How to clean laminated placemats and wash cushion covers

Lamineli amerikan servis ve kırlent kılıfı bir arada

The most common mistake with table textiles is putting a laminated placemat in the washing machine. How you care for each piece depends on how it is made.

A laminated placemat and a cushion cover together
A laminated placemat and a cushion cover together — Set shown: Azure Table Setting Set — Runner + Placemats + Coasters + Cushion

Laminated placemats

The surface is coated and waterproof. Not machine washable. Wipe with a damp cloth right after use; for a stubborn stain, a drop of washing-up liquid is enough. Abrasive sponges and bleach dull the coating.

Laser-cut models

The edge is heat-sealed — there is no seam, so it does not fray. Wiping the edge in one direction instead of rubbing it extends the life of the seal.

Cushion cover

It is 100% polyester; unzip it, take it off and wash it on a 30 °C delicate cycle. Before washing, close the zip and turn the cover inside out so the patterned side does not rub against the drum. A tumble dryer is not recommended; hang it to dry.

By type of stain

  • Grease: first blot with kitchen paper, do not rub. Then warm water + detergent.
  • Red wine: dilute with cold water; hot water sets the stain.
  • Coffee/tea: warm water is enough if you act straight away; once dry it gets harder.

Ironing and storage

Polyester goes shiny at high heat. If ironing is needed, use the lowest setting on the reverse side; never let the iron touch a laminated surface. When storing, rolling instead of folding prevents creases.

Each product's own care information is on its product page.

Care information for each piece is also on the product pages: placemats, table runners and cushion covers.

Which programme should you wash on?

There is no single programme for table textiles; first check whether the piece is laminated or not.

  • Laminated placemats and coasters: do not go in the machine. Wipe with a damp cloth, do not soak.
  • Table runners and cushion covers (100% polyester): in the machine on a 30 °C delicate / synthetics programme, with similar colours.
  • Keep the spin speed low. A high spin leaves permanent creases in polyester.

The general rule for stain-resistant textiles is to keep heat from damaging the surface treatment: no boiling, no high temperatures, no bleach. That is why you do not go above 30-40 °C.

Drying and ironing

Do not use a tumble dryer; hang the pieces to dry in the shade. Direct sun fades the colour. If ironing is needed, use at most 110 °C for polyester and iron on the reverse — polyester goes shiny and marks at high heat. Never let the iron touch a laminated surface.

Storing runners and placemats folded leaves crease marks over time. Rolling them prevents this; wrapping them around a cardboard tube is enough to keep them upright in the cupboard.

What to do for each type of stain

  • Grease: first blot with kitchen paper, do not rub — rubbing pushes the stain into the fibres. Then warm water and a drop of washing-up liquid.
  • Red wine: dilute with cold water. Hot water sets the stain. On a laminated surface, it leaves no mark if wiped straight away.
  • Coffee and tea: warm water is enough while fresh; once dry they are harder to remove.
  • Candle wax and beeswax: first cool it to harden, then break it off; draw out the remaining mark between sheets of paper with a low-heat iron (not on laminated surfaces).
  • Tomato paste and sauces: remove by pressing cold water through from the back.

Why not use abrasives?

The laminated surface is a thin coating; scourers, scouring powder and bleach scratch and dull it. Once dulled, the surface never regains its sheen and its stain resistance weakens. For the same reason, laminated pieces do not go in the dishwasher either.

Before washing a cushion cover

Close the zip and turn the cover inside out so the patterned side does not rub against the drum. The inner cushion is not washed with the cover — take it out. If you put the inner cushion back before the cover is fully dry, moisture stays trapped inside and causes a smell.

Does the colour fade after washing?

Polyester holds colour better than natural fibres; fading mostly comes from sunlight, not washing. A runner hung in direct sun on a balcony loses its tone within a few seasons, while the same product in the shade stays unchanged for years. It is still right to wash with similar colours the first time: excess dye on the print may come out in the first wash.

Smells and long-term storage

Textiles left in a cupboard for a long time smell musty if put away before they are fully dry. Before putting a piece away, make sure the edges are dry too — the folded part is the last to dry. For storage, a lavender sachet is better than mothballs; the smell of mothballs lingers in polyester and does not air out easily.

When should you hand wash?

If the machine programme is enough, there is no need to hand wash; a delicate cycle already means low spin and low temperature. Hand washing only makes sense for a single small stain — you clean just that area without wearing out the whole piece. The rule is the same by hand: warm water, no rubbing, no wringing; let the water drain rather than twisting it out.

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Designs with the care described here — coasters

The same care method applies to these designs: