How to clean a macramé wall hanging without damage

To clean a macramé wall hanging, start with the gentlest method that works: shake it, then brush it, and only then think about water. Most macramé never needs washing at all. Regular dusting keeps the cords fresh, and water brings risks that dust never does: shrinking, bleeding dyes, stretched knots and a damp branch. This guide on how to clean a macramé wall hanging goes from routine dusting to spot cleaning and, where the fibre allows it, hand washing.

One rule comes before all the others: the care instructions for your particular piece overrule any general guide, including this one.

Before you clean a macramé wall hanging: check the fibre and dye

What a macramé piece can tolerate depends on what it is made of.

• Cotton cord tolerates cool water and a mild detergent, which is why small cotton pieces are the ones most often hand-washed.
• Jute and other plant fibres dry slowly, can darken or water-mark and lose strength when wet.
• Wool shrinks and felts with heat, friction and sudden changes of temperature.
• Synthetic cord, such as polyester, copes with water best, but the support it hangs from may not.
• Mixed fibres are the trickiest: each fibre reacts to water differently, so one panel can shrink while its neighbour does not, and the piece pulls out of shape.

Then look at colour. Deep browns, rusts and dark greys hanging beside pale cord are where dye bleeding shows. To test, press a damp white cloth against a hidden cord end for a minute. Any colour on the cloth means no water on the piece.

Finally, look at the support: a wooden branch, a metal ring or beads each have needs of their own.

Our Suspenso Terra is a good example of a piece that should stay dry. It is made from an 80% cotton cord, in deep brown, caramel, taupe, beige and soft grey, on a natural wooden branch. Its care instructions are short: keep it away from direct sunlight and humidity, shake it gently or dust it with a soft, dry brush, and do not wash it. Everything in the sections below about water applies to pieces whose labels allow it, not to this one.

Routine dusting, every few weeks

Dust settles inside knots and along every swag, and over months it dulls colour. A light dusting every few weeks prevents the build-up that tempts people to wash.

Shake, brush, or vacuum on low

1. Take it down by the support, never by the cords. Lift the branch or dowel at both ends. Suspenso Terra hangs from the knotted rope at each end of its branch, on two hooks; at about 170 cm wide, it is easier with two people.
2. Shake gently. Outdoors or over a clean sheet, hold the branch level and give a few short, soft shakes. Do not snap it like a rug: that strains the knots at the top, where the weight hangs.
3. Brush from top to bottom. Use a soft, dry brush, such as a clothes brush or a wide, soft paintbrush, and follow the direction of the cords. A small soft brush gets into dense knotwork.
4. Vacuum only if the cords are sturdy. Use the lowest suction and the brush attachment, with a piece of fine mesh or a clean pair of tights stretched over the nozzle, so loose fibres are not pulled in. Hover just above the surface and keep away from the fringe ends.

Spot cleaning

Mild detergent, blot, never rub

For a piece whose label allows it, act quickly and use as little water as possible.

1. Lift anything solid away with the edge of a spoon.
2. Blot the mark with a clean, dry white cloth to take up as much as you can.
3. Mix a few drops of mild, pH-neutral detergent in cool water. For wool or wool blends, use a wool detergent.
4. Dampen the cloth, not the cord, and blot from the outside of the mark towards the centre so it does not spread.
5. Rinse by blotting again with a cloth dampened in plain water, then press dry with a towel.

Rubbing frays cotton, felts wool and pushes the stain deeper. Bleach and stain removers can leave a pale patch for good.

If the label says do not wash, as Suspenso Terra's does, treat that as no water at all. Blot a spill dry straight away with a clean cloth, let it air-dry, and ask the maker before you try anything else. For a Nyra Atelier piece, write to us.

When and how to hand wash

Hand washing is a last resort: only for pieces whose label allows it, usually cotton or synthetic cord, and only when dusting and spot cleaning have failed.

Keep the wooden branch dry

Wood swells and can crack when soaked, and it can leave tannin stains on pale cord as it dries. If the cords cannot be slipped off without undoing the work, wrap the branch tightly in plastic, tie it off, and keep it above the waterline.

Rinse, press, never wring

1. Fill a bath or a large basin with cool or lukewarm water, no warmer than 30 °C, and dissolve a small amount of mild detergent.
2. Lower the cords in and press them gently under the water. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes without scrubbing.
3. Drain, then rinse in clean water of the same temperature until no suds remain. A sudden change of temperature is what shocks wool.
4. Press the water out with flat hands against the side of the basin, then roll the cords in a dry towel to absorb more.

Never wring or twist: wet cord is heavy, and twisting stretches it and loosens the knots.

Drying and reshaping

Flat or hung, out of the sun

Lay the piece flat on dry towels and shape the knots and panels back into place with your fingers while they are damp. Small, light pieces can hang from their branch to dry, as long as the branch stayed dry. Choose an airy room, away from direct sun and radiators, and allow a day or two. Hang it back only when the cords are dry right through: damp cord against a wall is how mildew starts.

Treat the fringe according to how it was made. A brushed-out, fluffy fringe can be combed with a wide-tooth comb when it is almost dry, working up from the ends. A twisted fringe, like the twisted cords of Suspenso Terra, should only be straightened with your fingers: a brush separates the plies and changes the look for good. Trim uneven ends, if you want to, only once the piece is completely dry.

What not to do

• Do not put a large macramé piece in the washing machine or the tumble dryer.
• Do not wring, twist or iron the cords.
• Do not steam a piece marked "do not wash": steam is water too.
• Do not use a sticky lint roller on soft or woolly cord; it pulls fibres loose.

Prevention

• Choose the wall with care. Avoid hanging macramé above a cooker, a fireplace or a cluster of candles; grease and soot settle in the knots and do not brush out.
• Keep it out of direct sun. Light fades colour and weakens natural fibres over time, and the fading is uneven where folds overlap.
• Keep it dry. Bathrooms and steamy kitchens are hard on every natural fibre.
• Watch for moths on wool. Clothes moths like undisturbed wool. Regular dusting disturbs them, and it is a good moment to check the backs of the panels.
• Store it loosely. If you take a piece down for a while, lay it flat or roll it loosely around its branch, wrapped in a cotton cloth rather than plastic, in a dry cupboard.

For flat, embroidered pieces, see our guide to caring for textile wall art. To see what is in the atelier now, browse our macramé and wall art collections.

Frequently asked questions

Can you wash a macramé wall hanging?

Some can be hand-washed, others should never be. It depends on the fibre, the dyes, the support and, above all, the maker's label. Cotton and synthetic cord are the most tolerant. Wool, jute, mixed fibres and anything marked "do not wash", such as Suspenso Terra, should stay dry.

How do I remove dust from macramé?

Shake it gently, holding the branch, then brush from top to bottom with a soft, dry brush. On sturdy cords, a vacuum on low with mesh over the nozzle reaches deep knots.

How often should I clean a wall hanging?

A light dusting every few weeks. Spot clean only when there is a mark, and wash only if the label allows it.

Can I put macramé in the washing machine?

We would not. Agitation loosens knots, frays cord ends and tangles fringe, and the branch or ring cannot go in at all. Hand washing, where permitted, is far gentler.

How do I clean the wooden branch?

Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth. If it needs more, use a cloth that is barely damp and dry the wood straight away. Avoid polish and oil, which can transfer to the cords.

How do I fluff the fringe?

Only fluff a fringe that was brushed out to begin with: comb it gently from the ends upwards with a wide-tooth comb. Twisted cord should be straightened with your fingers, never brushed.