How to Clean Chilewich Placemats

If you're hosting some friends, cooking a romantic meal for two, or treating yourself to a home-cooked dinner, it may be time to clean your Chilewich placemats to create the perfect setting. Chilewich placemats have indoor and outdoor use, making them a practical yet stylish addition to your tabletop. 

Naturally, spillages can happen, and while it can seem like a drama-infused moment at the time, luckily for you, you can clean your Chilewich placemats and keep them sparkling at all times. Stubborn stains can be harder to deal with, but once you know how to clean and care for your Chilewich placemat, you won’t need to worry. 

What is Chilewich made of?

American designer Sandy Chilewich created the brand "Chilewich", which makes modern homeware with innovative textiles. Amongst the stylish and refined styles are a wide range of placemats to dress up any dining area. 

Woven vinyl yarns comprise the placemats, and the plasticizers contain renewable phthalate-free vegetable compounds. Compared to petroleum-based compounds, Chilewich placemats are eco-friendly as they’re sustainable and use less energy. 

With different weave combinations and colors available, you can choose the placemats to suit your style and space.

Yet, knowing how to clean your placemats correctly is vital to keep them looking fresh to fit in with your modern and sleek aesthetic.

Why choose Chilewich placemats? 

Chilewich products are antimicrobial, meaning they have this feature built into the yarns, making them mold-resistant and able to prevent any odor-causing bacteria. As a result, the placemats stay pristine for longer and are easier to clean when the time comes around.

With a mixture of woven, like the Bamboo Round Tabletop, and non-woven materials used, like the Metallic Lace Tabletop, it's essential to know the right way to look after your placemat to avoid any damage to its condition.

How to care for your Chilewich placemats

Knowing the proper ways to care for your placemats will stop them from deteriorating or becoming stained, so you’ll always be prepared for surprise dinner guests.

Here are some tips on how to care for your Chilewich placemats:

Store flat

Store your placemats flat to prevent any creases or damage to the shape. If the placemats aren’t stored falt, you can cause lasting damage to the surface and appearance of the placemats. It's a good idea to keep them in a drawer or a pile to keep their shape and condition.

No hot objects

To protect your placemats from hot objects, use a trivet to avoid heat damaging the quality of the mats. 

Take care with outdoor use

You can use Chilewich placemats indoors and outdoors, yet they are lightweight, so you may need to set them to stop them from blowing away in the wind.

Be careful of the surface underneath

Chilewich placemats don't always protect the surface underneath from spillages or stains, so clean up after any potentially harmful spills to avoid damaging your table. Many of the textiles sometimes allow liquid or food to slowly seep through to the table underneath, so quickly clean up any spillages to protect your surface. 

Chilewich mats are so popular because of how easy they are to clean, so be sure to cater to their specific fabrics, and they'll remain as stylish, modern, and timeless as when you first bought them. 

If your Chilewich mats are looking like they require cleaning, here are some tips to ensure you don't damage them in the process:

Woven placemats

Chilewich woven placemats, such as Bamboo, Basketweave, and Rib weave, need gentle cleaning to keep their original condition intact. You can scrub stubborn stains that may occur, as woven vinyl can undergo scrubbing without its condition getting altered. To do this, use a soft bristle brush and a bleach-based cleanser. Avoid machine washing and let the Chilewich placemat air dry completely.

You'll need to take care when cleaning to avoid scrubbing too hard or worsening stubborn stains for Whistle, Interlace, Harp, Trellis and Thistle designs, so use a soft sponge to ensure that you're keeping your placemats clean and damage-free. 

Use one to two drops of standard antibacterial cleanser with the soft bristle brush or sponge, and wipe clean any residue left by food or drink. 

You'll remove any remains of a clumsy moment, and your Basketweave Round Tabletop mat will look good as new. Lighter color textiles are more likely to stain, so clean them as quickly as possible and avoid using harsh soaps. 

Any food or liquids left on your placemat for too long can cause a long-lasting mark, so it's best to clean it up to avoid such stains immediately. Certain foods or liquids, like hot pepper sauce, turmeric and tomato, are likely to leave more permanent stains if left too long before cleaning. 

Non-woven placemats

If you need to clean your non-woven placemat or remove stubborn stains, keep in mind that the top layer of metallic foil can become damaged by abrasive scrubbing, so instead, use a clean, soft sponge and steer clear of using bristle brushes and harsh soaps.

To clean non-woven mats like Metallic Lace and the Dahlia Round Tabletop, use warm water, mild soap and a soft sponge to wipe any stains away. Avoid any heated dryers or ironing to keep your placemats in ideal condition, and ensure you're gentle when cleaning. 

We recommend avoiding household alcohol for this kind of placemat, as the harsh chemicals can negatively affect the fabric. You can sanitize these placemats using a lint-free cloth with white vinegar. 

Chilewich placemats will add a classy and modern style to your dining area, with many different colors and fabrics available. Following the steps to work with the fabric and keep it in its original condition will help it to remain a practical and stylish addition to every meal. 

At Viesso, we're proud to work with Chilewich, who use environmentally friendly practices to produce classic products using various techniques and fabrics. From their woven placemats made from bamboo and thatch to their non-woven sea lace and Dahlia styles, any table will look polished and stylish with this elegant inclusion. 

Get in touch for more information and shop for Chilewich products here.