Pop your item in the washing machine – we recommend placing any silk items inside a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase to avoid snags or damage caused by the drum. Select a cool, delicate cycle (do not set the wash temperature to any higher than 30°C).
Some silk items may lose color or get damaged in the machine. Don't wash silk and delicate fabric with heavy pieces of clothing like jeans. Using a delicates wash bag will protect your silks from any abrasive damage.
Hand wash silk clothes in cold water
Fill a clean sink or small tub with lukewarm water and a small amount of delicate-friendly liquid detergent. Lightly agitate for three to five minutes and rinse well. If the care label advises machine washing, choose a gentle, cold-water cycle.
Don't put silk items in the dryer. Heat can damage delicate silk fibers. If the dryer is absolutely necessary to use only 'air' setting for 15 minutes or less with NO fabric sheets or dryer balls. Remove sheets before completely dry.
To restore some of the shine and softness that's been lost, you can give your silk pieces a mild white vinegar bath. White vinegar helps to remove any residual soap in the fibres, and also restores lustre and softness to silk.
Yes, silk will shrink in hot water.
If you require your silk garment to be shrunk, then you can attempt to use the washing machine on a high heat setting, or instead you can put your silk into a pot of boiling water. This will shrink the silk, and also severely damage it.
Silk is so durable that it was the preferred material of parachutes. This natural material's strong fibers make it unable to completely absorb the dyes applied to color the silk fabric. Dry cleaning is the safest way to make sure you can retain the deep colors of your favorite silk garments.
Most silk garments will say “dry clean only” on their care label. McCorkill says although sometimes you can handwash silk, dry cleaning “is the best way to retain the natural lustre and drape of the fabric.”
Test for Colorfastness
Sadly, dyed silk fades, so test your garment for colorfastness before washing. Dab an inconspicuous area, like the inside seam, with a damp clean cloth or Q-tips. If the color bleeds, take your garment to the cleaners.
Silk is a protein, just like our hair, so it doesn't take much to clean it. Meaning: use a very gentle soap (or even shampoo), and gentle movements in cold water, and the fibers will let go of any dirt or oils. It's that simple.
Silk pillowcases, like your other bed linens, come into direct contact with your skin every night, so it's important to wash them regularly — typically about every seven to ten days. To learn more about washing bed linens, check out this guide to washing and properly caring for bedding.
Even if you are hand washing your silks are per the instructions, if you are using a detergent, they can become stiff. Using a castile soap like Dr Bronner's instead can help a lot. Even after air drying, though, your silk may still be a bit stiff. However, using castile soap will make the silk soften up a lot quicker.
Silk clothing can be damaged in a number of ways, but one of the most common causes of damage to this expensive fabric is mishandling it while cleaning. This is particularly true when attempting to remove difficult stains. Because of its vulnerability to strong chemicals, bleach should never be used on silk fabric.
Similarly, silk can be handwashed, but doing so may change the lustre and drape of the fabric. If you have a silk garment made from particularly delicate silk, like chiffon or georgette, it's best to take it to a dry-cleaner as these fabrics are more likely to be affected by water.
What Kind of Silk is Washable? All silk is washable, it's just a matter of how your pieces can be washed.
So, unless you want to intentionally soften it, we don't recommend getting it wet. Even steam will have a softening effect on it, so it's a good idea to use a dry iron on this fabric. If you decide to go ahead and wash your silk dupioni anyway, note that its deep, brilliant colors may bleed. So wash it separately.
Be sure to choose a gentle or “delicate” cycle when washing clothes with instructions to dry clean. Gentle cycles combine a low-speed spin with a mild wash action to reduce the risk of wrinkling or tangling clothes.
The garment could shrink!
If your clothing has Dry Clean Only labels, then you are much better off having it professionally dry cleaned than washed at home. Some may provide a bit of leeway, but in general, it's a good idea to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
The safest way to clean your 100% silk item is to turn the garment inside out, and hand wash it with a few drops of Ariel Matic Liquid Detergent in a sink or washbasin filled with cold water. Next, gently agitate the item using your hands, then let it soak for a little while.
Use an iron with a dedicated silk setting and a clean surface, preferably an ironing board. Iron your silk while it's still a bit damp. After the wash, hang your silk sheets until they are almost dry then iron. Don't wring out excess water, which can damage the silk.
The best way to identify silk is to burn it (please don't do this to your clothes at home) but indeed; burning is a good test because silk burns in a very specific way. It has a clean flame, burns very fast, and when you put it in between your fingers it turns to dust without making a plastic ball of burnt material.
The burn test
When burnt, real silk will smell similar to burning hair and produce brittle ash. Once the flame is removed, it'll stop burning. If there's no ash present and it smells like burning plastic, it's not real silk.
Silk also weakens when wet and can degrade in heat but this doesn't mean it is not washable. It just means that you need to wash it a certain (easy!) way to keep your silk garment as fresh as new for much longer. Better to be safe than sorry!