For thousands of years, silk has been highly prized for its luxurious properties. But quality silk fabrics do require special care. Here are our answers to three frequently asked questions:
Can I wash silk in the washing machine?
The recommended care instruction for all silk fabric qualities is DRY CLEAN ONLY. Machine washing is not recommended. Some dyed silk fabrics may be able to be hand washed, at owner’s risk.
As silk absorbs a great amount of dye, which can be released when a fabric is washed, it is recommended that fabrics are safer if dry cleaned.
To test for colour fastness, wet a small corner of the item in cool water and place on a piece of white fabric; press with a warm iron. If the silk does not leave any colour, then it could be hand washed in cool water with a gentle washing product. Silk fabrics should not be spin/tumble dried but laid flat on a clean dry towel or line dried out of direct sunlight.
How can I remove stains from silk?
You should never bleach, soak or boil silk. If your garment has a mark on it, gently rub it with a clean sponge or brush. If the fabric is badly stained, take it to a dry cleaner who has experience of cleaning silk.
Can I iron silk?
Many silks can be pressed gently on the wrong side of the fabric with a warm iron, while slightly damp, then finished very lightly on the right side. Other types of silk fabric, such as crepes, wild silks and slubbed silks – those with a textured effect – should be pressed while dry. Use a pressing cloth with slubbed and ribbed silks to prevent them becoming fluffy. Don’t use the steam function on your iron, as this may cause water stains. Fabrics should pressed on reverse side with cool iron only.
All silks are susceptible to colour changes, some more than others, when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light or strong direct sunlight.
