How To Properly Care For Silk
Did you receive a silk Hermès scarf as a gift? It will become a family heirloom and appreciate in value if properly cared for. There is no doubt you will look fabulous wearing it, whether with your Birkin bag, around your neck, or as a hair accessory. Four types of natural silk are produced around the world, Mulberry silk, Eri silk, Tasar silk, and Muga silk, while Mulberry silkworms contribute to approximately 90% of silk production. There are also 35 types of silk fabrics used to make garments and home furnishings, including Charmeuse, Dupion silk, chiffon, and silk satin.
How do you test if silk items are made from pure silk? Lightly scrunch it up in your hand, and when you hear a crunching noise, it is pure silk. Or you can try the ring test. Real silk glides smoothly through any jewelry ring, whereas synthetic fibers bunch up or get caught on the ring. What is the most appropriate way to care for your precious silk items?
How Do I Take Care Of Silk?
Always check the care label of your silk clothing before cleaning any article. Most manufacturers require that the items are dry-cleaned, and others state it is “dry clean only”. If you have a small item, such as a scarf you want to clean, and the care instructions indicate “dry-clean”, you can hand wash it. Washing machines will damage pure silk, even on the gentlest cycle. Use silk detergent when hand washing single items, swirl the article in the water and avoid excessive rubbing, as it might damage the delicate fibers.
Always clean silk clothes before storing them in a dark, cool, and dry place with sufficient air circulation. As a natural fiber, silk needs to breathe, so hang the items in breathable cotton bags. It maintains the clothing’s shape and limits creasing.
How To Read Silk Care Labels
Knowing how to care for silk starts with the care label. The label tells you what the maker believes the fabric, dye, trim, and stitching can handle.
Look for these instructions first:
"Dry clean only" means do not wash it at home. Bring it to Hometown Cleaners for dry cleaning services.
Dry clean means professional cleaning is safest, but some simple silk items may allow careful hand washing.
Hand wash means the item should not go through a standard machine cycle.
“Do not tumble dry" means heat can harm the fabric, shape, or finish.
Silk care labels matter because silk can react badly to water, heat, friction, and harsh detergents. Tide notes that hand wash symbols often appear on delicate fabrics like silk, and care should be taken even when a machine has a hand wash setting.
If the label is missing, faded, or unclear, do not guess. Bring the item in before cleaning it at home.
Can You Hand Wash Silk At Home?
Can you hand wash silk at home? In limited cases, yes, but it is usually not the safest choice. Silk can react unpredictably to water, detergent, rubbing, and drying, even when the item looks simple.
If the care label clearly allows hand washing and the piece is unlined, colorfast, unstained, and not valuable or sentimental, light at-home care may be possible. Even then, avoid rubbing, twisting, wringing, soaking, or using heat.
Do not hand wash silk with prints, deep colors, beading, lining, pleats, embroidery, stains, or structured details. These pieces can bleed, shrink, lose shape, or develop water spots.
If there is any doubt, skip the home wash and bring the item to Hometown Cleaners. Professional care helps protect the fabric, color, shape, and finish while reducing the risk of damage from trial-and-error cleaning.
What To Avoid When Caring For Silk
Caring for silk is as much about what not to do as what to do.
Avoid these common mistakes:
Do not use bleach. It can weaken silk and change the color.
Do not scrub stains. Scrubbing can damage the fibers and push the stain deeper.
Do not wring silk. Twisting can stretch the fabric and leave creases.
Do not use hot water. Heat can shrink, dull, or weaken silk.
Do not use a dryer. Heat and tumbling can damage the fabric.
Do not spray perfume, hairspray, or deodorant directly on silk. These products can leave marks that may appear later.
Do not store silk in plastic. Silk is a natural fiber and needs airflow.
Floria Collective advises against rubbing, scrubbing, or wringing silk during washing. That same caution applies to stain treatment.
If a stain appears, blot lightly with a clean white cloth. Then stop. Do not add water, vinegar, baking soda, alcohol, or stain remover unless a professional tells you it is safe.
Should I Take Silk To A Dry Cleaner?
All silk items and garments can be taken for silk dry cleaning services, but when the care label state “dry clean only”, these are strict instructions. Manufacturers feel it restricts the chances of silk items being mishandled, with resulting complaints. Printed silks are prone to bleeding, so test any item for colour fastness before you hand wash any item. If there are any color residues, they must be dry-cleaned.
At Hometown Cleaners we are committed to sustainability and take special care with all silk clothing. Our state-of-the-art dry cleaning and washing machines use only hypoallergenic, biodegradable, organic solvents and detergents, making them gentle on your skin, garments, and the environment. The new systems we implemented also use less energy and generate less waste.
Did you know we offer our customers a free pick-up and delivery service? The Hometown Cleaners’ motto is “Let’s get you scheduled”. Complete the online form, and we will be in touch to schedule your free pick-up. We also have a contactless pick-up and delivery option for your convenience.
What To Do If My Silk Is Stained?
With more than 50 years of experience as a full-service laundry, we are experts at stain removal at Hometown Cleaners. Stains should be treated as soon as possible to increase the chance of removal, and we ask our clients not to try and remove the stains themselves, as it will set the mark. Through the years, we developed the skill to remove stubborn stains from almost any fabric and have access to specialists for advice. All silk stains, including those caused by perfume and makeup, should be pretreated before washing.
How To Store Silk Properly
Learning how to store silk helps prevent yellowing, creasing, fading, and fabric stress.
Store silk in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Sun can fade color and weaken the fibers over time.
Use breathable cotton garment bags for dresses, blouses, scarves, and formalwear. Avoid plastic dry cleaner bags for long-term storage because they can trap moisture.
Fold scarves and knits with acid-free tissue paper to reduce creases. Hang structured silk garments on padded hangers so the shoulders keep their shape.
Always clean silk before storing it. Body oil, perfume, food residue, and invisible stains can darken over time. A piece may look clean when you put it away, then show yellow marks months later.
If the silk item is valuable, sentimental, stained, or marked dry clean only, bring it to Hometown Cleaners before storage. You can use the pickup form to schedule service.
The safest answer for how to care for silk is simple. Read the label, avoid heat and scrubbing, skip home stain treatment, and use professional care when the item is delicate, stained, or important to you.
Friendly service and quality work have been the backbone of our business since 1960, and with convenient locations on the Treasure Coast and the Jupiter / Juno Beach area, we are in your Hometown Cleaners. Do you have silk rugs or silk curtains? Bring all your silk items to Hometown Cleaners for dry cleaning. Contact us today.
