Washing silk may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can confidently wash silk by yourself and it will be as great as it would if you brought it to the cleaners.
Washing
First things first, check the label on the piece you want to wash. Don’t know what the labels mean? Check out this guide.
To Hand wash or to machine wash?
Silk can either be hand washed or machine washed.
How to hand wash
Fill a basin or any clean container with lukewarm or cool water and fully soak the garment. Add a few drops of a gentle detergent. If you don’t have one a mild detergent works well too.
Once the drops are added, stir it in the water. Let the item soak to the detergents instructions and agitate the item so the detergent can get in the fabrics fibers. Normally a couple of minutes will do.
After rinse in cold water and dump the dirty water. Absorb the extra excess with a towel, but be careful not to wring the fabric, only blot to remove any excess moisture.
How to Machine wash
First things first, make sure that you can machine wash your silk by checking the care label. If it says dry clean only that means it would be safer for your clothing to take it to a professional.
Place your silk in a lingerie bag or a mesh laundry bag and use a gentle or mild detergent then set the water to cold. Hot water will damage your silk. Set your washer to a gentle cycle. It’s important to note to wash silk with other delicate items, you shouldn’t wash it with heavy materials like denim, canvas, or wool.
Drying
To air Dry or to use a dryer?
Air Dry.
The best option for silk is to air dry. Using a tumble dryer can damage your silk. Excessive temperature and heat can dull the fabric, shrink it and may cause snags or even damage the piece.
How to air dry
After washing, take out your piece and dry flat or lay it on a drying rack. Never lay silk directly in the sun or wring it. Also, never hang silk right out of the washer. Hanging silk may negatively affect the shape of the garment.
Ironing
To Iron or not to iron?
Silk can most definitely be ironed, but it needs careful planning.
Ironing should be considered right after the garment has been washed since silk shouldn’t be ironed when dry. When ironing make sure the setting is on the lowest temperature. If your iron has the setting make sure it is set to silk.
Flip the garment inside out and use a pressing cloth or any plain cotton fabric so the iron isn’t directly on the fabric. Make sure the item is pressed taut to prevent future wrinkles.
Before you remove it from the ironing board make sure it is completely cool, taking it off while it’s warm may create more wrinkles. Once your done, your piece is ready to be loved and worn again.
