Make a gentle silk stain remover out of a couple of tablespoons of either white vinegar or lemon juice, mixed with a couple of tablespoons of lukewarm water. Test the solution on a small, inconspicuous area of the silk first, before dabbing the stain with it using a clean, white cloth. Do not rub the stain.
Use only cold water with a mild detergent and be certain to immerse the item completely. Rinsing with white vinegar is another trick that leaves your silk garment lustrous. When dealing with such a delicate fabric, never use a harsh material to scrub the stain out.
Half a cup of white distilled vinegar in the rinse water will help silk keep its sheen as well as kill odor causing bacterias. Lay your silk on a towel and roll the towel up, almost like you're making a silk-towel-sushi roll. This will remove excess water before you lay the items flat to air dry.
You may think you need high washing temperatures and a lot of agitation to get rid of any stains from silk, but luckily you can use a few tricks to remove stains and keep the garment looking beautiful. Tip: Spot treat any stains with cool water and a diluted solution of detergent.
In order to remove a wine stain from silk you can make a cleaning solution by mixing equal amounts of cold water with hydrogen peroxide. Soak the silk in this solution for a few hours, preferably overnight. Wash it thoroughly with cold water once removed.
Do not use OxiClean™ on wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends, leather, or on fabrics labeled dry clean only. Always test OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover on an inconspicuous area of the item first. OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover can be used on white clothes and colorfast fabrics.
While your carpet will thank you for an isopropyl alcohol treatment, keep in mind some fabrics don't do well with alcohol. Delicate or synthetic materials like acetate, rayon, wool, and silk are best avoided.
Light and/or recent silk tie stains can often be effectively removed with rubbing alcohol. Pour some in a bowl and gently dab on to your tie using a clean rag. Be sure to wring out the rag before applying it to the tie so that you're not oversaturating the fabric.
*For best results, use a little less than two teaspoons (9.5 mL) of Dawn® Platinum in a top-loading washing machine—be sure not to use too much, and don't use on delicate fabrics like 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.
In most cases, your best bet is to have dry cleaning and laundry professionals clean your silk garments. Tide Cleaners has the experience, know-how, and equipment to remove stains while ensuring that the fabric is kept safe.
Dawn dish soap is great for cleaning all kinds of stains. If you have a tricky sweat stain, try adding Dawn dish soap to the mix. Create a paste of 1 part Dawn dish soap and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide. Let the stain soak in the mixture for several hours before scrubbing it into the fabric.
To remove oil and grease stains on silk you can apply talcum powder, baking soda, or cornstarch to the stained area and allow it to sit overnight. Talcum powder is the most effective, however all 3 options work well to remove oil and grease stains from silk.
How to Wash Silk. Wash white and colorfast silks in tepid water—no warmer than your skin—with a mild detergent. Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the first rinse to remove soap residue and restore luster to the fabric. Then rinse thoroughly with water one final time.
Silk is a delicate fabric, and you'll want to make sure it stays beautiful even after you've cleaned it. Washing it at too high a heat can cause it to shrink and damage it. It may be worth getting your silk garment professionally dry cleaned to avoid damage if it's particularly precious to you.
Silk is delicate when wet
The strength of wet silk is only 80% that of its dry strength, which means that its fibers can break more easily and stretch out of shape when wet. That's why you need to be careful when washing, wringing and drying silk.
Sun and Water Damage. Silk is highly susceptible to damage from the elements. Even a tiny bit of water can leave a visible stain that's impossible to get rid of. And sunlight weakens the fibers of silk, resulting in tearing and fading.
Fresh stains are the easiest to remove because they have not set on the silk fibers. Simply moisten a soft cloth or sponge with warm water. Blot the stained area until the alcohol is removed. Allow the piece to air dry completely.
Hand Wash
Fill your basin with cool or cold water to help keep the color, then add a gentle detergent that's free of harsh ingredients. Whitehurst recommends using a mild shampoo, like Ivory, or gentle detergent, like Woolite.
Denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol are degreasing agents that work best as spot cleaners, removing surface soils that aren't affected by soap or detergent. Denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol will safely remove stains from many fabrics. Use to remove ink or sap. Do not use on acetate, rayon, wool or silk.
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.
Woolite Delicates Hypoallergenic Liquid Laundry Detergent is the best detergent for silk! Not only does this formula protect fabric fibers from damage due to over-washing, but it also contains no harsh ingredients that could cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.