Caring for Velvet, Calf Hair & Natural Fibers
Velvet slippers, calf-hair loafers, raffia espadrilles, cork. These are textures more than surfaces: velvet and calf hair have a pile that crushes and mats, raffia and jute are plant fibers that swell and stain with water, and cork dries out. Care is dry first: brush with the pile, dab rather than wash, and keep them out of the rain.
Overview
How often
Brush after a few wears and dab marks when you see them; a full once-over roughly every 15 wears. Seal exposed cork (soles, footbeds) when it looks dry or pale, a few times a year.
Materials covered
Velvet, Calf hair (pony hair / hair-on hide), Raffia / straw / jute, Cork
What you'll need
- Jason Markk Soft BrushSoft brush for velvet pile and calf hair
- Lint RollerLifts lint and dust from velvet
- Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (multi-pack)Soft cloth for dabbing spots
Picked for the material, not paid for. Test anything new on a hidden spot first.
Step by step
Step 1: Brush with the pile
A soft brush, or a clean dry toothbrush, in the direction the pile or hair lies. On velvet, a lint roller first lifts dust and lint.
Step 2: Dab spots
A white cloth barely damp with a drop of pH-neutral delicates wash, dabbed on the mark, then a dry cloth. Brush the pile back up once dry.
Skip for Raffia / straw / jute, Calf hair (pony hair / hair-on hide)Step 3: Velvet: lift crushed pile
Test on a hidden spot first: steam can water-mark silk velvet. Hold a garment steamer well away from the velvet, keep it moving, a few seconds at a time, never touching it and away from glued seams. Let it dry, then brush the pile up lightly.
Only for VelvetStep 4: Calf hair: dry methods only
Dab marks with a dry white cloth; no water. Cornstarch on an oil mark overnight, then brush it off with the hair. Bald or worn patches can't be restored; a cobbler can sometimes color them in.
Only for Calf hair (pony hair / hair-on hide)Step 5: Raffia, straw and jute: keep them dry
Brush dry only. If they get wet, stuff with plain paper and dry flat at room temperature; jute soles shrink and stain if soaked or heated.
Only for Raffia / straw / juteStep 6: Cork
Cork-fabric uppers: a barely damp wipe only; sealer leaves a tacky film on them. Exposed cork (soles, footbeds, block heels): wipe, let it dry, then a thin coat of cork sealer (Birkenstock Cork Sealer) when it looks dry or pale, so it doesn't crumble.
Only for CorkStep 7: Dry slowly
Stuffed with plain white paper, at room temperature, away from heat and sun.
What to avoid
- Water on raffia, straw or jute — it swells, stains and loses shape
- Brushing against the pile or the hair
- Suede erasers and stiff brushes on calf hair — they pull the hair out
- Heat to dry
- Soaking or machine washing, espadrilles included
Watch for
- Bald patches. Permanent. Brush gently and keep the pairs apart.
By material
The routine above, adjusted for each material it covers.
Velvet
The pile is the whole look. Brush with it, steam from a distance to lift it, and keep weight off it in storage.
Calf hair (pony hair / hair-on hide)
Hair on a leather hide: brush with the hair, no water, no eraser. Bald patches are permanent.
Raffia / straw / jute
Plant fiber: dry methods only. Espadrilles stay out of the rain.
Cork
Cork-fabric uppers: a damp wipe only. Exposed cork soles and footbeds: a wipe and a sealer now and then; cork is tougher than it looks once sealed.
Between wears
- Containers. Cotton dust bags, nothing pressing on the pile: velvet and calf hair crush under weight.
- Humidity. Dry and airy: raffia and jute mildew in damp, cork dries out in a hot room.
- Light. Out of the sun: velvet and calf hair fade.
