Silk has long been a preferred fabric by many women because of its comfort, versatility, and natural elegance. When properly cared for, your beautiful silk dresses and pieces can easily stay in top condition for decades. But when not properly tended to, this material can quickly deteriorate in appearance and can never be restored. To make sure that you get the most out of your silk pieces, we’ve provided a list of steps that you can follow to keep them in the best shape possible for as long as possible:
Cleaning
For the most part, dry cleaning is always your best option. This is particularly true if you have any pieces that are made of pure silk. In many cases, however, hand washing your silk pieces is just fine (even dupioni silk, as long as you’re willing to sacrifice some firmness and color). Machine washing is almost always a “no-no” unless it is specified on the care label.
Drying
Whatever you do, don’t put your silk pieces in the machine dryer. The best way to safely dry your silk is to take the item, place it on top of a bath towel, and then gently roll the item up in it. Then gently press down on the item to get the water out. Never wring the silk. Once most of the water has been squeezed out, then it’s safe to be hung up to dry (or bourette and other more coarse silk should be placed on a flat surface).
Storage
Unless you plan on wearing your silk on a regular basis, such as silk floral dresses and blouses, all silk should be stored safely away in a breathable fabric such as a pillowcase. By doing so you’ll be preventing any staining, yellowing, or mildew. Take care to also store your silk with mothballs or cedar chips, since silk is a month’s favorite snack. Keep reading how to evolve snom.
