Do wash silk in cool water. Hot water will damage and shrink the natural fibres.
Take a basin or use the sink and fill it with lukewarm to cold water. Submerge the garment. Mix in a few drops of gentle detergent and use your hand to stir it into the solution. Leave the item to soak for three minutes.
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.
If you find that the sheen of your silk clothing has lost its luster or shimmer and appears to have a white film or looks dull, the silk fibers may have become damaged due to improper cleaning or exposure to too much light or heat.
Silk is a delicate fabric, and traditional laundry detergents can be too harsh and cause damage. Bleach and fabric softener should also be avoided, as they can also cause the fibers to break down over time. Furthermore, silk should be washed in cold water, as hot water can also cause damage.
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.
For many years, it was thought that dry cleaning was the only way to properly care for silk – but silk can actually be washed at home. While the care labels on many silk products may instruct that the item be dry cleaned, this is simply down to the manufacturers preference.
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.
“To increase the longevity of your silk garments, we recommend handwashing them in cold water with a quarter teaspoon of gentle organic detergent and fabric softener for no more than five minutes,” offers Kes. There is also a number of cleaning products specially made for washing silk at home (see below).
Once heat is applied to the garment after soaking it for a long time, the silk will shrink. To avoid this, either hand wash your silk in cold water or use the delicate cycle on your washing machine then hang to dry.
Silk is strong when dry, but Silk is Weaker when fibers are wet.
Use the delicate cycle, or, if your machine has one, the silk cycle, with as short a spin cycle as possible. Check that the wash temperature is not above the temperature recommended on the care label. If the label suggests a cool wash without specifying, try 30°C. Don't leave your silks wet in the machine.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Washing might alter the fabric's texture. Your soft blouse may feel stiff and coarse after washing. Even if your dry clean only garments survive washing at home, stubborn stains will likely remain.
All Woolite® products are liquid detergents and are specially formulated for the machine to not cause shrinking, stretching, or fading on washable suede, linen, cotton, washable wool, silk, rayon, polyester, cotton/polyester, nylon, nylon/spandex and rayon/spandex.
Do not wring or twist your silk garment while it is in the water, as silk gets weaker when wet, and the garment may lose shape. And do not soak silk in water for long periods of time, since this may cause eventual fading of the color.
That said, it's worth noting that silk isn't as absorbent as its cotton or linen contemporaries and choosing to wear a silk slip or skirt may result in sweat stains on a very humid day.
Silk is one of the strongest natural fibers, but it loses up to 20% of its strength when wet. It has a good moisture regain of 11%. Its elasticity is moderate to poor: if elongated even a small amount, it remains stretched. It can be weakened if exposed to too much sunlight.