Washing and caring for your silk

Have you ever been given or bought yourself a luxury piece of silk item, only to keep it safely away for fear of damaging them…or have no idea how to care for them?

Silk, which is light to touch and soft to feel is also one of the most durable fabrics made from silk fibres. To keep your items in pristine condition, care must be taken so your silk items can last longer.

HOW TO WASH YOUR SILK
Read the specific label on your garment to see if it needs to be dry cleaned or that it can be hand washed. Different silks may have different weave structure or too delicate for washing as washing may cause the fabric to lose its shape or sheen.

To wash your silk garment:-

  1. You will initially have to run a colour test to make sure the colour does not run. You can do this by using a damp white or light-coloured towel or cloth and dabbing a section to see if the colour runs.
  2. Hand wash in cold or lukewarm water in a tub with a specialist detergent or you can also use a baby shampoo if handy. Never use bleach.
  3. Submerge your item in water and gently twirl for 1 minute or so.
  4. Then rinse your item in a tub of clean water twirling your item a few times until water runs clear.
  5. Rid any excess water by laying it flat on a towel and pressing your item on it. Alternatively, you can simply put a towel on a drying rack and lay your item on top of towel to catch dripping water.
  6. Rearrange the shape of your item and allow it to air dry naturally. This will prevent any stretching of fabric and will retain shape while your item dries.
  7. Do not tumble dry as this will damage the natural fibres of your item.
  8. Also, avoid hanging in direct sunlight as this may cause fabric colour to fade.

HOW TO STORE YOUR SILK

  1. Once your item is dry, iron on very low setting or silk setting while it’s still slightly damp. Always start from a small corner of your item to test the temperature of your iron.
  2. Hang your item either on padded hangers, scarf hangers or neatly folded away in a drawer or a cupboard. You can also store your scarf separately in a scarf box.