How do you wash chenille?

Chenille is a soft, luxurious fabric made from twisting strands of fiber around a central yarn core. Warm and fluffy, it's the ideal fabric for making warm blankets, upholstery and cold-weather accessories. Chenille can be washed in a standard washing machine, but some basic precautions have to be taken to ensure a long life for the fabric.

1. Remove stains by hand

   Before washing, check the chenille for stains. To remove a stain, scrub lightly with stain remover or putting a dab of detergent on the stain and allow it to sit for an hour.

2. Wash on delicate

   Set the washer to the delicate or gentle cycle when you clean chenille. This keeps the fabric from shedding fibers.

3. Hang on a line to dry

   Air dry chenille. Shake the fabric out after it's dry to remove any loose fibers.