Silk clothing is very beautiful and delicate, but it requires special treatment, and is rather pricey. Some women even refuse to wear silk, for the sole reason of not knowing how to wash it, or how to remove stains from it. It’s worth mentioning that it does make a difference whether you are dealing natural or artificial silk. Fabrics can also differ in their structure, processing, and the weaving of threads.
Always pay attention to the care recommendations on the label. Follow them carefully, and your silk clothing will serve you for years.
The main rules for washing silk are as follows.
- Delicate natural silk should be washed by hand and should not be rubbed too much. This refers particularly to gauzy fabrics. Denser fabrics can be machine washed on the gentlest setting.
- Water when washing should be warm, but not hot. 40°C is enough.
- When rinsing, you can add some vinegar, then the colors of colored silk become more vivid.
Choosing the right detergent
There is a wide selection of special liquid detergents and fabric softeners designed specifically for silk available in stores. Using them can soften the water, remove all stains, make the fabric more delicate. Never use bleach. White silk garments are washed in a borax solution (a tablespoon of borax per 1.5 liters of water).
Drying and ironing
Do not over-dry the silk, or it will be very difficult to iron. It is especially not recommended to dry it on top of heaters and radiators. Spraying silk with a spray bottle leaves water stains. Particularly delicate garments should be lightly wrung out and hung up on a hanger to dry.
Silk should be ironed from the inside, using a warm iron (temperature on the lowest setting). Use a steamer only if it is made for silk. If the garment is badly wrinkled, iron it through moistened gauze, then the temperature of the iron can be increased.
Grandma’s secrets
For those who want to learn how to wash silk things in an old-fashioned way, we recommend this relatively simple recipe.
- Boil a kilogram of peeled potatoes in a pot filled with 3-3. 5 liters of water.
- Strain the broth and cool it to a warm temperature.
- Soak your blouse, dress, scarf, or any other silk item
- After 1.5-2 hours add half a shot glass of alcohol, wait a few minutes and rinse clothes in clean water.
Washing natural silk in water that was used to soak bran works really well. The water does need to be strained first.
Washing artificial silk
Artificial silk is produced from synthetic fibers or specially treated cotton and viscose. Visually, it is very similar to natural silk, and it should also be washed in warm soapy water. We recommend softening the water with one or two tablespoons of ammonia.
In order to not damage your garments, refrain from wringing them out too hard, rubbing them with a brush, and so on, while they are wet. Do not ever boil or bleach any silk items. If you do not have a special cleaning product at hand, then use ordinary baby soap or children’s detergent powder.