Because Spoonflower products are eco-friendly and digitally printed, care expectations may be a bit different from fabrics you buy elsewhere. You will receive basic care instructions with your order, but you may want to review the details below so you know how to care for your items over the course of its life.
Washing and Drying
It is always a good idea to wash your fabrics before you begin working with them. Washing
- allows the fibers to shrink or relax back into their normal shape after the printing process
- accounts for any final shrinkage so that you might avoid small distortions in a finished garment
- softens the touch of natural fabrics over time, especially those printed with darker, more complex pigments
For best results, we highly recommend washing your fabrics with a phosphate-free detergent in cool/cold water on a gentle or delicate machine cycle. And even though we are printing, rather than dyeing your fabric, It is always ideal to wash similar fabric types, and colors, together. For example, it's best to avoid washing red printed fabrics with mostly white designs.
▶ Natural Fabrics (excluding Belgian Linen™)
Some fading as a result of washing is typical for these fabrics over time. This is most notable on darker shades. The more popular front-loading washers do contribute more to this color loss because of the increased tumbling and agitation during cleaning, but this can be minimized by using cool wash settings and gentle wash cycles.
It is always best to tumble dry on a low temperature or permanent press setting and remove your items promptly so as to avoid wrinkling.
*Belgian Linen: Machine wash warm or cool on a gentle/delicate setting. Machine dry on a low temperature setting. Max temperature for both wash and dry is 100°F (38°C). To prevent wrinkling it is suggested to not fully dry the linen during laundering. Iron on the reverse side of the fabric with steam to help soften. Do not bleach.
▶ Polyester Fabrics
Machine dry using a low temperature or permanent press setting and remove promptly to avoid wrinkles.
NOTE: Because friction from the wash/dry cycle likely causes the edges of any woven fabric to fray, we highly recommend stay-stitching or serging the cut edges prior to washing and drying.
When drying, there should be no concern with using dryer sheets, but you can always test a smaller amount or a Test Swatch before a larger project just to make sure.
Estimated Shrinkage
Every substrate has the potential to shrink in both length and width during the printing process, and also during your washing cycles at home. Shrinkage amounts will vary from fabric to fabric. More information about estimated shrinkage rates can be found on the individual product pages for each substrate. Link to these pages through Fabric Specifications and Details.
NOTE: If you feel that the shrinkage of any of your items has exceeded the estimates published on the individual product page, please contact us with a picture of your item(s), completely unfolded and laid smooth, with a ruler or measuring tape along the edge of the printed design in order to clearly display the length and/or width in question.
Ironing
- Iron our 100% cotton fabrics using standard settings for cotton. Always iron with the printed side down for best results.
- Iron polyester fabrics with a light touch on a synthetic setting only. Higher iron temperatures may result in color transfer and in extreme cases, melting may occur.
- Steam may be used while ironing to remove wrinkles, but avoid spraying fabric with a water bottle or with water from the iron reservoir. This practice can lead to unexpected staining due to mineral deposits in the water.
NOTE: High temperature settings may cause discoloration or crushing of linen, so we recommend you use synthetic settings and a light touch for Linen Cotton Canvas and Belgian Linen. And always, if there is any doubt, test your iron on an inconspicuous piece of fabric.
Spot Cleaning
While Spoonflower has not officially tested the use of specialty spot cleaning treatments with our fabrics, but customers have reported success of such products on a wide array of our fabrics. As would be expected, be certain to test the use of the products on an inconspicuous piece of the fabric.
Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning your products is fine, but ask the cleaner if they use the solvent perchloroethylene, also known as 'perc'. The pigment printing on our products will not survive the battle with this chemical.
Stain Resistance
Spoonflower has not tested any of our substrates with commercial products advertised for stain, water or UV protection. Customers have mentioned luck using a variety of these products, but it would be wise to test a small swatch of your fabric for colorfastness prior to broader application.
Wallpaper
For Peel and Stick, Prepasted Removable and Pebble, gently wipe with a damp microfiber cloth. The use of cleaners and heavily rubbing can cause color to lift.
For Grasscloth, remove dust with a duster or vacuum, but never use cleaning agents. If needed, use a soft white cloth and the foam from a clear, gentle household dishwashing liquid
Home Decor
Each home decor item is made from a particular substrate. For some products, you might select the fabric type while for others, you are limited to a single choice. We recommend following the fabric care instructions from the top of this article for these products. If you need a reminder of the fabric type from your order, review the article Order Status and History.
See Also: Can I return or exchange what I ordered?
See Also: What products do you print on?
See Also: Fabric Specifications and Details