Caring for your Silk

Hand wash your silk. It does not take much time. And as you can only use soap for delicate fabrics, you won't damage your hands either. Don't soak them as their colors can fade so rinse them immediately. Do not wring or scrub your silk. Let the water drip.

J ust warm, remember. Not hot. And keep using the same temperature for the rinse as well. Silk does not ltake changes in water temperature well. For rinsing, use a tiny bit of vinegar in the water. this will keep your silk from getting brittle and enhance its sheen and color. This will stop yellowing of white silk. Never use bleach for your white silk.

Towels absorb the excess moisture. You may dry it flat on the towel or roll the silk item up in the towel and gently press the water out. Again, don't wring. Reshape the garment and hang to dry. Fortunately, silk dries quickly so you can wash it in a hotel room and if really necessary, use the hair dryer for a final blow.

I ron your silk when it is still damp. It is easier and the wrinkles are easier to press. Use the setting for silk. Turn your silk clothing inside out and iron the reverse side so the sheen of your silk is not affected. Try the edges first so you will know that the heat is just right. Do not let the iron stay long on one area. When there is a wrinkle bugging you, dampen the area gently and iron again. Do not be tempted to use steam. This is not good for your silk. When your silk is dry when you iron, the wrinkles will stay.

When your silk has gotten dry before you had a chance to iron it, not to worry, just dampen it and start ironing. You can dampen it by spraying clean water or use a damp cloth. When you have made the surface too wet, just place a clean cloth on top, preferably not one with bleeding color, and iron on top of the cloth.