How To

How to Clean a Silk Tie

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(54 Ratings)

Silk ties aren't really meant to be cleaned, even by a dry cleaner. However, ties can get dirty especially over meal time. If you need to clean your tie, here are some helpful hints.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

    Removing a Stain

  1. Step 1

    Act immediately.

  2. Step 2

    Resist the temptation to expose a silk tie to water.

  3. Step 3

    Use a white paper towel to dab a small amount of stain remover onto the stain.

  4. Step 4

    Blot with the paper towel.

  5. Step 5

    Have the tie professionally dry-cleaned if you haven't gotten rid of the stain.

  6. Step 6

    Keep in mind that a stain remover may discolor a silk tie slightly. Even dry-cleaning may harm your tie.

  7. Care and Storage

  8. Step 1

    Treat your ties with a specialized fabric protection spray before wearing them.

  9. Step 2

    Avoid tie-threatening situations, such as open soup bowls, ketchup or mustard packets, and babies.

  10. Step 3

    Loosely roll ties to store them, rather than hanging them. Tie rolls should be loose to avoid wrinkling; hanging ties can leave creases.

Tips & Warnings
  • Some men elect to throw their ties over their shoulders before eating. Though this practice is growing in popularity, it is not appropriate for all social settings and lacks a certain elegance.

Comments  

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SueP1234 said

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on 12/11/2008 Do this >>> use plain alcohol and a blow dryer to quickly dry the cleaned spot to prevent a ring. Here is a link to the directions:

http://www.creativehomemaking.com/articles/112803k.shtml
I was skeptical but this worked for me to remove a milk stain that ran down the entire length of my son's light colored silk tie. JUST KEEP REPEATING. After the first couple of applications it may not look like it's working, but eventually it will. Hooray!

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on 4/19/2008 I hope Bobs advice works! I have a box full of stained ties and now running out of selection so I may aswell give it a try. I will let you know how it goes in a few days....

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on 4/11/2008 After slurging on an expensive and very sharp-looking Goergio Armani tie, I promptly ruined it with a large splotch of pizza grease. To say I was upset with myself was an understatement, but two days later I did an Internet search and came upon the above advice regarding putting talcum powder on the stain and leaving it overnight. I bought some Clubman talc from the corner pharmacy for around $4, sprinkled it on the grease stain, and--I swear--the next morning the was GONE. All the other advice I came across basically said, "forget it, throw the tie away." I'm glad I came across this, though! Four-dollar talc saved a $70-dollar tie!

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 I must admit I was a little wary at first about wet cleaning a silk tie, but as Bob said if it's a choice between giving it a go or getting rid of it, it's worth a try! My tie turned out almost better than it started out!It is a Thai Silk tie, bought on holidays in Thailand, and it wasn't very expensive (so it wasn't even worth paying a good dry cleaner to try), but it is of quite good quality, and had only been worn once.
I pre-treated the stain (tomato pasta sauce) with a little Woolite and rubbed it with a couple of fingers very gently, just on the surface of the tie for a minute. Then I followed the Woolite instructions and gently swished the tie in lukewarm Woolite solution for about 3 minutes, then followed all of Bob's instructions.
When I took it out of the water my heart sank as the tie was completely puckered, and I thought the wrinkles would never come out. But I carried on, without stretching it, and rolled the tie in a big soft towel. The next day I laid it out flat on a towel to dry. I couldn't believe it, but the tie had completely flattened itself out in 2 days! It didn't need ironing, and in fact - the tie had become a little stiffer and easier to tie. And the vinegar rinse worked really well too, the shine is fabulous. I'm considering washing my boyfriend's other silk ties before he's even worn them!

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 3/7/2006 The following works best on softer silk ties.

*Hang a towel over a hot radiator.

*Rest tie flat on top of towel.

*Using a cold water-vapor spray, evenly spray the area the area, being careful not to soak.

*Have some absorbent kitchen tissue at hand to gently blot.

*Leave the tie over night. Repeat if necessary.

TIP: This will also help you re-shape your tie.

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