Can You Wash Macrame by ARTSY North East

If you are a lover of creating beautiful macrame designs then you will know the importance of using a quality macrame fibre. It may get to the point where you wish to wash your macrame design but are not aware of how to do so without damaging the quality of your materials. Washing your macrame correctly is key to maintaining the structure of your design so it is important to do it properly. We are here to explain whether you can wash macrame as well as whether you can put macrame in the washing machine.

So, can you wash macrame? Yes, you can wash your macrame projects by using a mixture of cold water and 3-4 drops of mild detergent. Soaking your macrame in this solution for a couple of minutes will help to safely remove any dirt. This technique will also help to maintain the quality of the fibres.

Keep reading to find out more about how to safely clean macrame including how best to dry off your macrame designs too.

How Do You Wash Macrame?
Creating handmade macrame designs has become a popular hobby around the world and more people are beginning to use these designs for decorations inside their homes. Despite hanging the designs inside, the macrame is still vulnerable to common types of dirt and dust that are in homes, therefore it is important to know the safest ways to wash your macrame designs whilst still maintaining the quality of their fibres. Below we have detailed the main steps of washing your macrame safely.

1. Creating the Macrame Cleaning Solution:
Take a large tub or bucket that will comfortably hold the size of your macrame design whilst still giving you space to move it around. Add 3-4 drops of mild laundry detergent to the bucket with cold water and mix the solution thoroughly until it has combined. We recommend using a detergent that does not contain bleach as this will irritate the macrame fibres too aggressively. We would also stress the importance of using cold water in the solution because hot water can also cause the design to shrink.

3. Soaking the Macrame Design:
Place the macrame design within the bucket of solution and leave it to soak for around 2-3 minutes before you remove it. You can repeat this process multiple times if you find that the dirt or dust is holding onto the fibres more than you had expected. However, we advise not to scrub the macrame in any way as this will affect the delicate fibres within the macrame structure.

3. Towel Drying the Macrame:
Once you think the dust has washed away, rinse the macrame until the soap has all been removed from its surface. At this point you need to lay your macrame design on a towel and allow it to dry. Once it is dry you can take a large tooth comb or a brush and run it through the fringes of your design to remove any tangling as a result of the washing process. Alternatively, if you don’t have a large tooth comb, your fingers can do just as good of a job.

Can You Put Macrame in the Washing Machine?
If you find that the safe washing process for your macrame design seems a little too time consuming for you then you may be tempted to throw your design in the washing machine for a quick wash, delicate or hand wash cycle. It is very important to avoid washing your macrame design in the washing machine because the machine process is far too intense for such delicate material. Although the washing machine may clean your macrame well, it is highly likely that you will be left with a misshapen, thin or damaged design. This is the last thing you want after spending time on making a beautiful creation!

How Do You Dry Macrame?
The drying process that you choose to use on your macrame is important in determining the quality and structure of your design once it is dry. This is why it is important to consider how delicate your design is and whether it can handle certain conditions. Drying your macrame with sunlight is not the safest method because this can cause the fibres within the structure to shrink and change shape. However other than this factor there are two main methods that we would recommend for drying your macrame and we have detailed them below.

Towel Drying:
You can dry your macrame design safely by simply laying it on a cotton towel. As long as this is out of sunlight, it will allow your design to dry whilst causing minimal damage tome consuming but the end result will be worth it.

Hanging to Dry:
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Macrame supplies, tutorials, tips and tricks can be found here