- The dishwashing liquid should not contain aggressive elements, including chlorine.
When choosing a detergent, it is important to study the ingredients. It should be free from harsh chemical compounds.
Whitening with folk methods
The process of bleaching a yellowed or faded canvas begins with the definition of its material. Cotton and linen fabrics can be treated even with harsh chlorine bleaches. Delicate fabrics should be treated with a mild stain remover. In addition to household products, you can apply folk methods. For whitening, you can use:
- citric acid;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- ammonia;
- baking soda;
- table vinegar.
The above ingredients act like industrial products. The way they are used is similar to chemical bleaches: they are carefully applied to the place of divorce, turning yellow. For close threads, use a cotton ball or cotton swab.
After bleaching, the embroidery is washed in cold water, washed in salt water and rinsed again.
How to dry and iron
After removing the dirt, the work must be dried. Without this step, the embroidery is distorted, stretched, which damages the design. It is strictly forbidden to rotate the product. It is replaced in the following ways:
- lay out the embroidery vertically, let the water drain;
- place the product on a terry towel evenly, without folds and irregularities;
- roll up the image with a roller, gently press to remove water;
- Then you can dry the material with a hair dryer.
In no case is the embroidery dried on a rope in a thrown state - because of this, folds will form, which cannot be removed. There should be no open sun or direct heat sources near the place of drying - this leads to discoloration of the threads and deformation of the material.
Ironing the freshly washed embroidery is a very important step.You must iron the product carefully, as the hot iron may cause deformation of the pattern or threads. Like clothes, the canvas is ironed from the inside out, throwing a piece of gauze over it. After laying the wet embroidery on a towel, turn it over, cover it with gauze, iron it moderately with a hot iron with gentle movements.
Tips & Tricks
Sometimes after the cleaning process is complete, the threads can stretch and sag. They are sewn again with a cross or pulled from the sewn side, securing the stitches. Metallic threads cannot be washed or ironed.
In this case, the canvas is washed, dried, and then sheathed with threads. This rule also applies to satin ribbons and pearls.
Skew embroidery can be corrected with a steam generator. Before starting work, the drawing is attached to rigid frames with a flat surface, fixed, steamed. The product should remain in this form for 2-3 days.So that the threads do not come off, they are treated with glue, varnish, tape and sewn on a sewing machine.
Rules of care
An important point is to expose the embroidery away from direct sunlight - this will help to avoid fading, discoloration of threads and fabric. Some artisans decorate their masterpieces under glass for sun protection. The baguette workshop manufactures such products to order. Such embroidery will be kept for a long time, because the glass is covered with a protective layer. It blocks UV rays, protecting your work from fading and dirt. The only downside is the high cost of ordering service.
You can place the painting yourself under ordinary glass. This is ideal for volumetric embroidery - with the help of a double mat, the work is moved away from the glass.This option looks dignified and harmonious, protects the work from external influences.
Contamination can be avoided through grooming procedures such as cleaning the embroidery weekly with a dusting brush, sticky roller, or tape. These simple devices will remove all lint and dust particles. When using them, you need to be careful - loosely attached threads can stick to the tape and burst.