Silk is the strongest natural fiber produced from the cocoons of mulberry silkworm and has a moderate abrasion resistance. Garments made out of silk are aspirational and are ideally pieces of investment. Unlike fast fashion, they are purchased for the long term and hence care must be taken during wash or removal of stain from the fabric without causing any damage.

A few tips to take care while treating the fabric.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE WASHING

TEST BEFORE WASH

Silk fabric commonly bleeds and can potentially stain other items in the wash. Or if a single silk garment consists of two or more colours, bleeding can occur. To test colour bleeding, take a small area on the item, such as a hem and dip it in warm water. If dye releases into the water, you’ll know that bleeding would occur if washed, so talk it to the dry cleaner. Or, if the garment is a solid colour, wash it by hand.

PRE-TREAT

To treat the fabric, use wash and strain bar, especially to susceptible areas like underarms, necklines, and cuffs. After this process, presoak the fabric in mixture of 1/4 cup vinegar with cold water for about 30 minutes.

HAND WASH & RINSE

Often hand washing silk fabric is the best process to ensure fabric integrity. It is always the best and safest method. Always put the garment in reverse while washing, that is turn it into inside out. Make sure the water is cool. You can use any delicate detergent for the same. Using your hands, evenly distribute soap and water and soak it for 30 minutes. Instead of squeezing the fabric, gently press the water out of the item between your hands. It is normal to see colour in the water in which it was dip, but you may not notice any loss of colour in the end.

DRY & FINISH

Lay the item flat in its natural shape on a drying rack or hang to dry. If hanging to dry, be sure to position the item properly on the hanger to prevent stretching. Steam the fabric, to remove wrinkles and rejuvenate the natural luster after washing. This will help in achieving perfect finish.

DOS AND DON’TS OF CARING FOR SILK

Note:

Check the label: Some silk items can be washed in the machine where as some need to be hand washed or dry clean only. Hence check the wash care label of the garment before heading to wash it. This will help in retaining the texture of the fabric.

TIPS TO REMOVE STAINS ON SILK GARMENT

We panic, when we see stain on silk garments. It’s not that notoriously tricky to clean it. Now that we are aware of the key points, let’s take a look at step by step guide to remove stains from silk.

Dried stains are trickier to remove, thus always act quickly as possible. So never waist time to clean stain from a silk garment.

To absorb as much stain possibly from the fabric, dab the stained area with clean cotton wool or a tissue.

Now we have to make a stain removal solution. For that add few tablespoon of lemon juice with similar amount of water. You can also use vinegar instead of lemon juice.

Gently apply the solution and dab it with a clean, white cloth. Make sure you do not rub it in.

Wash the garment as usual, following the instructions as mentioned.

FOR GREASY STAINS:

If the stain is greasy, then make sure you add some talcum powder on the stain and then dab it with clean cotton or tissue. Make sure you let it sit for a few hours before applying the prepared solution as mentioned above to remove stain.

Every fabric is different and requires different care, wash and stain removal methods, so that it doesn’t loose its texture. It is very difficult to maintain silk fabrics. Usually we are very confused on how to handle them and end up ruining the fabric. These steps will ensure you silk fabric to remain clean and have a long shelf life and retain its colour as well as texture.

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TIPS ON HOW TO WASH, CARE AND REMOVE STAINS FROM SILK FABRIC