Caring for bouclé, briefly

Rule one: vacuum monthly with the brush head, low suction, in the direction of the loop. Bouclé holds dust the way a field holds mist — invisibly, until the light angles.

Rule two: blot spills, never rub. A rubbed loop fuzzes; a blotted one forgets. Keep a white cotton cloth within reach of the sofa the way you keep a corkscrew within reach of the table.

Rule three: rotate cushions each season. The myth: that bouclé pills like a cheap sweater. Ours is a high-twist wool-cotton loop; what appears at three months is loose fibre from the weave finding its level, and it stops. A fabric shaver, once, settles the matter for good.