Using a Hair Dryer
If your item only has a few wrinkles, then making those areas damp and then drying them with your hair dryer is a quick and easy way to work out the wrinkles. If you wash your silk item, you could simply hang it up to dry and the wrinkles will work themselves out under the weight of the damp item.
Use a Low-Heat Setting on the Dryer
One reason experts warn against putting silk in a dryer is that heat can damage silk. If your dryer has a no-heat, low-heat, cool or air-fluff setting, you can try dewrinkling silk using that setting without the risk of heat damage.
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.
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!
Temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius) can damage silk significantly. It is best to wash all silk products in cold water. Don't use bleach, which will harm the fabric and cause it to yellow, or fabric softener which can leave residue on the fabric.
Exposing your garment to long bursts of sunlight can cause the colors to fade or even damage your silk fabrics. Do not tumble dry. Silk is very delicate and the high temperatures of the tumble dryer can shrink or damage your silks. Use a detergent for delicates.
Can silk be steamed? Always steam silk garments if you can. The steam will gently remove any visible creases and wrinkles and add luster to the fabric. The hot steam from a steamer also removes odors and kills bacteria, while nourishing the textile fibers and allowing them to regain their natural shape.
Silk is not especially wrinkle prone, however it can easily become wrinkled when folded up in a drawer or packed away in a tight suitcase. Silk is a natural fiber, which means that it is not as wrinkle resistant as other fabrics made from synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon.
Fill the steamer's water tank and power on the unit. Once ready, start at the top of the garment and move down slowly using long downward strokes. While steaming silk use your free hand to stretch the garment lightly to create some tension to make the fabric flatter; this will help the steamer do its job.
Silk, the most elegant low-wrinkle fabric
Although there are silks that can wrinkle more easily, there are more elastic and resistant silks that resist wrinkles well. This delicate and elegant fabric dries quickly, but it is better to dry it on a support so that it does not create unsightly wrinkles.
Whitehurst recommends using a mild shampoo, like Ivory, or gentle detergent, like Woolite. Place the garment in the water, give it a stir, and let it sit for just a few minutes. "Silk releases dirt quickly, so the process doesn't take long," he says. Next, drain the soapy mix and rinse with cool, running water.
- Iron the inside (dull side) of your silk. - Do not leave the iron in one place for too long. We recommend you iron your silk after every wash or two washes. Regular ironing helps preserve the natural sheen of silk and may extend shelf life of silk considerably.
' The good news is that ironing silk without damaging it is possible. The trick is to understand how to iron silk gently to avoid any damage. Iron your silk while it's still damp after washing and remember to turn the garment inside out first.
If you enjoy delicate fabrics and textures such as cashmere or silk in your wardrobe, choose a steamer. The clothes steamer will not come in direct contact with sensitive materials so you are less likely to ruin a prized garment from too much heat.
Place a cup or bowl containing 50ml of water in the microwave alongside the wrapped silk fabric. Set the microwave to full power and “cook” the parcel for 2 minutes (this is based on a microwave of 850 watts or over, you may need an additional 30 seconds for lower wattage microwaves).
Steaming time can vary due to altitude, amount of dye you used, the weight of the silk, and the size of your silk. It can take from 1 hour up to 3 hours to set the dyes.
While it is entirely possible to machine wash silk, it isn't recommended. Being such a delicate fabric, silk doesn't tend to get along well with the constant turning motion of the machine drum. Silk should be handled with care, and throwing it in a washing machine can often be a little too rough.
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.
Silk cannot be tumble dried - True
Silk is best dried flat on the type of airer designed for this purpose. Hanging it on a washing line or a clothes hanger may stretch the fibres, making the piece misshapen. Exposure to UV light may also cause discolouration.
“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).
Too much rubbing or agitation of the fibres in the wash will cause damage. Do take silk that is not colour-fast to a dry cleaning professional. Do wash silk in cool water. Hot water will damage and shrink the natural fibres.
Once their cocoon is complete, the sericulture process traditionally includes killing the silkworm by boiling or steaming it alive. This boiling step also blunts a natural chemical substance known as sericin, which otherwise would cause the cocoons to harden, resulting in a fabric that's not as soft.