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Can You Iron Burlap? (Answered)

I bet you have a burlap piece of fabric in your hands that is all wrinkled and doesn’t look too good! Of course, the first thing that pops into your mind is the question Can you Iron Burlap?

This article aims to find the answer to that specific question! Let’s get it started!


Key Takeaways

  • Just like any other piece of jute or burlap fabric, a burlap tablecloth can be ironed.
  • Burlap is one of the thickest and strongest pieces of fabric that you can ever find. It stands in the group with leather fabric.
  • The most famous types of burlap are four in number.
  • Sewing burlap isn’t the easiest thing to do as it has its own requirements here as well!
  • Burlap is a great material that can be used as a protective shield for many things.

Can Burlap Be Ironed?

Burlap tablecloth, also known as hessian, is a piece of fabric you can iron! It is considered a normal fabric that you can iron easily, but there are two main specifications that you should always have in mind before starting to iron it.

Before ironing burlap, you should have in mind a super-clean burlap in your hands and dampen it a little before ironing.

The next thing to know is that your iron settings should be adjusted when it comes to heat settings, as burlap requires low to medium heat settings so that you don’t entirely destroy it.

You may use a steam iron to iron burlap or say steam burlap, and it will essentially work; if not, the steam iron will make things much easier and, in a sense, safer because the steam from the steam iron will erase any wrinkles that may be present in the burlap.

Something to Know: Alternative Way

Something else to know is that burlap is a fabric that can somehow ruin your iron as well. In order to protect your iron from burlap, you should know some main steps that you should follow!

1. Lay the burlap out on the ironing board and take a spray bottle of water.
2. Find another material and put it over the burlap that you want to iron.
3. Spray some water on the material and iron on medium heat.

Also Read: What Exactly Is Tencel Fabric


What is Burlap Exactly? – Where Is It Used?

Burlap is a material that is known as a woven fabric made from parts of jute plant and sisal fibers. Basically, it can be mentioned as an organic type of fabric or jute fabric.

You will find burlap in one main color, brown, but still, a plus at this part is that it can be dyed easily and accepts any color you might use.

Even though burlap is not one of the most used materials, it is still used in many different things. You can find burlap used on chair covers, drapes, bags for gifts, art on walls, napkins, and many other things.

Fun Fact: Burlap is a material that can be used outdoors above flowers or any other plant in order to protect them from heavy rain and snow!

So let’s assume you have a lot of burlap bags and you want to know if you can wash them or if you can wash burlap in general.

Since burlap is a fabric manufactured from the skin of the jute plant, the answer is that you cannot and should not put it in the washing machine. As a result, if you attempt to wash burlap or simply throw it in the washing machine, the results won’t be great because the fabric can’t stand up to the harsh climate inside the washing machine and will end up being ruined.

A crucial point to keep in mind is that some varieties of burlap—known as faux burlap—are created from synthetic materials like polyester.

Natural burlap and faux burlap are slightly different. Therefore, since faux burlap is more resistant to heat damage and other dangers, you can wash it in cold water or even throw it in the washing machine.

Also Read: What Is The Difference between Velveteen and Velvet


Types of Burlap

There are some different types of burlap materials with a combination of others in order to make the burlap fabric used for everyday life. I would like to mention a few of them for you!

Equinox Faux Burlap

The equinox faux burlap is the greatest to use in case you want to make anything for your table, it will definitely make your dining room table or your living room table have an impressive look.

Polyester Faux Burlap

Decorative rooms are never out of fashion, and polyester faux burlap is the greatest one to use there. Especially if you have a wooden living room. Burlap and wood are the best combinations ever seen!

Laminated Burlap

The most versatile type of burlap is the laminated one! You can use it indoors and outdoors for different decorative things, and interestingly enough, you can use it to make storage bags.

Bituminized Burlap

Bituminized burlap is one of the strongest and the most amazing burlap to use outdoors. It can withstand everything!


Can I Sew Burlap?

Burlap is a quite strong type of fabric that you cannot sew very easily; it is a bit loose as well, so you cannot use any kind of machine, thread, or needle.

On the cutting part of burlap material, you should know that it is better if you use heavy-duty scissors as they are particularly made for thick materials like burlap. Also, I would like to advise you to always have a filtering mask before cutting it as its pieces can move around the place.

Just like the scissors, you need super strong threads, and most importantly, you should use a heavy-duty needle. These types of needles are again made for thicker and stronger materials, and you won’t encounter any problems while doing so.

As for the machines, you can use regular ones as long as you have chosen the right needle, but for the edges of the burlap, you need to use zig-zag stitches and use overlocker sewing machines because they will definitely ease your job.

Also Read: 11 Different Types of Scarves You Can Get


Final Words

Well, here we are finishing this whole article in which I told you specifically whether burlap can be ironed. We’ve come to the conclusion that burlap can be ironed but it requires some specific things from you.

I mentioned the ways how you can sew burlap since it is kind of a weird material that is very thick and is not the most used one, so for my fellow tailors, burlap can be sewn but with some specific things in mind.

All in all, burlap is a great material that is used in many different things and it is interestingly good looking used to decorate different things!