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Silk is a must-have fabric to wear during spring and summer and is often seen featured on lists of the best seasonal summer dresses. It’s light and airy, soft to the touch but also keeps you cool while looking effortlessly chic. But this fabric is one of the more delicate ones around and wearers must pay special attention when it comes to cleaning their silk clothes. We’ve rounded up the top tips and advice on how to wash your silk garments.
Is dry the only way to clean silk?
<p>Silk has long been among the fabrics that should be dry cleaned. But dry-cleaning is not the only way to take care of delicate items. Silk fabrics can be cared for at home. It’s best to check the label on the inside to follow the specific instructions of a garment. But care labels often only list one method of cleaning. So unless the label specifies that you should “only dry clean”, it’s safe to assume the item can be washed in a different way.
Can you wash silk in a machine?
Delicate fabrics like silk can be washed in a machine, but unless your machine has a setting for delicates, it’s not recommended. Harsh spin cycles can damage the fabric fibers and leave items looking faded and sometimes even tear them. If you must use the machine, make sure you use a low temperature (30°C) and spin cycle setting.
How to wash silks by hand?
The first thing you’ll want to do before washing your silk item is to check the fabric for colorfastness by wetting a small area and rubbing it with a piece of tissue or cotton. If any color comes off, the item should be dry cleaned. If not, you can proceed to hand wash.
But first things first. If you’ve spilled hard-to-remove substances like wine or tomato juice on your favorite silk blouse, they must be pretreated. In this case, it’s time to consult the experts. You can find out more about how to remove wine stains from clothing here. Just make sure you apply detergents that are specifically formulated for silk fabrics. Once done, fill a bowl with cool water, add some detergent and move the garment for around five minutes. Afterward, rinse it and lay it out flat to dry. Avoid direct sunlight during the drying process as otherwise, the colors could fade. Luckily, silk tends to dry quickly. Et voilà! Your silk clothes look like new.