How to Wash and Iron a Finished Cross Stitch

After weeks in a hoop and in your hands, a finished cross stitch often has hoop creases, a few marks and a slightly grubby look. A gentle wash and a careful press make it look new before you frame it. Here is how to do both without damaging the stitches.

Do you need to wash it?

Not always. Wash it if:

• there are visible marks, from hands, food or a water-soluble pen,
• the fabric looks dull or grey where you held it,
• the hoop left a ring that ironing alone does not remove.

If it looks clean, skip straight to pressing. Washing is also unnecessary for a small piece going into a card.

Before you wash: check the colors

Most good-quality floss, including DMC, is made to be colorfast, but deep reds, dark blues and black fabric can still release a little loose dye the first time they get wet. Test first: dampen a white cloth or cotton bud and press it on the darkest colors and the fabric for a few seconds. If no color comes off, go ahead.

How to wash

1. Fill a clean bowl or sink with cool water. Hot water makes loose dye run.
2. Add a few drops of mild soap: gentle dish soap or a wool wash. Avoid bleach, stain removers and anything with optical brighteners.
3. Put the stitching in and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Swish it gently. Don't rub or scrub the stitches.
4. Rinse in cool water several times, until the water runs clear and no soap is left.

If a color runs

Don't panic, and don't let it dry. Keep rinsing in cold water, changing the water often, until no more color comes out. Loose dye usually washes away while the piece is wet; it is drying that sets it into the fabric. Never put it on a radiator or in the sun to speed things up.

Drying

1. Don't wring it. Lay the wet piece flat on a clean, light-colored towel.
2. Roll the towel up with the stitching inside and press gently to soak up the water.
3. Unroll it and lay the stitching flat on a dry towel until it is just damp.

A piece that is still slightly damp is the easiest to iron.

How to iron cross stitch

The secret is to iron it face down on a fluffy towel. The towel's pile lets the raised stitches sink in instead of being squashed flat.

1. Fold a thick towel and lay it on the ironing board.
2. Put the stitching on it face down.
3. Set the iron to the cotton or linen setting, without steam if the piece is still damp.
4. Press on the back with an up-and-down motion rather than sliding the iron around, which can distort the fabric.
5. If you used metallic threads, put a thin pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric, as metallics can melt.

Let it cool flat before you frame it or finish it.

Storing it until it is framed

Roll the finished piece face out around a cardboard tube, with a clean cotton cloth or acid-free tissue around it. Rolling avoids the hard creases that folding leaves.

For ideas on what to do with it next, see five ways to finish a small cross stitch. Looking for your next project? Browse the free patterns or our famous painting patterns.