CushionGuide
Get a quote

The Cutting Table · a common question

Can velvet cushion covers go in the washing machine?

Also asked as:Are all of these fabrics machine washable, even the velvet?Won't washing velvet ruin it?

Velvet has a reputation for fragility it does not quite deserve. The covers unzip, and the washer is allowed, as long as you keep it cool and gentle.

Answered by

The Colorist of New Orleans · · Updated

The quick answer

Yes: velvet cushion covers unzip with a hidden zipper and are machine washable at 86°F (30°C) maximum on a gentle cycle, the same care as every other fabric in the range. Blot a spill quickly with a dry cloth. The velvet has no stain-repellent coating, so the removable, washable cover is its protection.

Aqua and white awning stripe seat cushion with two solid seafoam box back cushions on a teak bench in a paved courtyardSave
Wide awning stripes run front to back across a deep box seat, topped by two plain seafoam back cushions on a teak courtyard bench.

Get a quote for a bench cushion

Key facts

  • Velvet covers come off with a hidden zipper.
  • Velvet is machine washable at 86°F (30°C) maximum on a gentle cycle.
  • Blot velvet spills quickly with a dry cloth, before they soak in.
  • The velvet has no stain-repellent coating.
  • No dry-cleaning instructions are given; the 86°F (30°C) gentle wash is the recommended care.
  • Air drying is best; if you use a dryer, choose the low setting only.
  • On a standard 4 in (10 cm) cushion, the hidden zipper sits on the back edge or the underside.
  • The velvet is a heavy upholstery grade, at least 7.4 oz/yd² (250 g/m²).
  • Creases from packing fade in about 1-2 weeks; a steamer or a low iron speeds that up.

Have it made

Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you

Color is easier to settle in a conversation than on a screen. Tell the workshop about the room and the light it gets, and the fabric choice follows. — Élodie

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Velvet covers come off with a hidden zipper.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Washing a velvet cover, start to finish

  1. Unzip the cover

    Open the hidden zipper and slide the foam out.

  2. Wash cool and gentle

    86°F (30°C) at most, on a gentle cycle.

  3. Dry without heat

    Air drying is best. If you use a dryer, low setting only, never high heat.

What protects velvet, if not a coating

My friends, the protection here is the zipper. Velvet on these covers has no stain-repellent finish, so the plan is simple: blot a spill at once with a dry cloth, and if a mark stays, unzip and wash.

There are no dry-cleaning instructions for the velvet; the cool, gentle wash is the recommended care, though a professional cleaner can assess the fabric if you prefer. For everything else, from creases to shading, read velvet bench cushion care and how to wash cushion covers, or browse the bench cushions.

Where the washer rule stops

  • Tufted velvet cushions: stitched through with buttons, so the cover doesn't come off; spot clean instead.
  • High dryer heat: low setting only, or air dry.
  • Warm washes: nothing above 86°F (30°C).

Velvet cushion covers have no stain-repellent coating, so the protection is the zipper: blot a spill with a dry cloth, then wash the cover at 86°F.

Élodie
Share on X (opens a new window)

Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Are the covers removable and machine washable, even the velvet ones?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. All covers come off with a hidden zipper and are machine washable, velvet included. Wash below 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle.

  2. A common question

    Something got spilled on my velvet. Is there a stain repellent, and can it be dry-cleaned?

    The workshop's answer

    Blot it quickly with a dry cloth, or unzip the cover and wash it at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle. There's no stain-repellent coating, and no dry-cleaning instructions, though a professional cleaner could assess the fabric.

  3. A common question

    Can I take the cover off a tufted cushion to wash it?

    The workshop's answer

    No. Tufted cushions are stitched through with buttons, so the cover stays on; spot clean instead. For a washable cover, order the untufted version with a zippered cover and piping.

Questions buyers ask next

Will a machine wash ruin the velvet pile?

Buyers ask this often, and the answer has been consistent: 86°F (30°C) or cooler on a gentle cycle is fine for the velvet covers. Keep the water cool and skip high dryer heat.

What is the quickest fix for a spill on velvet?

Blot it right away with a dry cloth, before it soaks in. If a mark stays, unzip the cover and machine wash it at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle.

Is professional cleaning an option for velvet covers?

No dry-cleaning instructions are given for the velvet; the cool, gentle machine wash is the recommended care. If you prefer a professional, a cleaner can assess the fabric first.