Silk is a luxurious fabric notable for its lustre, elegant look and peculiar drape. It has many qualities that makes it superior to other fabrics such as its breathability, hypoallergenic properties, temperature regulating characteristics and durability as long as it is well maintained. It is no secrret that silk, like wool and lace and some printed fabrics is a delicate one. However, such a beautiful and healthy fabric deserves a few simple maintanance steps.
The first thing to do in silk care is checking the care label. Check the label to see if it´s machine washable. Some silk are for dry clean only.
Washing:
You can wash your silk in hand or machine.
Machine washing can be done by following a few simple instruccions:
Machine Washing:
- Place your silk items in a mesh bag if your other garments have zippers, buttons or other materials that may harm your silk. Preferably, wash silk pillowcases or blouses inside out.
- Use a detergent recommended for delicate fabrics
- Silk must be washed in gentle cycle of the washing machine. Make sure that the temperature is no higher than 30 degrees.
Handwashing:
If you prefer to wash your silks in hand here are the steps:
- Take of rings or any other objects that may harm silk.
- Put it in a bowl of cold water.
- Use a gentle detergent.
- Dip it in the water and gently rub it.
- Rinse throughly using cold water.
- Never use a tumble dryer.
- Hang to dry and avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
Ironing:
- Iron inside out at a cool temperature or use the silk setting of your iron, most irons have one.
- You can use a clean white cloth between the iron and the fabricto protect it from heat.
More Tips:
- Keep your silk items away from pets and sharp objects.
- Avoid exposing silk to perfumes, hairsprays or other chemicals.
- It can be dry cleaned as well.