Wash your pillowcase in cold water, in the gentle (or delicate) setting. Hot water may distort the fibers. Use a pH-neutral detergent. Solutions that are too acidic or alkaline can leave your silk pillowcase feeling rough or stiff.
Detergent can stiffen silk
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.
If you decide on using the washer, set the machine to the gentle cycle, and place the silk pillowcase in a mesh laundry bag. This will protect it from snags or rough spots in the machine. Some detergents are simply too harsh for silk and will leave it feeling rough and scratchy.
Too much or the wrong detergent can make silk rough. Be sure to use a non-alkaline detergent. Adding ¼ cup of vinegar to the first rinse helps to work as a natural fabric softener.
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.
Don't scrub or soak the material for too long as it is sensitive. To help your silks regain their lustre, in lukewarm or room temperature water, add some distilled vinegar and mix well. Soak the silk pieces in this water and for a maximum of 10 minutes and then remove from vinegar water.
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 can become rough and stiff when it is exposed to heat, detergents that contain harsh chemicals or too much detergent, or improper drying methods.
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.
The first thing you need to know about how to dry silk pillowcases is that you should never put them in the dryer. The high heat of a dryer — even on a low setting — will destroy the silk's fiber.
Wayne Edelman, CEO of high-end dry cleaning service Meurice Garment Care states you should: 'wash your silk pillowcase inside out, stay away from hot temperatures and do not use any excessive agitation (do not wring, do not use fabric softeners)'.
Yes you can. However, whether your pillowcase is silk or cotton, going to bed with wet hair can attract bacteria. If your silk pillowcase absorbs some of your hair product, you can wash this out as easily as a cotton pillow case in most cases, but keeping in mind that silk is more delicate than cotton.
Wash silk after every few wearings unless it needs freshening and stain removal. Remember that washing your silk clothes at home may put the garments at risk of color fading if cleaned too often. Dry cleaning usually doesn't fade the color of silk clothing as fast as home washing.
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.
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 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.
To restore some of the shine and softness that's been lost, you can give your silk pillowcase a mild white vinegar bath. White vinegar helps to remove any residual soap in the fibres, and also restores lustre and softness to silk.
Fake silk will have a 'white sheen' (like plastic) from all angles, whereas silk fibres will only shimmer from a combination of light and angles. Fake silk is also stiffer, whereas real silk often has a 'water-like' slink. All bunched up. Very good fake silk, will feel like silk to the touch.
Noil Silk. Known as 'raw silk' Made from the short fibres left after combing and carding, so it doesn't shine like many other silk fabrics.
Silk is a delicate fabric easily damaged by heat and agitation. If you're going to iron your silk clothing, start by testing the fabric for heat tolerance.
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.
Hand touch
Simply touch your silk and get a good feel for the smoothness of it. Real silk is completely smooth to the touch, with a soft and almost waxy feeling. Further to that, if you scrunch it up a bit in your hand, you should hear a crunching noise – that sound should tell you that it's the real deal.